As I write this, I am on a train back to Leeds on a coach with a decidedly questionable smell and worryingly sticky floor. However this does not dampen my mood. Last night, I was one of the lucky few who got to see DOG IS DEAD perform their brand-spanking new album ‘All Our Favourite Stories’ in it’s entirety at Nottingham’s Boat Club. Probably the last time it’ll be possible to catch the quintet at such an intimate venue, the band exceeded every expectation possible with their performance, taking the audience from soaring highs to spine-tingling lows.
Walking on to roaring chants of ‘DOG IS DEAD’, the boys are seemingly unfazed by the packed-out venue and launch straight into their set. Kicking off with the surprisingly laid-back ‘Get Low’, DOG IS DEAD still manage to get the crowd pumped, each sombre drum beat being met by the audience’s clapping hands. The performance is tight and the harmonies tighter as the band meld seamlessly into second track ‘Do the Right Thing’. With melodious guitar and a stick-in-your-head-like-super-glue chorus, ‘Do The Right Thing’ has radio playlist written all over it, it’s refrain screamed back to them by an already eager crowd. By song number three ‘Teenage Daughter’, DOG IS DEAD already have the audience in the palm of their hands. Undoubtedly a highlight of the album, the harmonies of the refrain ‘I get used to it’ bounce gloriously from wall to wall, filling the room with each euphoric ‘a-ah’. Latest single ‘Talk Through The Night’ lifts the mood even further, the bright and catchy chorus sang with impassioned vocals and is overall completely endearing. One of the band’s earlier tracks, ‘River Jordan’ follows. Slightly darker in it’s atmosphere, it is none the less lapped up fervently by the audience. Despite a slight delay when an overly enthusiastic fan jumps on stage (although he is quickly ‘reacquainted’ with the crowd courtesy of the bands tour manager, appropriately nick named ‘The Sheriff’) , ‘Two Devils’ proves to be another standout. Clearly a favourite amongst fans, the pit is well and truly going by the time Rob Milton reaches the climatic line ‘If we don’t stop now we’ll be dead by summer’. ‘Hands Down’ highlights what these guys do best; indie pop alight with choral harmonies. Despite being eight songs in, the vocals are faultless and tighter than Trev’s curls. Chants of ‘Nottingham’ fill the gaps between tracks seven and eight and DOG IS DEAD embrace them. The local fans have come to show their support as they release their debut, and this is no more evident than it is going into their anthem ‘Glockenspiel Song’. Big sax riffs, heavy hooks and THAT chorus make it impossible to stand still and audience members are looking sweatier and sweatier. ‘Heal It’ starts lightly before building to a massive, string-back refrain, and the band end on the electro-ballad ‘Any Movement’, the final line ‘Lonely riders with our hearts on fire’ resonating throughout the room. You can see a unique version of this track recorded at Wollaton Hall HERE.
Despite the best intentions of a crowd hungry for more, DOG IS DEAD finish the set on a triumphant high. As they finally disperse, I hear appreciative murmurs throughout, and from a set that mind-blowing it’s no wonder why. An incredible night that showcased one of Nottingham’s finest bands, it is unquestionably worth the grim train journey back.
Yours in Love of New Music,
Maddie Hammond X
Ps. I’m sorry for throwing my wine over you, Rob.
#spreadthelove
