Steamy night for a pair of Brit acts

The first applause for British Sea Power at Spaceland on Saturday came 10 minutes before the band even went onstage, as helpers festooned the stage with semitropical foliage.

The props underscored the charming and very English wackiness of the quintet’s appeal (members use only first names, and they’ve been known to perform in military uniform). But these particular decorations signified more the hothouse of talent on display -- not just from the headliner but from second-billed KaitO too.

At its best Saturday, British Sea Power was to the Psychedelic Furs and Echo & the Bunnymen what Coldplay is to U2. In “Remember Me” and the show’s epic climax, “Lately,” the quintet tapped an emotional sweep both romantic and Romantic, with well-woven literary references and obvious but never slavish nods to the role models.

Even more than on the recent debut album, “The Decline of British Sea Power,” singer Yan recalled David Bowie circa “Heroes” in his vocal phrasing and the set of his jaw. It’s the image of someone not only drawing on the past but also seeing a future -- ideally one in which this group expands upon its rich beginnings in artistic achievement and broad appeal.

KaitO, also English but a recent regular in L.A., has a more immediate presence, thanks largely to captivating singer-guitarist Nikki Colk. With the band’s bracingly fractured music evoking Wire, PiL and Elastica, Colk looked out from under her dark bangs and unleashed an arsenal of chirps, coos, stutters, yelps and hiccups in shaping the choppy emotions of her songs. The band’s recordings are strong, but live KaitO is an essential experience.