The Warm JetsFleece & Firkin, Bristol

It must be terrible to gain recognition purely on the basis of who you used to go out with. So now that Zoe Ball is merely that girl off the radio that used to go out with Louis Jones, the Warm Jets are able to concentrate on being themselves again, without having to worry about being seen as some sort of media side-show, deemed worthy only of passing mention in yet another piece of sensationalized tabloid gossip.

From the moment the Jets step onto the stage, the difference is not merely apparent, it plucks you from the crowd, grabs you by the throat, screams in your ears, and pokes you in the eyes. The media distractions have been cast aside, the mild-mannered approach has been ditched, and the old bassist has left, allowing room for the newer, more acerbic incarnation that was first seen towards the end of last year to grow and fulfill the potential that had been long suggested.

Maybe it was a consequence of the tabloid attention, but Louis is no longer the slightly apologetic singer of old, but now holds centre-stage as if he was born there, slung round his guitar, meeting the audience of fans and curious onlookers with a look of true belief, while the atmosphere onstage is further complemented by the addition of new bassist Aki, and Beatrice Hatherly on keyboards, both of them effortlessly cool, and so integral to the tonight’s performance.

Whatever effect these changes have had doesn't end with the image. The songs have expanded, becoming more focused and explosive. From set opener 'Down Down Down', through the singles, album tracks and new songs, up to the encore of the colossal epic 'Dead Star Boys', none of the songs suffer from being unfamiliar, every one of them reaching out across the venue and ripping through the walls as if they are never to be heard again.

It would appear that the metamorphosis is complete, the old skin has been shrugged away having served it's purpose, and their true colours have been exposed to the world. You'd better watch out, because, as Brian Eno once said, here come the Warm Jets.