DUNDEE LIVE - BANDS TO WATCH!!
THE DOGHOUSE 25 BAND WEEKENDER 2008 - NIGHT 3
HEALTHY MINDS COLLAPSE + PEARL & THE PUPETS + ANY COLOUR BLACK + ALTO ELITE + THE DESCARTES + UNICORN KID - The Doghouse 16-11-08
After the amazing 25 band weekender last year, I really wanted to cover all of this event, but a Dead Earnest and a Mermaid Rock concert promotions commitments scuppered that idea. Bearing in mind that I was just about waking up by 6pm on the Sunday, I'd finally got a head of steam on me to want to hot foot it down to The Doghouse to catch Healthy Minds Collapse - anything else decent would be a bonus. How much of a bonus that turned out to be, I couldn't have predicted in a zillion years..........
HEALTHY MINDS COLLAPSE
Oh wow!!!!! I'd raced down to catch these guys and got there just as they were about to start. It was blistering! From the beginning we got the sound of one immense, chunky electric bass, thick and loud, the most solid, crunching drumming using every part of the kit with immense force, and finally the mushroom cloud of guitar work, all topped off with, not only strong lead vocals, but harmony and backing vocals from both other band members. Things just went up and up as the set progressed with the emotive leacd vocal full of passion and power, with songs that gave rise to feelings of greatness, occasionally Nirvana, mostly Foo Fighters - but with an added dimension that just had the hairs tingling on the back of your neck. Their songs on myspace are strong and hot, but nothing can prepare you for the eruption that is this band live in concert. If ever you wanted a UK answer to the Foo Fighters, who are actually even better, this is that band. The extraordinary thing about watching them live in concert is that you know that if you put any one of their songs next to anything off the latest Foos album, they'd not only stand up, they'd be standing taller, and there's no-one gonna tell you they're any less powwerful. Then of course, they've got added extras in the form of the depth allied to the sheer strength that the band puts out, an ability to sound seriously atmospheric on the occasions when they drop down a notch. But, when all's said and done, the crucial thing is that they've got the songs to back it all up. New songs such as "Mistake" just roar from the PA in a mosntrous rock-indie whirlwind of magnificence, as the band provide this hallmark of quality playing and singing, having you totally hooked by what they're playing while the short and sharp "St Vitus Dance" simply lurches from the PA in a massive blast of rhythm, riffing and yearning vocals, way more powerful than the studio version and on fire as the trio stomps and blasts through the surging track. Song-wise, you get to about half way through the set aware that you're hearing some stunning songs, but also that you're still waiting for THE ONE - the song that screams "single", the song that you know is gonna have the band on the tip of everyone's tongues if it got played to the Nation - and then, lo and behold, along it comes - "Best Intentions" it's called and comes in on a wave of scorching guitars before dropping back to the verse, rising to the chorus, then taking off like a rocket on the hook before reverting back to verse and leaving not a second to waste, keeping the best traditions of the anthemic rock-indie track alive and vibrant. The band deliver this huge sounding sea of harmonies and a searing lead vocal, a brief blast of guitar and then the song fires round again, but that chorus, that hook - this is awesome, just awesome. Ending with the electrifying mix of harmonies and headlong rush that is the immense sounding "Brightside" and you've just witnessed the most incendiary set you've seen by any UK band around right now, and if this doesn't signal the fact that this band is gonna be absolutely immense in 2009, then the world might as well end now. Also, you have to bear in mind that the bands on at this event were chosen selectively by people in the business who know talent when they see it - and the fact that this band is there, shows clearly that this is a band with mega-massive potential. Stunning and then some - you have to catch this band!!
PEARL & THE PUPETS
In the words of The Borg, "Resistance Is Futile!!" A quartet featuring a diminutive female lead singer in a pink dress with a "baby doll" voice, they began with a track that positively screamed "Lily Allen" at the top of its voice as the, bizarrely, Scottish singer gave every indication of topling the queens of the London throne with a pure pop number that's as appealing as it is "annoying", as the serious minded part of me wanted so much to loathe it but then started to rebel at its airy and effortless charms. The second track didn't really strike me, but the third track - "out as a single next week in New Zealand and Australia", quoth our lead singer with pride - was where it all started to get worrying. It turned out to be a track that's been haunting me for ages on my internet forays asa I seem to keep finding it without knowing who it was and thinking "I like this" without pausing to find out just who it is. So it was that, in the Doghouse, this light and airy vocal sings so sweetly an opening line that's also the song's introductory hook and immediately, you're becoming ensnared by the band's undoubted charm - well, the singer and the song, that's for sure. As it progresses, it sucks you in and even though it seems so effortless, pretty and just darned "nice", witht he first half refusing to leave your mind, as you follow its pied-piper styled path. Then the band come to the song called "Inside Out" and this is the point at which you crack and give in - a truly gorgeous, atmospheric number with a jaunty chorus, relaxed and flowing high-register vocal, graceful harmonies and the most solid performance so far, from a band who, up to now, butter wouldn't melt in its collective mouth. Now completely consumed by the band's understated magic, you come to "Pleaswe Don't" as the feel of a Scottish folk-pop answer to Alison Krauss & Union Station becomes the overriding comparison with its purity of vocal, lush harmonies ands crystal clear mix of solid and eloquent playing from the guitar, bass and drums. The next track, "The Kisses", merely serves to emphasize the comparison while "Make Me Smile" return to Lily territory, only now with emotion and pop sensibilities that you somehow knew were there right from the start but refused to let it into your heart. OK, so, overall, it's pure folky-pop, got more sugar than a truckload of Mars Bars and about as solid as a deck of cards, but it's undeniably beautiful, a thing of grace, passion, purity and fun and, to be honest, if it doesn't warm your heart, you're probably deceased.
