Packing out the Half Moon, a pub in South London, on their second visit, All Star United have quickly established themselves as one of the most popular American CCM acts in the UK market. The expected crowds turned up early, and it was obvious from the All Star United poster on the wall that the band had made an impression on their last visit.

Openers Smart Planet kicked off proceedings with some atmospheric rock, on which Radiohead's influence became more apparent as the evening wore on. The band's technical ability was clear (especially when ex-Phatfish guitarist Mike Blow indulged himself), but their stage presence was lacking and the overall feel of the set lacked consistency. Nevertheless, the crowd gave them a response that showed that the evening promised to be energetic.

Schema was second up, peddling a brand of indie-rock very obviously influenced by the mid-90s Britpop scene. They had more energy on stage than the band they followed but were considerably more predictable. While they again got a warm reception, they left little in the way of lasting impressions on this writer.

All Star United, however, quickly showed their experience on stage and the keen wit of front man Ian Eskellin. Opening with the established favorite "La La Land" and mixing material from their two albums fairly evenly, they kept the crowd on its toes. Last time they visited these shores they had with them a keyboard player, and that aspect of their sound was missed as the evening wore on. There's only so much you can do with two/three guitars, bass and drums--but the new material they exhibited suggested a rawer direction which wouldn't have worked so well with keyboards.

That newer material obviously needed some more work since it didn't show too much to lift it above typical power-pop fare, but it helped add something extra for the fans who were enthusiastic throughout. All Star United may be used to larger venues, but they made a strong impression on the 150 gathered at the Half Moon.