Tuesday evening, London town. The infamous streets of Soho were as bright and frenzied as usual, even this early in the week. People spilling out of bars lined with neon lights, failing (quite badly) to dodge oncoming taxi cabs. Smokers packed onto the sidewalks in between sets. Burly doormen looking for reasons to bar anyone who looks at them the wrong way. Kids trying to sneak drinks in and out of anywhere they can.

This could all well describe the atmosphere outside Madame Jo Jo’s, where White Heat hosts their parties each week. This night in particular was to celebrate the release of R O M A N C E’s first single, Another Place.

The first band on stage were Widower. The initial thought for anyone who saw one member’s costume was LADY GAGA. Whether that is coincidence, tribute, insult or compliment remains to be seen. It certainly held attention. A few songs in, the comparisons quickly dissolved as their sound is very different to the Lady. The vocals, shared between male and female, complimented each other beautifully. The influences they claim to have (from Cyndi Lauper to Danzig) can certainly be heard, but it is all sewn together so flawlessly that it does not in fact seem repetitive.

Next up were ORAL ORAL. A group of real entertainers. Not just as a band, but individually: Dee Sada is of An Experiment On A Bird In The Air Pump, Dee Fodor is one part of Divine Incest, and Princess Julia is… you should already know. She’s a legend. Put together with a revolving door of various guest members, they are their own art piece. Part spoken word, part improvised, all fun. They don’t take themselves seriously in the slightest. I could hear some skepticism from members of the crowd, but then I also heard others retaliating, prompting a bit of debate on what counts as “music” and “art” these days. This is exactly the sort of thing a band like Oral Oral need to be around for. The highlight of their set was a song which was literally Princess Julia answering 21 questions from a robot. Yes, I did just write that.

It’s been just over a year since I wrote my first article on thisisoffset, about a new band who had yet to even play their first live show. R O M A N C E have come a long way in the last twelve months. They’ve already self-released an EP, toured the country, lost a member, gained two, put out a mini-album in Japan, and of course, played one of the pinnacle performances at Offset Festival this past summer. They have already sold more than half of the singles they were supposed to be promoting at this show.

It’s so easy to pigeonhole a band like R O M A N C E. Based in East London, they’ve constantly been lumped in with a slew of other bands based entirely on image alone. It’s a case of looking beneath- Or you know, actually listening.

This band do what others refuse to admit to doing, which is embrace pop music. Yes, there is a dark side to what they do, but if you’re watching Jamie Lovatt on stage, you’re not thinking Ian Curtis, you’re thinking Prince.

Jamie Lovatt is the sort of front man that we lack so often in bands these days. He knows exactly what the audience what to see. He doesn’t stand around, hanging over the microphone in a vain attempt of being mysterious. He’s throwing himself into his performance. This, and the fact that the man can actually SING. This is no amateur, no growling, no mumbling. This is passion. It has to say something when one can cover a diva such as Beyonce so flawlessly (their choice being “Sweet Dreams”, which was definitely in all meaning, epic).

The rest of the band were at the top of their game too. They’re not afraid to admit that image is an important part of what they do, but when they’re on stage, it’s not what you’re thinking about. The energy that comes from a band like R O M A N C E is difficult to put to detail, but it’s the sort of allure that pulls you in. It’s the reason they’re continuing to fill each room they play to, and Madame Jo Jo’s was no different. People were already singing along, screaming for a band they know are set to hit the big time. Last night was just a sign of things to come.