ANY COLOR BLACK
Well, who'd have thought it. The season in which I start to lament the disapearance of Dundee's Leatherettes, well, stone me, if another one hasn't come along, this time in the form of Any Color Black. Similarly a duo of mAle lead guitarist and female lead guitarist, with the lady on vocals, in a sense, there the comparison ends as this twosome have takene the idea of songwriting, arrangement and intensity for a band like this, into a wholly different realm. A young blonde amazon of a guitarist - well, that's what came over when you looked up at that stage - although lacking the raw sex appeal of Becca, she more than makes up for it with a powerful, strong and pure vocal that really delivered the songs so well and got them across, not to mention looking sexy clad in black. The guitarist, also clad in black, looked every bit the sixties rocker, unleashing shards of riffing hooks and searing leads. Both of them stalk the stage as she comes across as an "evil Debie Harry" to his "Gene Vincent-meets-Ritchie Blackmore". The songs - oh yes, the songs - are delivered in a manner that makes you stand there awestruck as the weight of the backing DAT's rhythms and fx positively leaps out of the PA while the twin guitars provide a massive sounding wall of riffs, rhythms, leads and furious sound in a glorious melting pot of immense sonic proportions. Using a seriously visual array of simple lighting at their backs and the occasional strobe, they execute songs that bite your head off with bliss and strength, the lady's vocals really cutting through, but sung not screamed and firmly in tune, often sounding the epitome of the industrial rock female vocalist. In short, sensational - sorry for the lack of individual song reviews but I was having far too good a time being mesmerised by this band.
ALTO ELITE
I'd seen this band a couple of weeks before, been seriously impressed, but had no idea who they were. So, time to find out more......
The opening song begins with a chiming riff as hook and begins as a stormer of an opening track as the quintet with keyboards embark on a set that oozes promises of greatness right from the off. The lead singer has a clear and emotive voice that has a real emotive charm to it but delivered in a strong, flowing manner, always capable of rising to the challenge when required. As well as strong drumming, throbbing bass and heavy duty riffing guitars, you get the added keyboard density, soaring harmonies, a searing lead guitar break and an unstopable currrent of electric delight. The second song also begins with an instrumental hook that immediately captures your attention - a trademark of the band and a seriously fine one, too - before this time it drops down to keys and rhythm section as the warm powerful voice just soars and lifts off to wondrous effect, the song's chorus simply magical as the weight of the band strides out underneath. The presence of the vocal harmonies, on the verses and particularly on the choruses, merely add to the irresistibility of a song that is a 24 karat gem by anyone's standards, something you'll have swimming around in your head for hours after. This segues into the next track that then adds much more than verse-chorus, taking several twists and turns along the way, the band playing as a tight, full-sounding unit overlaid with rthe fantastic lead vocal and vocal backing. Here the vocals are delivered with immense passion and emotion as the harmonies surge out of the PA with dynamics and strength. A huge sounding storm of guitars, rhythm section and keys plus the expansive vocal magic signal yet another song that's got "addictive" written all over it, the kind of songs that will sound just as good ten years from now. The fourth track is more of an anthem with an organ lead to the fore, riffing guitars providing the depth, solid drumming and deep bass undertow as the vocal is delivered with more bite, thwe song's charm becoming the uplifting mass of vocal splendour and musical appeal, the chord changes grabbing your emotions, the rhythms daring your feet to stand still and thw whole thing swirling around inside your head, a short, searing guitar break, the icing on the cake. The fifth track is altogether faster, still exuding passion and warmth as the song climbs higher into yet another gem of a chorus into which you can't help but fall in love with incisive harmonies and solid backing drive it all forward with an ocean of depth from the expansive guitars and keys. The final track is simply stunning - embodying all that's gone before into one stormer of a set closer, from a band that's surely on a fast rising climb to the top of the tree.
THE DESCARTES
Never really had a chance to examine this excellent Dundee band in detail before as I've seen them do some hot sets but never really "close up". Now was my chance - so would they deliver the goods? Well........
