31 January 2010 (gig)
02 February 2010
So here I am in trendy Shoredich on a cold Sunday at the end of January. The pub ticks all the boxes for a great venue but lacks atmosphere, I expected more from this slice of London.
The first band to take to the stage are the delightful 'Something begins with L,’ their sound is somewhere between the Breeders and the Sundays. They play with live untreated drums and a drum machine/programmes. This is a bit hard on the ears and something they need to improve on. They also appear to be quite nervous although it is quite endearing in a twee kind of way.
Next up is 'She Keeps Bees’ and boy are we in for a treat? If you are not aware of this duo, they hail from Brooklyn and play a raucous, raw and very powerful bass-less blues. From the moment the couple saunter to the stage they entertain us with some rousing songs and very amusing banter. We now know all about Jessica’s underwear habits and her longing for an English Sunday roast.
They play hard and fast versions of 'Release’ and 'Wear red’ and Andy nearly destroys the drum kit during 'cold eye’. By the time the last chords of the sublime 'Gimmie’ have rung out, everyone in the room realises they have witnessed something far greater than any other guitar/drum outfits doing the rounds. If 'Nests’ isn’t pride of place in your CD collection then get it now!
By the time 'Dag för Dag’ take to the stage the small crowd are well and truly warmed up. Coming from Stockholm where they live their American lives, siblings Sarah and Jacob Snavely are joined by drummer Chuck Bukowski for tonight’s performance.
Dressed in spangly silver they resemble something from the glam rock day’s of the 70’s although their post punk sound couldn’t be more different. Despite being six months pregnant, Sarah rocks this small venue with more passion and love than I have seen in a long time. Her brother cavorts around the stage like a deranged teenager and you get the feeling that this is what they were born to do. Even if the room had been empty they would have given the same high-energy performance.
They power through energetic versions of 'Light feet’, 'In Hiding’ and 'Seven Stories’ but it is the truly wonderful 'Animal’ that makes you realise how talented these guys are. Between songs there is plenty of light-hearted banter, even finding time to invent a new comic character called distorted Mike.
The finish their short set with the single 'Ring me Elise’ and everyone goes home happy.
2010 is rapidly becoming the year that girls rock and if this evening is anything to go by I can’t wait to see more!
Dag för Dag’s new album, 'Boo’ is out on 22nd Feb 2010.
