Over the last year, the hype surrounding Pretty Vicious has taken the four teenagers from a group of school friends having some fun, all the way to a band with record companies competing for their signatures on a contract. Having signed with Virgin EMI Records, they have played opening slots for the Manic Street Preachers and are now out on a tour of their own. A trip to the Wardrobe was therefore made to see whether all of the excitement was warranted.

A small crowd make the effort to show up for the local support acts, however the night began with a late start from opening act Tusk. Despite his questionable paisley shirt, frontman Tom Askin’s energy is undeniable; unfortunately, his powerful vocals twinned with those of the band’s injured drummer do not get the reception that they deserve. They are followed by Happy Daggers, whose funk-infused rock manages to get the kids from the sides and onto the dancefloor.

From the moment that the Welsh youngsters take to the stage, Pretty Vicious show themselves to be in another class to the other bands on the bill. One would expect a headlining UK tour to be a daunting prospect for boys so young, but they appear unfazed as they launch straight into “It’s Always There” to get the crowd bouncing. Their angst-ridden brand of punk rock, channelled through frontman Brad Griffith’s pained vocals, shows why they have suddenly become such a hot commodity. Throughout their 12-song set, these lads play like a band free of any worries, but own the stage like a band with many more years; they even throw in a fitting cover of Iggy Pop’s “I Wanna Be Your Dog”. The ending comes as suddenly as the start, and one suspects that a little more showmanship is in order, but that is something that will come with time – something that these boys have plenty of.

Keiran Suchak