All photos by Adam Kevern

"We had the choice of starting our UK tour anywhere in England," screams The Subways' frontman Billy Lunn.  Shirtless, tattooed and looking far more like a member of Prodigy than you could ever imagine, he continues, "so we said fuck it! Lets go to Falmouth!"

It's a nice sentiment, and even if the skeptics in the crowd find it hard to believe, everyone goes nuts.  Always grateful for a chance to see a band of The Subways' stature (not as rare as it used to be) this crowd - Cornwall's indie community - are young, pissed and excitedly respond to anything Lunn says throughout the evening.

Playing their breakthrough single 'Oh Yeah' from 2005s Young for Eternity second, the band pull off moves that wouldn't be out of place in stadiums. Charlotte Cooper, complete in trademark mini skirt, tirelessly runs around the stage resembling a younger, fitter and considerably less drug induced Courtney Love.  Drummer Josh Morgan bangs the drums like his life depends on it, while Lunn repeatedly throws himself off the drum kit and demands the audience sing his lines.

The energy levels of both band and crowd never drop throughout the following 50-minute set comprised equally of new and old material. The old tunes are greeted like all time favourites, 'With You', 'What You've Got to Say' and 'Mary' produce mass singalongs, Lunn milks it for all it's worth, pausing mid song to encourage crowd participation. 

The news songs played tonight don't represent a massive change in direction for the band. Sure, the current single 'Girls & Boys' might be the heaviest thing they've done on record, but when the acoustic melodies and vocal harmonies of next single 'Alright' kick in, it's clear that The Subways play to their strengths: writing pop songs that can rock any town hall to it's very foundations.
(Tim Hill)