Keane at Brighton Centre

This isn't meant to sound smug or self-satisfied, but sometimes there's a real joy about blagging into a gig - purely because it removes all those high hopes you have when you've shelled out twenty-five quid for a ticket. You can just go in open minded with zero expectations. And so it was with Keane on Wednesday night, a band whose CDs I like but who have never really struck me as a particularly enticing live act. Of course they duly went and proved themselves, putting on an energetic display with frontman Tom clearly relishing being back on the road again after his recent stint in rehab. As good as the show was, the real talking point came as the band launched into Atlantic at the start of their encore - one of the large lights on the left hand side slowly lowered, then lurched towards the drumkit as its support buckled! Luckily its fall was halted by a neighbouring stack of equipment and three crew members wrestled with it as the band played on, oblivious to the drama taking place behind them. And then suddenly that was it, the band were asked to leave the stage and the house lights came on - the concert had to be halted due to the obvious health and safety issues. A real shame for Keane and their fans, especially with this being their home-town gig, but thankfully no-one got hurt and I suppose at least it happened after eighteen songs (out of a scheduled twenty) and not after two!