THEY’RE no strangers to Southampton, but here was a first headline show in the city for Bolton’s rising stars Jordan Allen and it was their best performance in the south so far.

Front man Jordan, lead guitarist Danny Quin, bassist Kieran Loughran and drummer Nathan Howard showed why Virgin Radio listeners voted them winners of the station’s FreshFest competition in the summer and why they’re now one of the most exciting unsigned bands in Britain.

Tunes like Without Any Clothes, Out of My Mind and Wasted Generation, all potential future singles, resonated strongly with fans while favourites like Helter Skelter, 110 Ways and Too Much, Too Soon sounded bigger than ever.

The Joiners crowd were bouncing from the start, but stepped up a gear once Jordan had everyone drop to the floor to spring up again at the chorus of Set In Stone.

By the last song some of them were even on stage singing with the band, a now familiar end to Jordan Allen shows in these intimate settings.

Many fans first came across the lads when they supported The Sherlocks earlier this year or at Isle of Wight Festival. Now they’re bringing their mates along too which is always a good sign.

“This tour’s been crazy and beyond everything we’d expected” songwriter Jordan told The Echo. “Tonight we played the first chord of our latest single R.O.S.I.E and everyone sang the song back to us.

“Perhaps we’d expect that in Manchester or Leeds, but seeing it at gigs in the south as well has been a revelation. The Joiners is getting to be like a second home for us.”

The band also revealed they’ve been working on other songs not yet in the set, including one called Synchronised, which Nathan said is a “real progression” of the band’s sound. “That could be the tune to make us famous” added Kieran.

Before the headliners, Exeter’s Seven Cities and Southampton’s Posh Ellen and The Edit, who support Costellos at Heartbreakers on Friday 22 December, drew big early crowds.

Jordan Allen finish their first headline tour in Manchester and Liverpool this weekend. Their latest single R.OS.I.E. is out now.

Richard Derbyshire