WATCHING Sleeping States warm up the crowd before a Noah And The Whale gig is harder work than it should be.

The already busy venue has attracted a crowd of giddy types that do not seem particularly interested in hearing shoegazing lo-fi indie fuzz.

This is a shame as between loud conversations and impatient waiting from audience members, there is a beautiful sound drifting across the room.

Markland Starkie is the main protagonist; his voice drags you into his world of a content observational mid-20s man. Guitarist Craig Gell hails from Bournemouth and was part of the long disbanded Games For May – the more twee and less angst ridden precursor to Help She Can’t Swim.

Sleeping States are an integral part of the British contemporary nu-folk scene. It is just a shame that more members of the audience could not quell their enthusiasm for Five Years Time for just half an hour or so.