Over Sea Under Stone have been together 18 months, but playing the Pavilion Theatre as a first headline Brighton gig didn't seem to faze them.

The quiet bar was testimony to the very young crowd, many of whom were surely getting their initiation into live rock - and it was very impressive.

There were at least two future stars on stage, flame-haired frontman Ali Gavan and sultry bassist Marion Gritten.

As for fresh-faced drummer Sam Tamplin, as The Smiths once (almost) sang, how can someone so young hit cymbals so hard?

With a bunch of top tunes on their debut album And It's All I've Got To Give, not least the title track and forthcoming single Laid Back On Peaceful Alcohol, Over Sea Under Stone certainly have the necessary radio-friendly material to make some kind of breakthrough.

The band had set themselves a big challenge with this gig and, judging by the audience reaction, they passed the test.

Their ten-song set displayed not only undeniable talent and energy but was also a real breath of fresh air, especially after the rather bludgeoning support set from My Device.

In general, tunes such as The Way That The World Spins For You and His worked better than the rather nu-metal chorus of Ice Reich (In My Dreams).

On stage, they recalled The Manic Street Preachers at times, which is no bad thing but a bit of light and shade would have been welcome with perhaps a stab at the quieter album tracks such as Amber And Blue.

Someone should tell guitarist Luke Firth that if you can't see to tune your guitar, you should perhaps lose the shades.

Over Sea Under Stone have been given support by The Electric Soft Parade's manager and, while ESP have undoubtedly put the spotlight on Brighton bands, they could learn a thing or two from Over Sea Under Stone about how entertaining it is to see a band having a damn good time on stage.

I would definitely go to see Over Sea Under Stone play again and I would recommend you catch them soon.

Review by James Peters, features@theargus.co.uk