Lostprophets @ Union Chapel

I'm proper gutted to miss King Blues and The Blackout. Apparently both bands do well, with The King Blues in particular putting in a great performance.

Anticipation is high as we wait for Prophets to take to the stage. Even the £40 ticket price (yes, it's for charity, but £40 really?!) Hasn't dampened spirits one bit. I guess my one worry would be Ian's vocals. A few times at recent shows, they've not quite hit the spot and in this up close acoustic setting, such things are far more noticable. However, I have nothing to worry about it would appear as the band take to a beautiful candlelit stage and begin to roll through a very accomplished set. There is a slight sense that their aspirations are sometimes slightly beyond what the manage, but I say this with a huge amount of respect. It's a brave band that cover Alice In Chains and incorporate an 8 piece male vocal choir into their set, so while these grandiose moments sometimes don't quite gel perfectly, absolute credit to them for having the bravery to do it, especially with only a couple of days practice. The general feeling is one of triumph. Ian's banter is second to none, and the songs stripped down sound just as incredible as they do fully amped up. New single, Where We Belong, in particular stands out, and bodes well for that long awaited album.