DAYS before they return to the south, Yorkshire indie stars The Sherlocks say they played the best show of their lives so far to a crowd of more than 2,500 in Manchester on Friday.

The city’s huge Academy venue was an astonishing sea of chanting and bouncing fans even before frontman Kiaran Crook, his brother and drummer Brandon, lead guitarist Josh Davidson and his brother and bassist Andy reached the stage.

And following last month’s release of the band’s top six album Live For The Moment, which was the highest charting debut by a British group for more than a year, every song was greeted like a favourite single, adding to the frenzy.

Now the lads are hoping that their headline date at Southampton’s The 1865 on Thursday will come close to repeating the mad antics seen in the north.

“Southampton shows have always been crazy for us, but this is our most ambitious one yet,” Brandon said.

“If all the tickets go, they may have to get the roofers in as the top of the venue could come off.”

The lads are right to be quietly optimistic.They sold out TheTalking Heads and The Wedgewood Rooms on consecutive nights in February and played to thousands at The Isle of Wight and Reading and Leeds festivals in the summer.

“The album’s hasn’t been out a month yet, but we’re already seeing how people at shows now know all our songs, not just the singles” said Josh.

“Tracks like Nobody Knows, Turn The Clock and Candlelight are getting big reactions as soon as they kick in and everyone seems to love the rockabilly vibes on Motions, which is one of our favourites to play live.”

The Sherlocks are now big game players in music.

“We know our fans are people who save up and can travel long distance for our gigs and it means the world to us,” Kiaran told the Manchester crowd.

It’s this awareness, plus some absolutely banging tunes, that is propelling this close knit band of brothers to the top.

The Sherlocks headline at The 1865, Brunswick Square, this Thursday.

Tickets are £12.