I did an interview in Brussels a few months ago and the guy interviewing me opened with "Hello Ian Curtis, how are you today?"

The Drums played the HMV institute in Birmingham on Monday, they received support from The History of Apple Pie and Cloud Control. The Drums are, in my opinion, one of the best live bands in existence. Jonny Pierce clearly loves being on stage, he has an infectious passion for the music that they produce which you can't help but become swept away with, especially in such a musically intimate setting.

They played a mixture of songs from their recently released album Portamento and their debut self titled album, The Drums. The magic is that you not only get the mixture of 'new and old' but it helps to show the two sides that The Drums have. On the one hand, they're a light-hearted, catchy, indie pop band who advertise clean morals in a post war America but on the other hand, they're a band that have experienced heartbreak, religious oppression and being broke in New York.

Hearing, and seeing, them play songs that have stomach knotting emotional roots within them (In the Cold, especially) adds that indescribable yet captivating special 'something' that takes them up and beyond any other Smiths-esque band that have made it across the pond. The only disappointment was that they didn't play Let's Go Surfing, but with the amount of gigs that they've played since its release it's no wonder that they may have tired of it.

If you've never seen The Drums before I strongly recommend it, they're even better the third time round.