Arriving at a packed Times Square in Newcastle, we worm our way through the hustle and bustle of middle-aged women and hen parties on their way to see the ever-popular Lady Boys of Bangkok. We arrive at Think Tank shortly after local lads Them Things had taken to the stage with their quintessential North East sound.

With their jangly indie pop, much like the now defunct Vinyl Jacket and the all- conquering Little Comets, Them Things add their own twist to it; the overall sound slightly heavier than the former yet its composition still feels relatively similar. We’re left feeling slightly short changed though as in our opinion there is nothing original with Them Things and the lead singer's antics and quips throughout the set also leave a lot to be desired, seeming somewhat childish.

That aside, following a short break we’re waiting eagerly in anticipation of Woods and one thing instantly hits us as they take to the stage is that the band are a member down. Despite this the guys soldier on, their beautiful brand of American folk rock fills the early part of the set. The whole crowd swooning in awe as they burst into ‘Cali in a Cup,’ one of the softer moments of the set that sees the crowd singing back every word.

Jeremy’s beautiful delivery of the sweet words transport us to a place much more exciting than a dark and miserable Friday evening in Newcastle. Continuing in this rich vein of form a couple more folk tracks follow before ‘Size Meets The Sound’ is belted out in something of an uncharacteristically visceral fashion. Guitars swirl and the band perform a brilliantly spaced out version of this awesome track, their ability to shock and surprise is second to none.

However, despite having our interest piqued and our excitement levels soaring, soon after there seems to problems with the set as the band are informed they’ve only one song left. To their shock and surprise they continue and manage to squeeze in two more. Their set was truly brilliant and we’re not angry about the set being cut short, more upset and annoyed.

At present there is many unanswered questions as to why this happened was there some miscommunication between the promoter and the venue? Who knows, but we cannot take away from Woods how great tonight was and despite being a man down. we couldn’t have asked for more.

From a personal point of view we hope Woods grace us with their presence again in Newcastle, as the crowd were just as annoyed and bemused as they seemed to be.  

We shuffle up the stairs at Think Tank, popping our heads around the corner to discover this evenings support act William Arcane. The sound of William’s ethereal pop music fills our ears, whilst we're shocked by the lack of musicians adorning the stage. With a lone tall figure hunched over a plethora of electronic gadgetry, the density of the sound is insanely impressive.

Whilst the sound may be dense, there is a beautiful light touch to it, not too over powering. There often has to be a very strict balance in these situations in our view, as it can quite easily become too much.

Undoubtedly William Arcane provides the perfect support as Glass Animals take to the stage. Opening with the amazing ‘Psylla,’ which is somewhat reminiscent of Wild Beasts current output. The sparse instrumentation, recursive drum pattern and the hazy vocals especially. Front man Dave Bayley takes the Thom Yorke approach to his delivery; his arms flail one moment as he hugs the mic stand the next.

Glass Animals are currently on tour to support their debut album Zaba, a record harbouring numerous flashes of brilliance, most of which are on display this evening. Glass Animals fit somewhere between the aforementioned Wild Beasts and Radiohead and on paper this sounds like an excellent combination, but in practice this amalgamation seems to polarise the set.

That said the likes of ‘Black Mambo’ and ‘Pools’ really stand out, ‘Pools’ is a truly excellent track. A lot denser than some of Glass Animals other tracks, the heavily echoed vocals ring throughout the venue. The track has an almost carnival feel in parts, and is perhaps one of the highlights of this evening's set.

The band round off their set with the absolutely brilliant ‘Gooey’, again this track has a distinct Wild Beasts feel to it and a beautiful undercurrent that almost sounds like someone’s squelching through the track, adding intrigue. Again the vocals echo throughout the venue providing the perfect end to this evening's set.

There was a distinct element of light and shade tonight, Glass Animals' singles truly standing head and shoulders above the rest of the set; the lesser known tracks seem to almost pale into obscurity and whether this will change over time is yet to be seen.

To us, the band are at an important crossroads, they could sail off into the sea of mediocrity like so many others in this genre. Or they could become one of the mainstays of British indie in much the same way as Wild Beasts and Radiohead. That said, based on the strength of this evening's performance we’re certainly hoping for the latter, as when Glass Animals are good they’re exceptional.