dEUS @ Koko, London 11.10.11

Opening with 'Second Nature' a track from new album Keep You Close, is an interesting choice. Mainly because it's not a particularly standout track on an album which could hardly be described as amongst their best. In truth it takes dEUS a few songs to really warm up and it's not until 'Slow' - a highlight from the 2008 release Vantage Point that things start to fall into place.

At this point, things take a notable turn for the better. The drums and bass start to fit snugly together giving the guitar, synth and violin plenty of room to play with melodies. Often these melodies have the crowd singing along and ignoring the vocal. Speaking of which, Barman's mumbled style is sometimes hard to understand but the grave tone fits undeniably well with the overall sound.

As the set hits the hour mark and the band ease into the epic 'Bad Timing', it suddenly becomes apparent just how tight a band they are. That is probably to be expected considering dEUS are touring their 6th album in their 20th year, but despite their longevity, the current lineup has only been together for the last 5 years.

Although this may not resemble the original line of the band, they look every inch a collection of moody veterans. The biggest reactions are saved for 'Roses' and 'Instant Street' 15 and 13 years old respectively. Towards the end of the set Barman is keen to announce a newly engaged couple to the rest of the audience. Suddently things start to feel very grown up. As the songs get older, so do the fans and we're reminded that all things change. For the time being though, dEUS still have something to offer.