Back to the front.

Byline: By Ruth Kilpatrick

Taking Back Sunday, Carling Academy, Newcastle.

With all the hype surrounding the release of their critically acclaimed new album Louder Now, Taking Back Sunday had a lot to live up to ( and they just about managed it.

It was more than a relief when TBS finally took to the stage, opening with the first track from the aforementioned album and instantly demanding the crowd's attention, something which the support acts failed to do.

As musicians, the band were faultless, and despite some earlier problems the vocal performance kept improving.

With a set list including examples from their heavier first album alongside their more commercially successful second and now third offerings, Taking Back Sunday managed to keep their fans, both old and new, happy.

However, when young frontman Adam Lazzara finally breaks from his overly camp strutting routine to address the crowd, it's suddenly clear as to why, at 21-years-old, I feel strangely out of place tonight at the Academy.

With a repeated chorus of 'I'm so sensitive--I'm so sensitive..' being adoringly sung back at them, it seems as though ( through the loss of original band members, and consequently the more melodic sound they have created ( TBS have captured the imagination of the pre-pubescent masses and the major labels.

With this, their biggest tour to date combined with the ever increasing sales of all three albums, I think it's safe to say that Taking Back Sunday are here to stay.