It's a funny old thing, gig reviewing. Very often there is a feel of the same old, same old, with a few mediocre supports and a headliner trotting out the same set they've played the last few tours - and looking about as jaded with it all as most of the crowd appear to be. But every once in awhile a surprise turns up, stops you in your tracks and raises the game for the entire show. In the last year or two, I have only seen two other new artists - namely Zulu Winter and Clock Opera - that left me feeling as if I were looking at a band that were surely destined for the big time. The third arrived tonight.

Citizens! (be sure not to leave out the exclamation mark; doing so will bring you to another band entirely) have been hotly touted by Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos (who is also producing their May dropping debut album) and signed last year to the French label, Kitsune. The London-based quintet parade an 80s disco, indie-pop vibe, filled with a raft of catchy, danceable songs that are all infectious and instantly memorable, and in frontman Tom Burke, a presence who is like an amalgamation of a latter-day David Bowie/Bryan Ferry, with perhaps just a flavour of the aforementioned Zulu Winter's Will Daunt. Their first single 'True Romance' may have hooked a few in on its release late last year, but that is nothing compared to its March radio-friendly follow-up, 'Reptile', which will burrow its way into your head like not just one worm, but a whole can full.

As they go from one song to the next in the nine-song set, each just seems to get better.  'Let's Go All The Way', with catchy synth hooks supplied by Lawrence Diamond, 'whoops' and 'swishes' alongside Michael Richmond's thumping drum beat; the curious vocal manipulation in parts of 'Monster' that has Burke reaching falsetto heights, before the occasional ear-splitting roar kicks in, filled out with bouncy beats and harmonising vocals by guitarist Thom Rhoades. 'Girlfriend' - introduced by Burke as 'this is a message from my heart, to yours' - changes beat and rhythm throughout, to an ending which sees Burke lounging, louche-ly, with one arm resting on synth. Citizens! have recently played dates in Europe, including the Eurosonic festival, and seem to have impressed all those who have happened by them. Speaking to several people during the evening, it became evident that a fair few were here solely for Citizens! with a large contingent of Japanese fans, and one French girl who had travelled from Warsaw in Poland. With upcoming dates over February in the UK, my recommendation is to go and find out what makes them so good for yourself.

Next up, Welsh wizards of shimmering electronica Man Without Country (pictured above) take to a darkened stage as they intro into 'Foe' and a set of hazy, shoegaze-meets-synth melodies carried with a dark intensity of lyric and a young, poppy vibe in the style of M83. 'Puppets' (with a washing-machine-like whirl cycle ending), as with 'Closet Addicts Anonymous', which follows later in the set, are enhanced by the drumstick thrashing on sampler of Tomas Greenhalf, something which is now almost a trademark of MWC (and it has to be said, he thrashes very well). A five minute break after just two songs in owing to a technical failure, which was unfortunate for them, but they pull it back, finishing with their anthemic 'Inflammable Heart' that as always, raises cheers of recognition whenever played with its pulsing beats, sampler crashes and the semi-hushed vocal of Ryan Owen.

When The Cast Of Cheers arrive on stage it's a signal for the party to begin in earnest. I don't know what they're putting in the water in Dublin's fair city, but this lot must be imbibing plenty of it.  With a hopping, skip-jumping guitarist, Neil Adams, and his brother, vocalist, Conor, belting out a set's worth of material than never run anywhere less than 180bps - it's fast, fun and furious ballsy rockin post-punk from start to finish, full of full-on tight punchy riffs, stomping bass and thumping drums. On their website they stated that for this tour they were hoping for the same reaction 'Susan Boyle got when she first opened her gob on stage'. Had Simon Cowell been in the audience he'd have been weighing up the commercial potential of this Everything Everything/Biffy/Foals quartet in his head.  An eight song set, including the forthcoming debut single 'Family', they run from almost country style tweaks on ' Blocks' through to the rock thrash of 'Human'.  'This is thirsty work', says Conor at one point, taking a swig from a water bottle.  On tour as co-headliner with Theme Park (main picture), there's going to be some craic going down across the country, that's for sure.

If The Cast Of Cheers are the in-your-face party people, then Theme Park are the laid-back Caribbean beach soiree; Pina Colada sipping and chillin on the night breeze. It's all totally tropical. With the success of single release 'Milk' and recent Channel 4 showings, they have already started to garner a fanbase - and it's easy to see why. The five-piece Londoners are inoffensive, easy on the ear, with plenty of flowing lushness and Talking Heads rhythms. Tonight it not only brings dancing couples to the front, but also all of the evening's supports grooving on the floor, as they flow through the jangly melodies of 'A Mountain We Have' and 'Two Hours', and the singalong catchy chorus of 'Wax', all accompanied by Miles Haughton's sweetly baritone vocal. They play for less than thirty minutes, but it's enough to send everyone home feeling chilled and filled.