Even the most seasoned gig-goer in Glasgow could be forgiven for not being familiar with the Academy 2. Tucked away in the upper reaches of the cavernous Academy building, it's relative obscurity is the only rational explanation for the poor attendance, as tonight anthemic rock outfit Lights Action deliver a set that could fill arenas.

First though, I See Shapes, who ultimately deal in fairly predictable clean-tone alt-rock that's lacking a little in firepower. What they offer in intelligent musicianship they ultimately cancel out with a lack of imagination, and if there's any more to come from them, they'll need to learn to use their obvious talent to their advantage.

Though they're more polished, City of Statues suffer from similar problem. A slightly heavier proposition than their predecessors, this is a set that deals more in moments of greatness than genuinely great songs. There's the odd infectious guitar-line or visceral breakdown on offer, but at the moment it's the bare bones of genuine quality, and a few more of these ideas need developing before they'll stand on their own.

With new album Welcome to the New Cold World one of the most enthralling debut records to emerge since the turn of the decade, Lights Action couldn't really miss the mark in terms of set selection tonight. The stately pace of 'Moscow' might come as a surprise opener to the uninitiated, but it all makes sense when it melts seamlessly into thunderous new single 'Battle of Lovers', and from here they never look back as they tear through a mightily impressive – if slightly short – set.

There's an overt friendliness to frontman Patrick Currier that makes their between-song banter endearing. As they saunter through a blues-infused rendition of Sam Sparro's 'Black and Gold', it's easy to see that this is a band who are having the time of their lives. With a stunningly reworked version of early single 'Satellites' thrown into the bargain, there's a rare chemistry here that shows itself in both their energy, and the sheer quality of song on offer tonight.

With the tender balladry of 'Black Feathers' landing comfortably alongside the fuzzbox blues of 'Travellin' Man', it's a pity that this is unfolding in front of such a sparse crowd. That said, it's to their credit that they treat this like a stadium show, soaring through with a genuinely astounding level of determination and class. With any luck, their star is still on the ascent, and it won't be long before club shows like this are a thing of the past. In the meantime, everyone who stumbled in here tonight happened on the start of something very special indeed.

Rating: 4/5 by Mitch Bain

Further links

Lights. Action! on Myspace (myspace.com/lightsactionband)

Official home of anthemic UK rock act Lights.Action!

I See Shapes on MySpace

All the latest on the discordant Scottish rock band

City of Statues on MySpace

Experimental Scots on MySpace