Two bands with a love of the odd mechanical bleep and electronic parp are brought together in what results in disappointment. The fact is that even though Ladytron and Nine Inch Nails have synthetic beats in common, they certainly do not share a fan-base.

The intentions were good, but tonight Ladytron (2/5) suffer at the hands of a bunch of goths. The usually mighty synth masters appear onstage sheepishly to a limp reception, and stumble into ‘High Rise’. On any other occasion ‘High Rise’ lives up to its name, but NIN’s black clad army are clearly unimpressed, which seemingly has a knock-on effect on the band: they look uncomfortable and frightened. ‘Seventeen’ is the only track vaguely enjoyed by the goths at large – they simply don’t get Ladytron. They have a good bash, but by the end of a luke-warm ‘Destroy Everything You Touch’ Ladytron take little time in quitting the stage.

For very different reasons NIN (3/5) provide an equally disappointing performance. The proceedings get off to a good start with a rip-roaring ‘Sin’ and ‘Terrible Lie’, which sees the nightmarish audience become feral, and end up in an inevitable sea of beer. It is these pleasers that the fans are here to witness, since NIN rarely tour this side of the Atlantic. A clearly overweight Trent Reznor does not let the bulge get in the way, as he jettisons his way around the stage, belting out gut-busting power chords. But it all goes wrong when NIN abandon hit albums, Pretty Hate Machine and The Downward Spiral for the latest offerings from With Teeth and the forthcoming album, Year Zero. The yet to be released single, ‘Survivalism’, packs ten tonnes of solid metal which would put Metallica firmly in their place, but it lacks the style and tenderness of Trent’s earlier material.

As it progresses from the initial high, the NIN show trundles on through to completion, accomplishing little more than appearing like the stereotypical American goth-rock band – all bravado and not much to grab on to. After a yawnsome mid set, NIN manage to partly rescue themselves with a delicate ‘Hurt’ (still done better by Johnny Cash) and a hateful, George-Bush-dedicated, ‘The Hand That Feeds’ which pales in comparison to the recorded version. It is not until a thunderous ‘Head Like a Hole’ that it’s obvious that NIN had their time, it’s made clear that Trent Reznor is reserving his place next to Gary Newman and other such forgotten goth relics.