Band make some Brand New friends; REVIEWS.

Byline: SALLY WOODWARD

Brand New 02 ACADEMY, BIRMINGHAM AMERICAN alt-punk outfit Brand New made some brand new friends with their triumphant show in Birmingham.

Vocalist/guitarist Jesse Lacey and his band displayed endless energy as they ripped through all the old favourites to keep the Academy crowd baying for more.

Songs from the killer second album, Deja Entendu - of which The Quiet Things That No-one Ever Knows was the undoubted highlight - were particularly well received.

Not that those from The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me were any less impressive during a lengthy set which would have brought little complaint if it had gone on all night.

They even turned everything on its head for the encore when Lacey returned to the stage alone to sign off with a solo acoustic number.

As the tired, happy fans made their way out into the rainy night, one turned to another and said: "They're my brand new favourite band.'' Enough said, really.

VERDICT: SALLY WOODWARD