An unexpected treat when Palma Violets kicked off their live duties for 2013 were Canterbury-based quartet Broken Hands.
Led by the echoing, nasal vocals of Dale Norton, the four-piece also picked Tunbridge Wells' Forum to stretch their live legs for the first time this year.
Fans of Kasabian will appreciate the piercing lyrics mixed with filthy guitar and bass from Jamie Darby and Thomas Ford respectively.
All of this is topped off with baby-faced sticksman Callum Norton. What more could a fan want?
Well, as it turns out, a bit of privacy.
Bobbing his head as he sang through epic tunes like Sorrow, Moving and Shaking, it became clear frontman Dale has something of a tendency to stare – right at you.
Perhaps it was just me – my mate told me he felt like the same thing was happening to him – but when I watched, drinking in their sound, I had to avert my eyes.
Dale was looking me in the face the whole time. It was uncomfortable.
As Palma Violets went on to prove, the positives of intimate venues far outweight any negatives.
Bassist Chilli Jesson dived into the crowd, pictured above, and moshed with fans as the Lambeth-based foursome announced themselves as the band to beat in the success stakes this year.
You could see the whites of his eyes as he leant out from the stage and pointed at people, encouraging them to start a riot. You could hear every word he said without the mic.
Perhaps it never felt awkward because Chilli was too busy focussing his attention on guitarist Sam Fryer, as they try to establish themselves as the new Pete Doherty and Carl Barat.
And of course, the reason I remember Broken Hands is because I heard some brilliant music. Shame I felt I had to stare at the floor.
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