THERE is no question that Funeral For A Friend are a popular choice, filling the Empire with raw teenage spirit.

The band carry energy, passion and a lot of commitment in their music.

The quintet wasted no time and flew into an enthusiastic set with the blistering opener Streetcar – a heart-wrenching, guitar-wrestling release that gives vocalist Matt Davies the chance to demonstrate that his vocal power is becoming even more compelling.

The band threw in quite a good mix of their past discography, as well as tunes from their latest album, Memory and Humanity.

The tracks were delivered tight and effortlessly, and the amount of passion and energy that the band poured into their performance were greatly felt, both visually and aurally. Track All The Rage whipped the teenage crowd into a mild ecstasy and the whole venue really started moving.

Matt Davies is the perfect ringleader, calling for audience singalongs where appropriate, and enthusiastically bounding around the stage, punctuating the music with jokey asides.

Whether you are familiar with their work or not, it’s hard not to be amazed by Funeral For A Friend live, simply because these five guys are really good at what they do.

Sophie Stratford