Greatest Dancers
There are three things I notice straight away about Palladium as they kick into their opening track; the singer looks like Chesney Hawkes, they have made some highly dubious fashion decisions and finally (& most importantly) that they are a good band. They are in the unusual position for a band at In The City of already being signed to a major label (Virgin) and it's really not that hard to see why.
They are good musicians and slick performers all round and get a good crowd reaction. Their sound is a little different from the norm, I had already noted the comparison to Mika before I discovered they were supporting him on his UK tour, which should give you an idea of where Palladium are coming from. They are quite light sounding (at times too light) but they have some nice dynamics and song structures and certainly have a commercial edge. Highlight of the set is probably 'The Greatest Dancer', taken from their album it's infectiously catchy with a solid riff.
Many of the bands here today could learn a lot from Palladium, not necessarily musically but in terms of the overall package; everything they do just has a slickness & professionalism about it and look where it's got them!