Declan McKenna shows off his superstar credentials at London's KOKO

With glitter everywhere and an atmosphere begging to burst out of KOKO’s art-deco walls, this is the sort of night that Declan McKenna has always represented: a carefree expression of being one, and a speakerphone for a generation discovering not the pitfalls and lessons of youth and growing up. It’s what makes the things Dec says so vital, and what puts him at the top of the table. More than anything, tonight is a timely reminder of the sheer happiness and joy that comes with live music. Feet are met with screams and a crowd ready to throw themselves into every note. They more than deliver, and for a band with one track out it’s a stunning revelation of a force destined to turn 2018 into their own personal playpen. A cocktail of melodies and punk bite, there’s something already delightfully filling about them - a raw energy that sounds like it could come right from the South London scene of recent years, yet with a soaring method to their words akin to Maximo Park or The Rakes. With most of the band dressed in Kimonos, they rip through a set that sees people open up pits, with a frontman who commands attention with the sort of mannerisms that Ian Curtis made so recognisable. ‘Petty Thieving’, their only track out so far, is a cacophony to end their set, and while tonight sees them climbing onto speakers and chucking Ginger Nuts into the crowd, that energy is going to take their name to the top of bills sooner rather than later. With a playlist that jumps between ABBA, A-Ha, Madonna, MGMT and Britney Spears, KOKO already is seeing a reaction most bands would only dream of getting. By the time Declan McKenna steps out onto that stage, the screams are deafening. Here is a pop showman with an ability to change his skin and shape like a chameleon of the modern age. As soon as the light falls and the spotlight lands on Dec as ‘The Kids Don’t Wanna Come Home’ heads into gear, the response is all you need to realise how important Mr McKenna has become. ‘Bethlehem’ is a campfire singalong that sees strangers grab hold of each other, ‘Make Me Your Queen’ straddles that line between heartache and the promise of tomorrow perfectly, while ‘Mind’ creates a calypso-like celebration underneath the huge disco ball dangling from the ceiling. When he starts singing ‘Why Do You Feel So Down’ by himself, it’s immediately met with KOKO doing the rest, and with ‘Humungous’ he has a track that perfectly crystallises the restless ambition burning out of him. The ground shakes as if a movement is clicking into gear - with ‘Paracetomal’, ‘Brazil’ and ‘Isombard’ flexing with a performance that finds Dec not just singing to KOKO, but singing with them. That’s what makes him something beyond just your average songwriter. It makes him a superstar. For Declan McKenna, tonight's another crowning achievement - a night that finds him becoming a beacon for a wave of thousands, and an evolving genius who’s only just opened up his can on what’s to come. You can’t predict where he goes next, only that the direction is upwards and upwards. Let the countdown to that next glorious night begin now. <em>Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett / Dork</em>