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After arriving at the venue late thanks to frantically sorting out my hair and re-applying eye makeup at the last possible minute (because, hey, you never know who’s going to turn up, right?), I push my way through the most eclectic group of people I’ve ever come across, and towards the bar in the tiny main room of Islington Academy. Usually gigs comprise of a lot of skinny jean-clad posing teenagers, all trying to look different, yet somehow managing to look exactly the same as one another. Tonight, however, I see people of every class, creed and age milling around the Academy thanks to the uniquely varied nature of the bill.

I only manage to catch the last few songs of Hangar 18’s set, but they seem to have got most of the crowd nicely warmed up by the time I settle myself at the back of the room, with a set peppered with humorous audience participation, and loose morals to accompany their songs ("If it’s 4am and you’ve got two girls good to go, don’t decide to start looking for new girls, or else you’ll become grown men virgins like us"). Though their songs all sound a bit samey, they are, at least, catchy and listenable, with interesting backing tracks behind the rapping. Based on the number of people singing along, they have a large (although less than loyal; only one person admits to owning their album when asked) fan base present, and while I doubt they’ll be the ‘next big thing’ in hip-hop, or anywhere else for that matter, they’ve definitely found a niche and a format that works for them right now.

Once Hangar 18 vacate the stage, I begin to try and push my way forward to get into a good position for Madina Lake’s set. Unfortunately for me, every Madina Lake fan in the room has had exactly the same idea, so I end up more or less exactly where I started. I also discover that there are a lot of Madina Lake fans in the room. Most of the people I talk to throughout the course of the evening are there to see Madina Lake as opposed to Gym Class Heroes.

When the band takes to the stage, the atmosphere is electric. From the very first song, all four men have an obvious amount of energy, and really do want to be performing. Vocalist Nathan Leone is definitely the one to watch tonight, as he has the most stage presence of anyone else I’ve ever seen perform. As he jumps all over the place, landing on speakers and drums, stage diving numerous times, and at one point even climbing right up onto the balcony and jumping into the crowd below, it’s easy to see how he split his lip open during their Oxford show, and his recklessness manages to make their set just that little bit more exciting. The only fault to be found with them is that vocally, Nathan is not quite up to par just yet, but there is time for him to develop this aspect of his performance.

Live, the band’s genuine ability to play their instruments really comes through - something which is rare in so many up-and-coming artists. As well as this, live versions of their songs have a much heavier edge than those on the EP, possibly hinting at a slightly heavier album to come in March, and spawning a pit and more crowd-surfing than you can shake a stick at - led by Leone, who says he wants to see "the whole room explode", which it does. Considering the small size of the venue, the movement is impressive, and along the way, I manage to get pushed right to the barrier, which is a massive bonus. All in all, they play an extremely impressive live show, and if they continue to perform as well as that, they will definitely be one of the success stories of 2007.

Finally, after cheekily teasing the crowd with Fall Out Boy’s ‘Fame/Infamy (sic)’ and ‘Breakfast In America’ by Supertramp (which is of course, the song sampled by Patrick Stump on ‘Cupid’s Chokehold’), Gym Class Heroes appear on stage. From the off, it is obvious that tonight’s show is all about one man: Travis McCoy. He comes on last, to the heaviest applause and cheering of the night, and manages to milk this popularity throughout without coming across as complacent or arrogant – a desirable and endearing quality, which some of his Fueled By Ramen label-mates would do well to acquire.

Launching straight into a fantastic rendition of ‘Papercuts’, it becomes apparent that although the main focus may be on McCoy, the other band members should not be underestimated. Gym Class Heroes are extremely talented musicians; a fact which is often forgotten, as Travis, either consciously or unconsciously, hogs the limelight because of his connection to Pete Wentz as well for his talent. The stand out performer tonight is most definitely Eric Roberts. He is exceptional as a bassist, and manages to successfully engage an audience without saying a word all evening. I can’t help but think that perhaps this is who Wentz should be taking his music lessons from.

However, the fact remains that the night simply belongs to Travis, and with good reason. His personality really shines through on stage; he is warm, funny, engaging, and a truly great entertainer. Yes, there is the mandatory preaching session, and the false modesty and flattery. However, besides all that, McCoy seems to be genuinely interested in setting up a rapport with the audience and enjoys sharing the experience of performing with them. He also manages to bring a sense of unity to the room, and treats us to a short ‘Gym Class history lesson’, which naturally included a performance of ‘Taxi Driver’; one of the stellar moments of the set, and ‘Crab-Apple Kids’, which is also outstanding. Other memorable moments include ‘New Friend Request’ and ‘Seven Weeks’ ("I’ll be Travis McCoy if you’ll be the skinny white dude"), as well as the clear crowd favourite ‘Cupid’s Chokehold’. ‘Clothes Off!’ was performed as an encore, but I couldn’t hear much of it, as I’d moved to the merch stand by then. From where I was, it sounded great, and the crowd were certainly enjoying themselves.

I would definitely recommend going to see Gym Class Heroes perform if you get the chance - even if they’re not at all your thing. They certainly managed to convert some Madina Lake fans, and won me over even more. If I took one thing away from this gig, it’s that Gym Class Heroes really are impossible to pigeonhole, and marketed the right way, their mix of rap, rock and hip-hop could finally take the world by storm in the coming year. If this live show is anything to go by, it will be long overdue.