A fine and dandy evening at the Biltmore Cabaret as the Lake District Four – otherwise known as Mercury Music Prize nom’d Wild Beasts -visited Vancouver for the first time and discovered to their surprise that the city was utterly in love with them.

Case in point: “You’ve just made our Top 5 heckle list,” said Tom Fleming after some girl shrieked “have my babies”, sharply followed by “FUCK MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” Nice! But it was obvious that the band were sort of wowed by the outpouring of support from the faithful and swooning.

But the music? As genuine as the lads on stage. Elegant, pastoral, a bit theatrical (inescapable during Hayden Thorpe’s Antony Hegarty/Andy Bell/Morrissey/Tony Hadley falsetto turns) and eeeeven a bit rockin’ when Tom took over on vocals. In fact, it was the perfect music to drink red wine by…as half the band were doing on stage. And combined with a final three-pack from Two Dancers (“Hooting & Howling” “All the King’s Men, “Fun Powder Plot”), it was just a delightful way to spend the early part of Saturday night.

Wild Beasts, you’re welcome back to the forests of the North West anytime. Next time I shall prepare us a spot of tea and we’ll all be civilized together. \m/