12/3/13
The line-up at the Brudenell Social Club promised so much on paper. One talented local group was supporting two highly hyped American imports back for their second tour. My anticipation was building before the event and two contrasting questions stood out. Did Dan Audio have enough in their repertoire to deliver a show-stealing performance in the opening slot? Or would the Yanks make an impact and justify their status on the bill?
The answer to the first question at least was crystal clear. Foursome Dan Audio have undeniably increased in ability, range and confidence since being unfairly snubbed at the Futuresound 2012 competition last June.
Their set opened with the smooth rhythms of 'Serious', a prophetic type song with Dan's hard-hitting lyrics ('banks and the buildings will fall'). 'Morning Star' was more optimistic and beautifully blended, which created an upbeat atmosphere. 'Reaching Out' was my partner’s favourite, featuring gorgeous high notes from backing singer Lynsey Cawthra. Finally 'Freedom' was a perfect finale, the audience reaction suggested that they wouldn't have minded an impromptu encore.
The group also played the single 'Age of Information' from their new EP of the same name. I'd encourage all my readers to check out their music (if you can't make it to see them live). It will be interesting to see how they incorporate their new music into future live shows.
The bar was now raised and the answer to the second question was murky and inconclusive depending on your tastes but I wasn't impressed.
The first of the American imports Kilo Kish, disappointed from the start; her excessive arrogance mixed uneasily with unnecessary swearing. It got worse because the only thing worthy of note early on were the skimpy outfits; the backing dancer in particular provided some form of sex appeal to the horny inebriated. If the music had a message it was very difficult to understand because of the leads mouth positioning in relation to the microphone.
It wasn't all bad, lighting effects matched the beat throughout their set, which got people dancing enthusiastically. Also worthy of praise was the sincere, authoritative DJ who carried the group somewhat. The repetitive 'talk style' singing had plenty of attitude, decent flow but no substance and drew a well deserved, painful, lukewarm response.
The second import act on the show was The Internet, a five-piece with a dual keyboard set-up. The singer provided soulful tones; guitars were deep and the keyboards added layers and were a highlight. Initially, the crowd seemed to tune into the vibes and appreciated the dreamy and hypnotic instrumentals but the lack of journey in the song lyrics was a major turn off.
Eventually they reached the point of no return when the ideas truly dried up. The music devolved into sleepy and lengthy well before the boring conclusion. If the keyboard player had contributed vocally on more songs it would have raised the mood considerably. As the ironically titled 'Patience' played, the burned out crowd dispersed. Some seemed bemused, rightly wondering what all the fuss was about.
