Mercury Prize Sessions start 2010 with a bang

Last night marked the first of the Barclaycard Mercury Prize Sessions of 2010, with The Maccabees and The Rumble Strips playing to a packed-out studio at London’s prestigious Hospital Club.

Brighton-based Londoners The Maccabees took time out from the ongoing Shockwaves NME Awards Tour to headline the night, with a short but sweet 25-minute set, comprising songs from both their acclaimed debut album, 2007’s Colour It In, and 2009’s Wall of Arms.

Their support was provided by Devon five-piece The Rumble Strips, who stunned with a host of new songs.

The Mercury Prize Sessions launched in 2009 as a means of showcasing “some of the most exciting live bands and artists around,” and have consistently succeeded in attracting members of the music industry’s cutting edge, including Florence & The Machine, Mr Hudson and The XX.