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If Scottish alternative/metalcore outfit Dancing With Dakota were needing any reassurance that they had made the correct decision in bringing their hiatus to an end, then the “sold-out” sign adorning adverts for this gig must have been a welcome sight. Would people still care enough to turn up and show their support? Yes of course they would; and then some.
It’s been quite some time since I saw The Attic this energised. Usually it’s a case of a small gathering at the stage, a bit of a gap, then the remainder of the crowd standing in front of the bar – nursing a pint. Tonight there is the usual gathering at the stage, a pit (complete with someone who is being held over another’s shoulder, and being whipped round like a human spinning top) that is brewing up rather nicely thank you, and the bar area is being used as a refuge by those looking to avoid the pit. The recent addition of crush barriers at the stage means that when vocalist Paul Callanin wants to whip up a frenzy, he has to exit stage right through a curtained off area, and dash past those on the fringes before conducting the ensuing madness in the pit. After doing this a few times, he thinks sod this, and takes a more direct approach, and along with co-vocalist Gus Macaulay, vaults the barrier and gets up close and personal with the crowd.
There’s also new music to enjoy – in late 2018 ‘Fires’ signalled that Dancing With Dakota were back, and in a live setting it turns into even more of a banger. The mix of Macaulay’s clean vocals with Callanin’s harsh is an intoxicating one, the pair feeding off each other as the four other band members pummel the crowd with a powerful wall of noise. Current single ‘Voices’, along with its predecessor ‘Heaven And Hell’, opens up the pit, and the pair serve as a reminder of how much the band has matured and grown in recent times. Perhaps it’s the car-crash times that we are living in which are fuelling the anger, but Dancing With Dakota cannot be accused of the same apathy that is creeping into so much of today’s music.
The new material blends in perfectly alongside older moments such as ‘Heart At Home’, as well as a snarling cover of Bring Me The Horizon’s ‘Shadow Moses’. The evening ends on a powerful note, with the band paying tribute to Shaun Scott from their good friends, and management stablemates, The Ronains who sadly recently passed away. An emotional way to end a highly-charged evening.
Connect with Dancing With Dakota here.
Review – Dave
