The Mysterines continued their run of instore gigs promoting new record Afraid of Tomorrows tonight with an intimate gig at Assai Records. With a packed shop, The Mysterines took to the stage and the closeness to the band was perfection. They played eight tracks from their grungey new release, starting with ‘Stray’ and ‘The Last Dance’.

Lead singer, Lia Metcalfe, stunned through her mesmerising alt-rock vocals on ‘Hawkmoon’, the audience hushed to a reverent silence in awe of her voice. ‘Hawkmoon’ has to be one of my favourites on the new record which has now been affirmed after hearing the magnificently eerie track played at such close proximity.

As the show continued, the shop began to reach full capacity as the audience huddled as close as they could to the small stage. It was packed from wall to wall, which in itself highlights how big The Mysterines are bound to get as they claim their spot in the alt-rock world.

Previously released as a single, ‘Sink Ya Teeth’ riled up the audience as the bass dominated the store and Metcalfe’s astounding vocals were unleashed yet again. The band asked the audience which track from the new record was their favourite and the whole room echoed ‘Sink Ya Teeth’ and the band looked so proud as they began to play the first guitar riff.

As is often the case with in-stores, the gig only lasted 45 minutes before a signing. I would’ve liked to have heard ‘Another, Another, Another’ or an older one like ‘Life’s a Bitch (But I Like It So Much)’, but such is life. There’s an entirely different atmosphere to that of “regular” shows at the O2 or Barras, but it was still beautiful. It felt more personal, and that the audience had a better connection with the artist, which I feel was the right choice for The Mysterines to introduce the new record in a special way before embarking on a full UK tour later this year.