OXFORD five-piece Foals exploded onto the stage and the sound of Eighties pop beats filled the air.

They combine rhythmic Casio guitars, pulsing synth, aching vocal melodies and echoing drum beats to create tense dance-pop with a real air of achieving the impossible.

Their music is a cacophony of electronic instrumentation that erupts across the airwaves like no other. Band member Yannis describes the sound like that of insects.

Live, Foals are on a completely different level than on record; their sounds come alive with their truly superb stage presence. A grungier edge is heard on the guitar and front man Yannis’ vocals are faster and even harder to decipher. However, this is where the spontaneous charm comes alive.

Crowd favourites came in the shape of the bleeping, throbbing Cassius, and Balloons, which are separated by long riffs as Yannis threw himself into the crowd of sweaty teenagers.

The band incorporated tracks from their hotlyanticipated second album, Total Life Forever, being released in May. Spanish Sahara and Miami went down wonderfully with the crowd, but new single, This Orient, was the climax. It’s an adrenalinefuelled, gloriously-executed pop song.

During the whole set, the packed venue went completely wild for the jingly-jangly indie beats and the dancing never stopped.

Judging from this performance, Total Life Forever is a more mature and crafted step up from first album, Antidotes, and this is now where the magic lies.