And then they supported Twin Atlantic and dedicated There Is Only You to Tom Searle, and when I'd talked to Murray, he had said that the headliner would be more emotional than that.

I was still excited, of course I was, but I was a little bit scared.

Opening the evening was Katie Malco, whom I have fallen in love with in about ten seconds. Her delicate voice reminds me of artists like Michelle Featherstone and throws me back to being fifteen and spending every single one of my Saturday afternoons watching One Tree Hill. This evening could have had its place in the series, you know. The Lexington Arms would make a good London based Tric, and Katie would make a stunning up and coming artist. She is, really. She is extremely talented and funny in that sort of self-deprecating way that I've always loved and her songs are little stories you get to be a part of. Sold.

Following her were the Irish of We Were Giants, and I was a little bit less impressed (unless we're talking about the last song, now THAT was a tune). The issue has been explained by my friend Cat better than I could ever have : "It's like they're repeating a line over and over, and that line is quite good, but I'm bored now". It feels a little samey at times and I'm not faulting the musicians - everyone is obviously talented and singer Colm O'Loughlin has a strong set of pipes to his name, but the repertoire needs to get a little bit wider, I suppose.

And finally The Xcerts.

Now that all regular activity can resume, we'll just mention how it's getting awkward that they've been invited to play an AIM awards show two years in a row but they still haven't been given a damn award. It's also slightly awkward that the evening was, once again, curated by Kerrang! when only Murray seems to attract their attention and only when they need fillers to draw random stuff and talk about Valentine's Day. Oh well. The music press.

I'm feeling redundant, now. They're an insanely talented bunch (who shouuld get every damn award in the bloody world) and their live performances get better and better everytime. The songs get rounder and fuller and bigger, we all know that. I'm even boring myself.

That setlist, though. 

I mean, Cool Ethan, Crisis in the Slow Lane and He Sinks, He Sleeps one after the other? Yes please. 

Finally hearing 2014's Kick It live? Crossed off the Xcerts bucket list. 

That show was just a giant yes please, 10/10, would recommend and relive again. 

And that crowd. I think my favourite thing when seeing The Xcerts live is that they have more fanboys than they have fangirls, and they're all wearing suits and have probably headed down from the office and have their shit together and are actual grown-ups, but they all shout that they love Murray in awful Scottish accents and there's always someone to make a Twin Atlantic joke - you just have to wait for it. You know how, when I'd seen Fatherson at the Scala, I could see people bonding and singing along and all that? Tonight was the same with a different soundtrack. Groups of people who didn't know each other an hour before were now holding each other's shoulders and shouting the lyrics to Aberdeen 1987 as loud as they humanly could.

As always, The Xcerts conclude with the heartwrenching There Is Only You, and just like yesterday, they dedicate it to the memory of Tom Searle, urging us to enjoy our lives. And as I turn around and see a line of people holding each other again and singing like they're in a damn football team, I start crying tears of happiness. I am enjoying this life, this life where I get to see one of my favourite bands and humans who matter a whole lot to me fill out rooms and play for crowds who love them wholeheartedly, crowds who make those humans feel like they've just headlined Wembley Stadium and not a tiny pub with a ginormous gin selection five minutes away from King's Cross. I'll have that every day, please and thank you.