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There’s a buzz around the room as people nudge their way closer to the stage, knowing that this one show is a rarity in itself. Brand New’s only show within the past few years in the UK was in Brixton, London last September, so it’s unsurprising to seeing so many eager fans here tonight. The audience themselves are mature, mostly male students, giving an indication of how long fans from the North-East have waited to see this band live.

By the time this Newcastle show takes place, Brand New have already played several dates on their UK tour, with two different set lists, so tonight is somewhat of a surprise as to which they will choose.

Unfortunately, due to illness, Jeremy Enigk is unable to play in his supporting role for the band, so the sole act of Mewithoutyou take to the stage and are rather astounding. With their original experimental sound and endless supplies of odd and unique instruments, which vocalist Aaron Weiss seems to pluck from thin air, they play a great set. The singer and drummer also seem to enjoy making life as awkward as possible for themselves for the sake of entertainment.

Richard Mazzotta plays his drums for most of the set with his hat pulled directly over his eyes, yet never misses a beat, whilst Weiss contorts himself around a microphone and dances with his scarf and wraps it around his body. Their half hour set gives them enough opportunity to prove their talent whilst still seeming humble by asking if anyone would be willing to let them stay at their home tonight because they’re too poor to go anywhere else. They exit the stage and the pushing begins.

At around 9pm the lights dim and the strumming of a guitar can be heard. The crowd crush further towards the barrier to get as near to Jesse Lacey as possible. He appears alone and plays a slowed-down version of the only single from their debut album ‘Your Favorite Weapon’, ‘Jude Law And A Semester Abroad’. With the crowd almost silenced, he finishes up and the rest of the band appears and launch into an utter explosion of ‘Seventy Times 7’, the angst-driven hatred theme song of all time. The crowd goes crazy and the singing increases massively in volume, the entire room connecting for a few moments. The only criticism is that perhaps such an anthem is placed too early in the set, but it soon becomes clear as to why.

After several pits and bodies flailing in all directions, the crowd subsides as the band continue their run of ‘Your Favorite Weapon’ tracks, playing ‘The Shower Scene’, ‘The No Seatbelt Song’ and ‘Soco Amaretto Lime’, a true couple song. The line ‘You’re just jealous because we’re young and in love’ is echoed around the room by the crowd until Lacey himself, repeating his actions from Brixton, sings alternate lyrics.

The next part of this Brand New experience is an astonishment to witness. Just like the previous show at Manchester, the band proceed to play their second album in full, minus one track. After the gradual build up of ‘Tautou’ the band thrust themselves into the best known song from ‘Deja Entendu’, ‘Sic Transit Gloria… Glory Fades’. The audience’s reaction is electric; pits instantly form with people going crazier than they had done for ‘Seventy Times 7’. During one point in this song, the entire crowd comes together in a mass, screaming the line ‘Die young and save yourself’ which leaves the walls of the building shaking.

The band continue to perfectly execute each of the songs, with an almost sickening brilliance, which leaves the crowd in pure wonderment. Audience favourites such as ‘Okay I Believe You But My Tommy Gun Don’t’ and ‘The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows’ are eagerly received and projected back to the band, whilst the more quiet and calm tones of ‘Me vs. Maradona vs. Elvis’ and ‘Play Crack The Sky’ truly showcase this band’s utter brilliance, both lyrically and musically. It is, in fact, these slower paced songs that steal the show; a scene of blue light bathing the stage whilst the band play with such intense emotion that it becomes truly awe-inspiring.

Brand New then make their exit. The lights stay low and the crowd begins chanting the band’s name. After a brief interlude, the band return to the stage, launching into the completely instrumental version of ‘Welcome To Bangkok’, again showing that this band really can play live.

The section that follows includes tracks from their latest release ‘The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me’. It is during these last six songs - also including ‘Luca’, ‘Sowing Season (Yeah)’, ‘Jesus Christ’, ‘Degausser’ and ‘You Won’t Know’ - that Jesse Lacey and his bandmates truly show why this crowd had waited so long for this night. Their last minutes on stage are spent majestically performing as though their lives depend on it; Jesse is sprawled across the stage desperately screaming the last lines of ‘You Won’t Know’ like a man deranged.

This is the final moment the crowd see of him before the last note is played, his microphone dropped and the sound of metal on wood echoes throughout the room, which is filled with such a silence it is as though the crowd dare not breathe in case they miss something. Then the room goes black.