IN a music scene saturated with indie bands, it's important to have a sound that is a little bit different.

For those bands who do, success awaits; just look at Arctic Monkeys. Last night a sell-out crowd witnessed The Rakes, a band destined for nothing but great things.

This mammoth 85-minute set included high energy performances of tracks from their debut album Capture/Release, including The Guilt, Terror! and Violent. But it was the singles that stood out the most. Work Work Work, Retreat and Strasbourg sounded truly awesome, but it was the track 22 Grand Job which gained the loudest cheer of the night and it is quickly becoming the anthem for the youth of today.

The jewel in the crown for The Rakes is their charismatic front man Alan Donohoe. His spasmodic dancing and witty banter is worth the entry fee alone. One fan was heard shouting; "Pete (Doherty) is dead, Alan is our God now". The Newcastle crowd certainly treated him like one.

There was also a packed support line-up. First band Switches were very raw but displayed some potential. The Duels, despite having a couple of good songs, were disappointing but main support band White Rose Movement was definitely a band to watch out for; their brand of 80's synth influenced rock had the crowd going wild.

On the basis of tonight, forget Hard Fi, Arctic Monkeys or the Kaiser Chiefs, The Rakes are the best new band in Britain.

Published: 09/02/2006