During a three year period, whilst attempting to release their fourth album, Welsh alternative rockers Lostprophets dumped two producers, threw out all the original songs, left their US record label and parted company with drummer Ilan Rubin.

With the assistance of Bob Rock, production was handed to bassist Stuart Richardson, and with more input and freedom from the band, “The Betrayed” was eventually released in January 2010. The result is a superb album, proving that a band can make music under their own control if they work hard to achieve it.

Prior to their confirmed appearance at the Reading and Leeds Festival, tonight’s show was the last of six additional dates added to a UK run which started back in February.

As a fan of their brilliant first album “The Fake Sound of Progress” released nearly 10 years earlier, as well as their recent release, I was looking forward to seeing these guys, and my expectations were high.

With their logo simply illuminated in pulsating blue lights across the back of the stage, the band start with the slow burner “If It Wasn’t For Hate, We’d Be Dead By Now” before stepping things up with "It's Not the End of the World, But I Can See It from Here". Low lighting production renders the six members in near darkness, although front man Ian Watkins is seen to be sporting a tremendous quiff, evidently delighting many of the young ladies present.

From the 2004 album “Start Something”, a generally well received offering, likened (albeit unfairly) to Linkin Park and Faith No More, comes crowd pleaser “Burn Burn”, followed by the title track from the same album. Around this time Watkins begins the first of numerous banters with the audience, none of which are particularly interesting, or easy to understand mid-way back in the auditorium.

“Can’t Catch Tomorrow (Good Shoes Won’t Save You This Time)” from their third album “Liberation Transmission” is dressed up with an intro of Marilyn Manson’s “Beautiful People”. The same is done for “Last Summer”, using “The Real Thing” by Faith No More as the intro. Ironically (or perhaps sarcastically) this track appears on the aforementioned likened album.

Amongst “For He’s A Jolly Good Felon”, “A Town Called Hypocrisy” and arguably the band's most recognisable and popular tune “Last Train Home”, comes more drawn out chaff from Watkins, which includes minor celebration of lead guitarist Lee Gaze’s 35th birthday.

A cover of Rihanna’s “Rude Boy” with parts of “Last Resort” by Papa Roach is a few minutes desperately uncalled for, before the epic single “Where We Belong” and “Rooftops (A Liberation Broadcast)“. All of this prior to a thunderous romp to the finish with “Everyday Combat” and fan favourite “Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja”, all dealt with perfectly by new drummer Luke Johnson.

Lostprophets like to be known as a band that are not for encores, yet they still return for “The Betrayed” album closer “The Light That Burns Twice As Bright”, providing a somewhat restrained finale that appears to bemuse their hardcore faithful.

Whilst undoubtedly keeping their young fan base happy, nothing ever comes close to spectacular or even engaging. The album has a “we did it our way” attitude, but in a live environment, Lostprophets need to get over it and move on, to become the perfect band they aspire to be.