Crystal Castles, Carling Academy

May 9 2008 By Will Oliphant

TORONTO'S finest slayed a ridiculously small crowd at the Carling Academy as they came to Birmingham as headliners of the NME New Noise Tour.

The electro-house band - named after the fictional home of cartoon character She-Ra - brought their unique sound under the leadership of Alice Glass to the sweaty confines of the city centre venue.

Wasting no time the three-piece, which takes much of its sound from 80s computer games, brought the house down with Crime Wave, causing a near riot at the front and the band's leading lady to throw herself into the crowd.

It proved to be the blueprint for the night as Miss Glass performed much of the show from the middle of an adoring crowd.

When she wasn't enmeshed in the front row the energetic star spent the rest of her time writhing around on stage either spraying the crowd with a strobe light or smacking her microphone off the drummer and the roof.

Fame has come fast for the band in the UK after their single Alice Practice, which is also the name of their limited edition 2006 EP, featured on hit teen drama Skins.

The show obviously worked, as when the band brought out the song the ensuing mosh pit threatened to collapse the dance floor.