Tonight I have front row seats for New Young Pony Club’s long awaited return to the London live music scene (their first London gig in 2000 years, according to lead singer Tahita Bulmer). The show is part of the extremely popular Land of Kings festival in Dalston, and NYPC have drawn one of the biggest crowds of the day to one of the smallest venues.

After keeping us waiting for a while (apparently they misplaced a band member) the band kick off with “Hiding on the Staircase” from their debut album, Fantastic Playroom. The set is predominantly made up of new material, however, with “Ice Cream” and “Chaos” the only other older tracks. This is not a bad thing, however, as the new stuff sounds just as infectious as the first two albums.

The band have clearly been using their time off well; Tahita certainly hasn’t lost any of her ferocity and dynamism as a front woman, and there doesn’t seem to have been any loss of creativity since the last album.

The set is short and sweet (only around seven tracks in total) but is merely a teaser of what is to come. We can wait with baited breath for a new album, (surely it must come this year?) but in the meantime keep an eye out for a short UK tour to be announced soon. NYPC have clearly demonstrated that they are still one of the best bands out there and their live shows and music are not to be missed.