Homecomings always tend to bring the best out of bands and so it proved when Lostprophets rolled into Cardiff's Motorpoint Arena over the weekend, owning the stage as though they'd never been away. As if the buzz of anticipation and excitement for the Welsh rockers wasn't high enough already, given that this current tour is their first headlining tour in two years, they also chose the occasion to play career-defining album Start Something in full.

But there was no doubt which album they were in town to promote, with stage and band fully decked in Weapons attire and while we weren't particularly enamoured with it on record, we were right about their continued live prowess. Despite minor initial technical problems with Watkins' microphone, the band swiftly overcame these blips to deliver a tight set, seemingly revitalised by being out on the road again and back on home soil.



And while the night's main billing was always going to be the run-through of Start Something, the opening half of the set saw the band delve into their other albums and bring out goodies in the form of 'Shinobi Vs. Dragon Ninja', 'Rooftops' and 'A Town Called Hypocrisy', along with a taster of Guns N' Roses' 'Sweet Child Of Mine'. It's little surprise that with the confidence exuded by Watkins and his cohorts on-stage that they're well-received by the diverse crowd - younger faces, along with the odd parent, mixed in with the long-term fans - with singalongs, lighters and the glow of iPhones frequently making an appearance throughout the night.

Weapons may not have made the impact on us it wanted to but even without the added unique bonus of the Start Something material, it's clear that Lostprophets still have the arsenal to deliver a fine live assault.

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