Charmed

Rock doesn't get sweeter than this. Well, unless you head to Barry Island and sample Marco's ice cream delicacies, which incidently I did this week. Surrey's finest rock quintet, You Me At Six, hit up the Newport Centre and gave it a massive cwtch. The queue outside was so enormous many of us missed We The Kings. From the excitement of the three 15 year old girls infront of my in the phenominal queue wrapping its way around Newport Centre, I predict the first of the acts' set was a teen-pallette pleasing affair setting the sweaty Tweens, who had made it inside, up for the UK's new next big thing (didn't you get the memo? It's so not Ellie Goulding!)

Coming on stage with no more room than their support acts, pop-rockers We The Kings and Texan Cheddar-rocking genre-blurring Forever The Sickest Kids , YMAS blasted us with track after track after track. It definitely seemed a bit strange and there were times when I questioned if they'd forgotten their set or perhaps decided they weren't too cool to play on any more space than their warm-ups. After each of the first 4 songs everyone expected the black curtain to drop. After each song, we were left confused but rocking out no less.

Then, the sirens started. Red lights flashed. The curtain disappeared and the full stage set, including ramps, lights and satellites, were revealed. YMAS continued to rock in a way that only they can. As the gig went on it only became more apparent why frontman Josh Franceschi is such a hit with his female adorers. He, and his band, are endearing, completely relatable and , let's face it, not too difficult on the eye. Although slightly awkward at times, their on stage rock outs remind you the youthfulness of a British five piece who are as utterly charming as they are talented.

Fireworks seemed an odd choice to end on, but en cores of Always Attract, Save It For The Bedroom and Hold Me Down's Underdog saw the boys go out with a bang. Franceschi left us with attitude exclaiming to his 2000 strong crowd, 'they can't hold me down'.

Oh yeah, and everyone's favourite Blackouter, Sean Smith, came out to play. And it was awesome.

BBPD.