This Sussex trio should consider altering the spelling of the band's name to 'keen'.  Buoyantly skipping onto the stage, chirpy (Tom) Chaplin can barely hide his excitement at the sight of a packed house, adding tonight's show is the closest to a home-coming gig.  

Behind the mic, he jigs about on the spot before shuffling all over the stage like a carefully choreographed routine.  Quite the groover is Chaplin (reckon he was a regular down the school disco?), and not at all bothered at breaking out into a sweat, though this isn't helped by wearing a zip-up jacket over his t-shirt.

Likened to a juicy apple by one critic, Tom Chaplin with his bulging rosy cheeks would probably be an English cox.  Incredibly humble and constantly grinning, the baby-faced singer frequently disrupts the set to talk to the crowd, refusing to hold back and letting go after the first song.  Makes a change from most artists who wait till the third piece to break their silence and even then, it's usually no more than a grunt.

For a live set, Keane put a considerate amount of thought into it.  Rather than plonking drummer Richard Hughes at the back, he is instead positioned to the left of the stage, with pianist Tim Rice-Oxley on the right and Chaplin in the middle.  The emphasis is Keane is a collective effort, with each member an integral part in their performance.  Sure, these are three blokes playing their hearts out but it's what they play that stirs up emotions.

The piano riff in 'Everybody Changes' makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and a feeling of awe sweeps across for 'She Has No Time', with 'Bend & Break', 'We Might As Well Be Strangers' and 'Your Eyes Open' not far behind.

Chaplin's voice is stunning live, with hints of Fran Healy and Midge Ure yet more powerful.  It's pitch perfect and soaring - a word that can't be used enough in this context - while Rice-Oxley, perched behind his keyboard and synthesizer, delivers the melancholic sounds meticulously with Hughes trying to keep up with Chaplin's moves by nodding along without missing a beat.  

The turnaround for Keane since the start of the year is breath-taking.  Touted as the new Coldplay/Travis, the boys from Battle share a few similarities but boldly stand tall with their enriching, beautiful songs.  Without guitars.  To see them live is not only thrilling, it's special.  I urge you to go and see them and remember, they'll thank you for it.
(4½/5)

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Photos: Afsheen Shaikh