The opening track is introduced with a driving indie drum rhythm that has dancey qualities to it as it heralds the arrival of the band who you immediately realise, are palying a brew of indie that's very different from what you've heard up to now. A mix of anthemic, angst and attack. The vocalist soars but his forays into verses are balanced by a backing vocal with bite as the drives through a tweisting cauldron of guitars-driven indie blast. The second song opens with a lurching beat, a sea of guitars and staccato lead and backing vocals combine on this venemous snakebite of a delivery, the band now cascading and twisting every which way and then some, the song returning to its beginings as the verse-as-chorus aproach starts to make its presence felt. Although no discernible chorus and not that obviously catchy, it is nevertheless a striking, hard-edged presence that's both fascinating in how much you can chart new paths in one song, yet equally mesmerising aas the dense undercurrent keeps it all together,its striking uniquenes making up for any shortcomings in the commercial sense.
Third one in, and a stomping intro with a ringing sea of guitars, hollered wordless vocal, all marching into a verse delivered with a languid approach as the song surges forward, its mix of purpose, emotion, direction and drive, a thing of engaging splendour. Then it decelerates but at the same time erupts as rhe vocal becomes more angst-ridden but stays on course, with a sort of a chorus for which the guitars provide the glue that keeps it all together, again not commercial in the traditional sense of the word, but one mighty stunner of a song. A sizzling guitar riff allied to pounding bass and crunching drums with liberal cymbal splashes, accelerate the fourth track into an impassioned vocal thatn just takes off into this strident lurch of a song, as it drops back,, explodes in a heartbeat as the guitars slowly rise in intensity to the rolling bite of the chorus. Almost unwilling to conform to convention, they twist and wring the song at certain points yet still manage to deliver something that really grabs you due largely to its sheer weight of emotion, the art of getting angry never sounding so different and inviting.
As the band grows stronger with every song, they unleash the fifth track with a real sense of unhindered direction to it, as the might of the band charts the same path on a song with a wonderful chiming guitar lead, an almost Talking Heads styled vocal performance, allied to solid rhythmic catchiness as the band get heavier, harder and, somewhat bizarrely, more commercial. The chorus strays from the Byrne-esque verses and flies ahead, while, mid-song, they can't resist the dynamic urge to drop back, this time to a sea of surging guitars and drums, before it finally explodes as the band flares and burns on a roaring final dash for the finish line, hollered vocal joining the fray as they all cross the line together. The final track is built on solid, lurching beats, guitar density, soaring vocals, counterpoint backing vocals, all of which lead into another totally cohesive song, a shining lead guitar breaking away from the pack as the lead vocal takes off with force, the band's mid-paced thunder sending it all towards the edge in a shining supernova of anthemic indie nirvana.
UNICORN KID
Picture the scene - the vastness of the Doghouse, the last act on after 24 previous acts over 3 nights, the last act on after a host of amazing bands that have been on that very same night, and onto the stage walks a 17 year old kid - armed with nothing but a keyboard and a laptop. As you watched a brief but somewhat silent soundcheck (technology, for you!), the crowd of indie, rock and punk fans could all but wonder what was coming. Then it happened - with a cry of "this is my new single out in January, the kid turned both the equipment and himself on, and this huge avalanche of electronic trance and melodic hardcore techno, just erupts from the PA with the force of an A-bomb. The urge to dance proves almost irresistible to an audience for whom, about 30 seconds before, dancing was the last thing on their minds, this massive wedge of humanity suddenly rushing into the hall to see who on earth was making the sounds and shaking the place to its foundations. As the wall of beefy electronic and electro-percussive rhythms, swirling synth and electronic melodies and textures, not to mention this unbelievably cheesy but insanely catchy melody, fly from the PA, the kid himself is dancing around the stage as though someone's just plugged him into the grid, as well. To show that this was just the taster course, the second track is harder, faster, denser, with a positively disembowelling bassline, as a river of synth melodies swirl and dive as the relentless beats continue unabated.. In his world of commercial trance, nothig stands still while the repetition is counterbalanaced by the most twee melodies known to man, catchy tunes that annoyingly fly from the PA right inside your head above the floor-shaking undercurrents. Third track is even more intense, the beats even bigger, the melody even more "annoying" than a national anthem, and at this point you realise that you're dealing with an instrumental answer to Cascada, good or bad, I'm not quite sure, incredibly rich, strong and tasty but you couldn't eat much of it before feeling full. The next track, with its organ line, comes across like dancing in a church, flowing until the beats emerge, fast paced as before but stuttering and spluttering as shardss of samples fragment in all directions. Only then do the beats chart another commercial trance course as the organ mutates into this ear-bending cyclical melody, the whole thing thundering into ultra fast hapy hardcore territory. So it went on, each track earning ever more dancers, so much so that, when he finished, the crowd only went and stomped for an encore - so he played the first track all over again!! Amazing!!!
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