The Green Door Store had an extra special treat for us all on the extra day of the year, Nottingham's rising star Ady Suleiman had brought his exceptional band to town to kick off his UK tour; an opportunity to galvanise fans ahead of the release of his hotly anticipated début album, to wow us with some fresh material and satisfy us with some fine renditions of tracks taken from the two EPs released last year. Having only heard a few singles prior to tonight I wasn't sure what to expect, his releases have all had the sort of slick production you might expect from a major label like Sony and I have to confess I wasn't sure whether or not to expect the singer to head out with a DJ or a full live band. Thankfully (for my tastes) it turned out to be the latter – and what a great band they are. A fine set of musicians who skilfully captured the smooth vibe of Ady's top quality pop, even bringing out more character as a live act than I'd heard on record, this performance turned out to be a real treat, for the ears and the soul.

They opened up with the soulful 'Running Away', our first chance to see the band in action – the drummer had a hip-hop vibe and look to him with the dexterity to groove around the kit subtly whilst smacking the hell out of the snare drum, paired with an inconspicuous but skilled and melodic bass player, the songs had a great backbone throughout. The distinctly Latin RnB of 'What's The Score?', the lead track from Ady's latest EP, really got the substantial crowd moving – a mass of smiley bobbing heads and nobody was missing the rap from the recorded version. Next up they decided to try out a potential future single from their forthcoming album, 'I Remember' was a sweet tune with reggae guitar chops and a funky clavichord keyboard line that went down very well. The only obstacle to this one being a breakthrough hit might be the foul-mouthed sex references in the chorus, but Ady called out for the audience to Tweet him some alternative suggestions, so we'll have to wait to see how that turns out.

'So Lost' from his first EP was probably the tune that energised the crowd the most, it has a really infectious beat, with a real 90s broken hip-hop feel that is impossible not to bop to. We get another new one from the album followed by the smooth vibes of 'Need Somebody Love' which floats by breezily with open, heart on the sleeve lyrics delivered softly and soulfully, ending with a beautiful instrumental flourish. The real magic is yet to come though, as Ady picks up the guitar for 'Longing For Your Love', a stripped back song the band normally avoid for live shows. I really felt like this song itself would make a great single, it was a real showcase for Ady's own instrumental ability and of the strong bond between him and ever-present guitarist and singer Ed Black, whose top harmonies were a real treat throughout the night… in fact as things progressed and those harmonies grew to four voices the sound was sublime. This jazzy song starts meekly and softly layers in more instrumentation, but never to the point of getting crowded or breaking out. The paired down band matches the melancholic, longing lyrics and I find myself visibly moved – not something I was expecting from tonight at all if I'm honest. 'Serious' has a really cool breakdown where the band strip down to syncopated vocals, sung in dense harmonies – it's a powerful moment. The night finishes with a fantastic rendition of 'State Of Mind' which sees Ady, whose themes often seem to dwell on longing for lost loves, take a different approach with a more conscious set of lyrics questioning the existence of god, primarily, but also the state of politics and the reality of a world where we are often lied to. It's a great closer to an exceptional set from a promising group of young musicians, while it would appear Ady hasn't had the best of luck in love he seems to have got this music thing down: I'm a total convert… bring on the début album!
Adam Kidd