DOG IS DEAD, KAPPA GAMMA and KAGOULE at ROCK CITY 17th of December

WOW. What a night! This wasn’t just a gig, this was a euphoric coming together in celebration of the Nottingham music scene.

 

The midweek news that TRIBES were pulling out of the show due to injury was met with jubilation at Nusic! (If the police are reading this, then we’ve told you! WE DIDN’T TOUCH HIM.)

 

With KAPPA GAMMA promoted to main support act and KAGOULE thrust into the bright spotlight of Rock City’s legendary main stage we had a mini-Nottingham-only-festival in the famous old venue.

 

Before the gig, I was slightly unsure how KAGOULE would sound live in the main room and with having to hastily bandage their amp back together during sound check this must have been a daunting task for a band that hasn’t even left 6th form yet.

Within about 5 seconds of their opening track any thoughts that this band might be out of their depth were instantly dismissed. They absolutely bossed it! The music has an aching vulnerability that makes this young 3 piece very endearing. Lucy Hatter’s heavy bass gives the performance some dark undertones whilst Cai Burn’s vocals are mature beyond his years and make the whole thing slightly mysterious. The most likeable thing about this lot is the fact I don’t think they realise just how good they are. “Made of Concrete“, is an incredible track that has stormed its way into the top 5 most played in my itunes amongst heavyweights like LYNYRD SKYNYRD and the ROLLING STONES – when experienced live it will send a shiver down the spine. Without getting carried away I think it is a pretty safe bet that KAGOULE are going to achieve big things in the future.

 

KAPPA GAMMA were worthy winners of our competition and they take to the stage with a swagger that suggests the next few minutes might be pretty fucking good. Playing to a sea of Bruce Forsyth masks must be like some strange dream or just quite hilarious, either way they were really, really, really good.

The nicely warmed-up crowd thanks to KAGOULE soaked in the winding KG rhythms. Mosh pits opened up in random areas of the dance floor, not for moshing, but for dance-offs between fans. KG create a big sound that sparkles with a quality shoegazer vibe. Their track “Wentworth” is a must listen if you haven’t heard it. The dreamy throw-away vocals have a distinctive style that suggests KG might be something quite special. They left the stage to thundering applause as everywhere you look you can lip read people turning to each other saying: “how good were they?!”

 

Hold your breath and count to ten…the lights go down, the female fans scream (and a few boys too)… DOG IS DEAD are coming. The 5 piece march onto stage with a confidence that signals utter determination to nail the performance.

 

Rock City is bouncing, beer is flying and fans are hurling themselves around right from the intro of the opening track, River Jordan. The anthemic harmonies engulf Rock City as the band and the fans unite in one big emotional singalong.

DOG IS DEAD manage to produce sounds that makes you want to jump about, scream your lungs out and hug strangers. Rob’s impeccable lead vocals and nostalgic lyrical genius yanks on the heart strings and (at the risk of sounding like a big girl) brings a tear to the eye.

Rob Milton said after the gig: “We played some new stuff and the crowds reaction was amazing…it’s like they have an amazing talent at guessing how the music is going to go.”

I think the reasoning behind this is because DiD’s music does exactly what you want and expect it to do. The songs fluctuate perfectly in sync with the crowd. I imagine if we could bring a caveman back from the stone ages and drop him in the middle of the DOG IS DEAD gig, he would know it word for word, know exactly when to jump around, when to throw his hands in the air and when to bust out the air saxophone.

 

The night ends, of course, with Glockenspiel Song. The kind of song with a “fuck it” attitude that emphasises the fact that this lot have the ability to become huge. “We are a mess… we are failures… and we LOVE it!” They’ve got 1 in 3 right there, DOG IS DEAD are not a mess, they are not failures…but we do LOVE it!

 

Have a very messy Christmas!

 

Yours in love of New Music,
Tom Hadfield x