Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

The Stiff Kitten isn't big enough for Kowalski. In the past twelve months, they've grown into something huge, a cocky, four headed monster, armed with the best voice in the country, as full a sound as humanely possible and tunes to batter us into submission.

No band in the country has played to their strength as much as this lot. When we first stumbled upon Kowalski a couple of years back, they were just another decent indie band who barely hinted at their mammoth potential. Somewhere along the way, they realized there was no shame in making ridiculously epic music and sounding a bit like... *shudder*, Coldplay. Or if that's not credible enough - Elbow.

So here they are, fully blossomed, with a gaggle of screaming girls in tow and confidence seemingly sky high. The racks of keyboards build a wall of sound that only singer Louis can break through. The likes of 'Oh My Good God' (the standout tonight), sounding like Modest Mouse with a beefy drum intro not really captured on the original recording, and a new song with a cheeky, rhythmic intro are enough of a deviation from that big old anthemic sound.

Granted, there's a distinct dip in the middle and our attention begins to lapse. But that's only because certain songs are so strong. They may have come a long way, but if arenas are the aim, there's still a little work to be done.

Speaking of arenas, A Plastic Rose seem to think they're headlining one tonight. They're pointing at people, getting us to clap along and even suggesting we 'sing the words' to tracks we've never heard. It's to their credit, in that it actually works a treat. For an opening act, they do the business in warming us up, or at least getting the crowd to gather down the front.

It turns out that 'All You Know and Love Will Die', the track we've been hammering on ATL, isn't a good indication of what they're about. Insanely catchy, a little spikey and a touch (whisper it) emo, it's more bubblegum than the rest of a ballsy collection of songs. And what is it about cocky front-men tonight? Gerry Norman is a star in the making.

Stuck in the middle, The Jane Bradfords are made to look positively content. They're the only band suited to such intimacy, with songs warmer than the sun. 'Golden Ticket' and 'Ninety Nine' are standouts tonight, but there's no dips here - the JB's have arguably the most solid setlist in Belfast. They'll never fill arenas, but that's not what they're about. They're an album band, set upon mixing creativity with memorable hooks, a band who take influence from unsung (mostly American) heroes. It's a little leftfield, sure, but inviting and approachable all the same.

Three bands then, three different agendas. None the less, three small victories.