A message to those who arrive at live shows just in time for the headline act: one day you'll turn up when the doors open and maybe discover some hidden gem lurking at the bottom of the bill whose existence you were completely oblivious to mere minutes beforehand.

One such example: Matt Fleetwood. His stage persona may seem shy and unassuming, but that's just the kind of guy he is. Let him loose near a guitar and a microphone, though, and he turns into alter ego TheCusp, a delay-infused melee of Josh Pearson’s scorched noise and Thom Yorke squabbling with Guy Garvey over inner city one-way systems; his howls transfixing those who've made the effort to venture in early. 'Get A Real Tattoo' resonates like a mid-morning sonnet of trapped bees, while 'We Are The Dead' is an enthralling wail that spreads many a puzzled facial expression, no doubt in disbelief that the wall of sound bellowing off stage is all courtesy of one man. Apparently TheCusp is Matt Fleetwood's eventual vision for a conventional band if only he could get people that wanted to play with him, but on this evidence he's doing mighty fine all on his own.

Local five-piece Dragonflies Draw Flame, on the other hand, seem to have been around a while now without ever really reaching top gear. Sure, their half-angular, 50 per cent post-rock - albeit with a harmonious slant - is reasonably proficient without ever being memorable or challenging, and while 'Crystal Radio' hints towards something more exquisite in a pop-driven sense than the rest of their set, their sights don't seem to be set much higher than being Nottingham's answer to Foals at this moment in time.

By the time The Twilight Sad arrive, the room has filled up considerably, certainly more than anyone could have expected for this time of year. Also, they still remain a largely ignored and therefore unknown quantity in the eyes of a fair proportion of the popular printed press and beyond, even if DiS are established admirers.

The mainstream’s loss is our gain if tonight is anything to go by, although it is highly unlikely their name will remain the sole property of message board frequenters for much longer. Having already created a stir in Aberdeen with irrational hecklers and Manchester with third-generation (of parentage) drug dealers, Nottingham was always going to be another remarkable notch on the calendar.

Remarkable for the simple fact that nobody present will ever forget the most intense, discomforting yet ultimately satisfying 50 minutes of this or any other Easter Bank Holiday hangover. Now strengthened to a five-piece for their live shows thanks to the addition of former Aereogramme guitarist/programmer Iain ‘Dok’ Cook, what this means is that songs like 'Walking For Two Hours' and 'Mapped By What Surrounded Them' are now even more epic and grandiose in their gloom-ravaged splendour. 'Cold Days From The Birdhouse' takes on a whole new lease of life, almost a song in two parts as the melancholic introduction reduces frontman James Graham to almost a cappella status until the rest of the band kicks in.

They also manage to throw in two new (to these ears) pieces mid-set that hint at a more expansive, synthesized direction than you might expect, particularly on the re-vamped lead track to June's anticipated EP 'Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards It Did', still not in its finished state - it has a working title of 'Jimmy Dee' for now - but nonetheless impressive all the same and an as-yet-untitled track that could rival 'And She Would Darken The Memory' as their most hauntingly uplifting number thus far.

By the end, most of the people in the Social just stand still, mouths open in awe. James Graham is on his knees, the rest of the band leaving the stage one by one amidst a wall of feedback. Another night, another city conquered by the sheer ferocity of The Twilight Sad live experience, and judging by the comments of several punters on the way out one suspects their next visit to Nottingham will be in a much bigger venue than this.

Simply breathtaking.

Photo: Carmel McNamara