Some of the most exciting up and coming bands from around the country and closer to home appeared in Southampton as part of Independent Music Venue Week.

Headliners The Clause were joined by Liverpool’s The Kairos, Manchester’s Dirty Blondes and Southampton’s own Dead Freights at The Brook in Portswood.

The Birmingham band said they were stunned to see such a large crowd “so far from home”, before telling fans that this date had been the best night of their tour.

Daily Echo: The Kairos supporting The Clause at The Brook

And frontman Pearce Macca, guitarist Liam Deakin, bassist Jonny Fyffe and drummer Niall Fennell also revealed plans to record their debut album this year following the success of their first EP Pop Culture.

The four-piece, who are set to support Yorkshire band The Sherlocks in front of up to 7,500 fans at Don Valley Bowl in Sheffield in June, raced through an electrifying set list including raucous singles Time of Our Lives, Hate the Player and In My Element.

The Kairos, who released their debut EP, Better Late Than Never, last year, and Manchester’s Dirty Blondes duo Allis Mackay and Hayley Tait also showed why they are quickly picking up fans from all over the country.

Daily Echo: The Clause headline at Brook

Southampton favourites The Dead Freights complete the line-up, opening the evening by playing a super rock and roll set and confirming again that they are one of the best bands in the south and why they were asked to support The Libertines on their last tour.

READ MORE: Live music venue that hosted Rolling Stones and Hollywood stars celebrates 30 years

The Kairos’ guitarist Lewis Chambers told The Echo why independent venues like The Brook and The Joiners on St Mary Street were so important: “Without these places, you wouldn’t have bands like us or nights like this,” he explained, adding that, even with social media, word of mouth between fans was still important to help new bands gain new followers.

Independent Music Venue Week is an annual celebration of grassroot venues and the people that own, run and work in them and also included The Joiners and Heartbreakers.

First established as a popular Victorian pub in the 1860s, The Brook is now celebrating 30 years as a music venue with previous appearances from Johnny Marr, Bill Wyman and Southampton’s Band of Skulls and Delays.