FOALS have been on an almost continuous upwards trajectory since releasing debut album Antidotes in 2008.

In the space of eight years they have gone from cult act to headlining Wembley Stadium, honing their live act and developing their sound with each album.

And on Friday they unleashed a number of tracks from new album What Went Down on the crowd at Southampton's O2 Guildhall during a ferocious hour-and-a-half set.

Few bands are as relentless in their live performances as Foals and it is unlikely the Guildhall has played host to quite as fierce a gig in some time.

Their set is understandably dotted with tracks from their recently-released fourth album, with the thudding, riff-heavy Snake Oil opening the proceedings and followed up by its second single, Mountain at my Gates, which is already proving to be a crowd favourite.

Despite five new tracks fans hoping to hear some 2008 vintage Foals would also have been pleased to hear the likes of Olympian Airways and old favourite Red Sox Pugie, the penultimate song in the pre-encore set.

Their inclusion charts the band’s progression over the past eight years and the breadth of material they can now call on.

From Foals’ own interpretation of outright pop – My Number – to the sparse beauty of Spanish Sahara and Inhaler’s monstrous groove, there is now a depth to their back catalogue that comes through in the variety of the set.

Frontman Yannis Phillippakis is the embodiment of the band’s energetic yet controlled approach – a ball of energy constantly interacting with a raucous audience (and, one occasion, almost getting pulled into the crowd before being pulled back by security guards).

After blasting through their 11-song main set the band return after mere seconds to launch into a three song encore, including a fitting mixture of the new (What Went Down) and the old (Two Steps, Twice). It is music for the head and the hips, and the performance of a well-honed and confident band who look well prepared for their upcoming stadium shows next year.