The opening night for WET Records was a complete success, but as any film-watcher knows, the sequel is the trickiest part. It's so tricky that the best ones are well known; The Empire Strikes Back, The Godfather II, The Dark Knight, Spiderman 2, Hot Shots Part Deux, Critters 2, all genuine classics. So can the guys from WET pull it off? If anyone can, it's them.

John Earls (the E in WET) has always had the Peel-like knack of spotting potential from his halcyon Teletext days on Planet Sound (surely a guest spot on Britain's Got Talent wouldn't be out of the question?), and his previous proteges The Incredible Flight Of Birdman are the prime examples, who unfortunately were unable to play tonight due to a family emergency in the band, and we wish them all the best. So can the new recruits maintain the high standards?

And so it's back to the Wilmington Arms, home of some mighty fine burgers might I add, for Night 2. Last time out, London was in a frozen epidemic. This time, it's as drenched as my nan's bedsheets after a night on the gin. Any dampened spirits are given a nuclear powered hairdryer to the face by the opening band, The Neat. I have long been of the opinion that Hull was spelt with the wrong vowel, but people of the city have a band here to really get behind. Theirs is a rawness, an animalistic savage live quality that envokes images of Nirvana and The Cribs being fused together in a witches cauldron, and then thrown into The Lord Of The Flies. "Fruits" is a monster tune, with a fantastic scenester-baiting chorus that deserves to be belted out by the right crowd. Other tracks have bass-lines, hooks and overall passion that most bands would kill for. Definitely ones to watch out for.

Before the headline act, I have a quick catch up with Nick, singer from The Incredible Flight Of Birdman, who is in attendance. He tells me that they have an EP they are working on which will be hawked around with an eye to getting an album deal. I tell him that I have oddly coloured mucus. We'll have a review of that when it's out ( the EP that is, not the mucus). As always he's a top laugh, and very excited about the new songs the band have written.

And so, the headline act, Our Lost Infantry. Hailing from the mean streets of Aldershot, they have already played with the likes of Sky Larkin, Frightened Rabbit, Stornoway and Grammatics, and have been talked up by Steve Lamacq. To say I was blown away by them would be a massive understatement.

Our Lost Infantry make millimetre perfect art rock with heavy leanings towards post rock that is an absolute joy to listen to. Harnessing the power of all out shouty rock moments of pure emotion with delicately handled quieter moments of beauty, often all in the same song, they are completely enthralling. Their first single is out next week, and it's a must have. A double header, "The Arsonist" is simply majestic, ticking all the boxes you could ever need ticked, with a chorus to die for, and a three-part harmony to close it all off that is breathtaking. "Scissorfight" is a touch more keyboard heavy, but it still blows your socks off. Every song is good as the rest, with more than enough to hold your attention for hours, weeks, millennia. They have the same ability as Frightened Rabbit to convey hope, love, loss and fear all in one almighty holler. An album of this would be really something.

Another huge victory for WET Records, they can do absolutely no wrong.

Posted In Live Reviews, Jun 06 2010. Words - Paul