After the frustration of a below-par performance from my beloved Leicester Tigers, having to queue outside in the rain for 25 minutes to pay for a car park in Leicester, getting lost on Nottingham’s nightmarish one-way system for 20 minutes, having to eat a Big Mac for tea (which, for the record, tasted like I was eating the boiled down soul of some bran) and finally getting to the venue to discover there had been a breakdown in communication somewhere and that my name was not on the guest list, it was fair to say I needed my spirits lifting and my stress levels lowering.

Just as well then that tonight’s headliners deal almost exclusively in songs that do just that. Fanfarlo take to the stage with barely enough room to wiggle an elbow, the six of them and their myriad instruments filling the Bodega’s small stage with ease. There’s everything from the standard, guitars and drums, to mandolins, trumpets, keyboards, glockenspiels, wood saws and those keyboard things with hosepipes in. Imagine the majesty of Arcade Fire meeting the euphoria of the Polyphonic Spree after the Appleseed Cast and Anathallo set them up at a party, in your front room, which is crowded with friends. That’s what tonight’s gig is like, probably.

Fanfarlo’s 45 minute set is filled with songs from their sumptuous debut album, Reservoir. Old favourite Drowning Men makes an appearance as does album opener I’m A Pilot and current single The Walls Are Coming Down, which has seemingly been on loop at BBC 6Music for the last few weeks. The airplay seems to have done some good. The Bodega is close to capacity and most are singing, dancing and smiling along to the aforementioned single, and for that matter, for the duration of the set.

Things were brought to a close all too soon with Fanfarlo modestly accepting the adoring gratitude of this small upstairs room in central Nottingham. Swedish support act, First Aid Kit (who were equally delightful), soon beckon them back on stage to do an impromptu cover of a Devendra Banhart song. The applause and cheers that meet both acts come the end are rapturous to say the least.

Judging by that reaction, the crowd seemed to enjoy it, this particular onlooker leaving with a big grin on his face, calm restored and an overwhelming feeling that despite the irritating events of the preceding hours, everything is going to be all right. Things are more than all right. They’re positively joyful when bands like Fanfarlo are around.

Picture by Oliver.Peel