Delphic The Sugarmill, Hanley

AS NEON lights flash in time to a crescendo of electronic beats, it's not hard to see why The Sugarmill is filled to its capacity.

Delphic, a Mancunian trio of genre spanners, are headlining as part of their current UK sold out tour.

The band, which has previously supported the likes of La Roux and Friendly Fires played top festivals such as Leeds and Creamfields last year, and one year on, they're headlining venues on their own.

2009 was a successful year.

With the release of their debut album Acolyte, along with their appearance on Jools Holland and being short-listed for the BBC Sound of 2010 award, they quickly earned the hearts of music press and fans worldwide.

This gig was a snapshot of the dizzying heights of the band's new-found success.

Delphic have officially found their feet and effortlessly display just how an alternative band works both as a concept and as a whole new genre.

Of course it would be easy to compare the band to fellow Mancunians New Order, but it's their gentle mixture of dance, anthemic lyrics and guitar riffs, which entwine to create a totally unique sound.

The highlight of the set was the track This Momentary, which features the message 'let's do something real' – something their devoted fans took literally as dancing ceased for a moment in order to assist a sea of crowd surfers.

Other tracks such as Red Lights and Counterpoint made appearances to the sea of arms, waving appreciatively from the very beginning to the end of their set.

A wise man once said "God is a DJ" and on Sunday 400 people worshipped at his church at the feet of Delphic.

Lyndsey Oliver