She may not be proud to admit it, but Alison Masters rekindles her love for Keane at their quality and unpretentious show at The O2, Greenwich.

Sitting inside the fan-filled O2 arena, I swear my fellow gig-goer to secrecy.

I worry any musical credibility I ever had will disappear faster than you can say ‘I quite like the new Alphabeat single’ should anyone find out I’m attending a Keane gig – and enjoying it.

As the band open with recent hit The Lovers are Losing, I glance around at the very diverse audience, ranging from seven to 70 (I have nothing but admiration for the dancing pensioner behind me), I realise Keane are victims of that parental curse – when your mum or dad utters something about liking their music, you know you can never admit to anyone you do too.

OK, so maybe I am being a little harsh; after all, with combined sales of their first two albums reaching eight million, there are obviously more than a few proud fans out there.

Despite lead singer Tom Chaplin’s fears his voice won’t hold out past the first three songs – he gushes with genuine gratitude at the vocal support from the crowd – the overall package is fantastic.

News Shopper: Keane impress The O2 with fine musicianship and arty backdrops

Flying through early hits such as Everybody’s Changing, the irresistible sing-along Somewhere Only We Know and This is the Last Time, I realise very quickly I, in fact, know every word. Just when did I become a Keane fan?

Tom soon takes to the end of a platform extending out into the arena, causing a wave of excitement among the crowd at his feet, and announces: “This next song is for the hardcore fans among you.”

Complacent in my “oh, I’m just here for work” attitude, I accept this one probably isn’t for me before realising, with astonishment, I am actually very familiar with this track. A B-side on an early single, Snowed Under goes down a treat, performed beautifully in this acoustic rendition.

The tempo increases for a taste of more recent Keane material, with a distinctive electro influence, and it seems recent hits such as Spiralling really have helped the band gain entry to more ‘credible’ music circles.

Coinciding with the Perfect Symmetry artwork, the stage is surrounded by illuminated geometric shapes and retro graphics, with geek-chic computer jargon flashing past on the big screen.

Overwhelmed by the sheer quality of the performance and unpretentious atmosphere, I start to wonder - could it be that Keane are now, dare I say it, cool?