Local Natives, Cloud Control and Breton - Norwich Waterfront

There's enough snarling, aloof and sometimes nasty rock and roll stars out there already - sometimes I like it when it's clear a band you like are a bunch of normal, decent people.

And a twitter conversation prior to Los Angeles band Local Natives' Norwich Waterfront gig shows them to be just that. It went something like this:

'@ScottRAldridge: Wish I could afford to go see @localnatives tonight, only one of the best bands going at the minute.

'@tphyland @ScottRAldridge @localnatives Aw man me too.

'‏@localnatives: @tphyland @ScottRAldridge can you guys get to the Waterfront by 9:30?

''@localnatives: @tphyland @ScottRAldridge T. P. Hyland +1 and Scott R. Aldridge +1 are on the list. It's your lucky day.'

For those uninitiated in the world of Twitter, two poor souls given free tickets to the gig after proclaiming of financial hardship.

Clearly there's no point in being a nice band if you haven't got the tunes and talent to go with it - but Local Natives have, two brilliant albums worth in fact.

Try and imagine what a band would sound like if they had the harmonies (but delivered at a faster pace) of Fleet Foxes, a bit of the epicness of Arcade Fire and the drums of The National - that's somewhere towards describing Local Natives.

Having seen them twice already this year - and spent hour upon hour devouring the excellent Gorilla Manor and Hummingbird albums - I'm perplexed as to why their following doesn't yet quite match their excellence.

And that's reflected at the three-quarters full Waterfront. But those present enjoy a fantastic 90-minute set which flits between the best of both of their releases.

Highlights include the poignant 'You and I', a soaring 'Mt Washington' and the thrilling finale 'Sun Hands' - a monster of a song to which surely even the most static of gig-goer cannot resist a bit of a mosh.

They entertain all present, whether paying customers or freeloaders, for whom it seems apt to give the last word to. They tweeted afterwards:

'@tphyland: thank you so much guys, it was an absolutely phenomenal set.'

'@ScottRAldridge: great set tonight, had such an amazing time.'

Quite.

* As if Local Natives weren't enough both support acts deserve a share of praise. Breton storm through a short set of MGMT and Phoenix-esque songs, while Cloud Control easily have enough quality to headline The Waterfront themselves. The fantastic stand out track Gold Canary could have been written for a Norwich crowd.