Kingsley HarrisIf you thought I was going to resist the 'It was 20-years-ago today' headline then you were wrong. The clich� and cheese factor are just too great. The 20th Anniversary of the Wilde Club took place at the Arts Centre last Saturday.Kingsley Harris

If you thought I was going to resist the 'It was 20-years-ago today' headline then you were wrong. The clich� and cheese factor are just too great. The 20th Anniversary of the Wilde Club took place at the Arts Centre last Saturday. I had been really looking forward to it, and it didn't disappoint.

For those unsure, the Wilde Club is a Norwich music institution only ever rivalled by The Orford Cellar, 20-years its senior, when it came to predicting the stars of the future.

Working as a volunteer at Norwich Arts Centre, Barry Newman started the club back in 1989 quite simply because no one was putting on the bands he wanted to see.

Barry had a real knack for talent spotting and brought many bands to this sleepy backwater way before their sweet smell of success. Muse, Coldplay, Nirvana and Snow Patrol are just a few of bands that walked the Wilde boards on their way to fame and fortune. The night was a great tribute to Baz and once again he put on a show to remember.

FEVER FEVER burst onto the scene last year. The post-Aprons outfit are built around the hypnotic and robotic beats of Smit on drums. The dual vocals of Rosie and Ellie are then embraced by shards of start-stop guitar; it's compelling stuff.

F**K DRESS were up next and really suited this particular bill. The audience appreciated the tongue in cheek nature of songs like Tick Box Exercise and The Streets Of My Town which are the eclectic indie equivalent of the Birdie Song.

Tonight they were on form and the sound really came together, finishing with a dark Bauhaus-esque performance of Suburban Nietzsche Freak.

As special guests, Barry couldn't have picked a better band than THE BARDOTS to reform. Having been there at the start of the club and spin-off project Wildeclub records, it was the most fitting tribute to both band and promoter alike. It's been a few years since I've seen them but they were on great form. Anyone who remembers the post-punk days of jangly pop will possess a Bardots' single. I always thought they also bordered on Shoe gaze and dream-pop but that might just be me.

The hotly tipped JOY FORMIDABLE were headlining and what a great choice. Last year the band enjoyed the success of having their track Austere feature on the cult TV show Skins and then subsequently became part of the live tour.

A scintillating indie pop trio; there are few comparisons for front lady Ritzy Bryan's remarkable voice, a voice that has clearly pushed the band that extra mile. If I had to put my neck out possibly Bjork in her Sugarcube days, minus the Icelandic twang!

It may be a little early to be talking about the best gig of 2009 but lets just say the bar has been set, and it's high.