Shed Seven have always been dogged by the label of being a b-list Britpop band.

Since they first burst on the music scene with their 1994 debut album Change Giver, the Sheffield group have been unable to reach the heights of bands like The Verve or Oasis.

With a new album Let It Ride just out, Shed Seven are trying to avoid getting caught in the post-Britpop fallout with a more mature sound.

But when they abandon their scruffy indie rock roots, they end up like a parody of themselves, losing the street urchin sound that defines Shed Seven.

Their strengths and weaknesses were on show when they played the Brixton Academy in London, ahead of the release of their third album.

Energy and verve

Shed Seven knew what their fans wanted and gave it to them. They came on full of energy and verve, starting with old favourites from their 1996 Maximum High album.

Hoping for a hit with new single Heroes

The band displayed a confidence and intensity live that was lacking in their first two studio albums.

On stage, they played with a youth and exuberance that characterised much of their earlier work.

With crowd-pleasers like Getting Better, Standby and Speakeasy, Shed Seven played to their strengths.

In his yellow football shirt, the lead singer Rick Witter was the focus of the group. The others were little more than a backing band, providing a backdrop as Witter growled into the microphone and prowled around the stage.

Adoring fans who packed into the Brixton Academy lapped it up. Shed Seven inspire a fanatical devotion among their following.

Their fans were out in force, wearing their Shed Seven mock football shirts and clutching their pints of lager.

Disappointing

But much as they tried, Shed Seven could not maintain the momentum. As soon as they switched to playing some of their slower numbers, the gig sagged.

Their serious ballads sounded like more like dirges, with Witter droning against a background of noise.

Their new material failed to rescue the show. The Sheds tried to get the crowd going with She Left Me On Friday, a recent single from their new album.

The song, their attempt at a the weekend starts here anthem, ended up sounding like a cross between Blur and Black Grape.

Other new material fared little better, with the new single, The Heroes, feeling like an Oasis b-side.

The Sheds will have pleased the fans with their performance, but they will have made few converts. True rock greatness is something that continues to elude them.