DUNDEE LIVE - BANDS TO WATCH!!

COLOUR CODED + SECOND GO LUCKY + THE BROGUES + THE STEEPLES - Dexters 26-06-08


I never really noticed it before, although lord knows why that is, but one of the main things that makes Colour Coded's songs work so well is....tension! That, combined with an emotional intensity, really drags you in to thier sonic whirlpol of indie-rock. Without a word, they're just there, onstage, and the first track goes by in one dog's dinner of a sound - gawd knows what they're hearing on that stage, if anything, as the vocal is way off track, to name but one. But someone at the sound desk must have pressed the right switches, as track 2 really brings the band into its own, although the lead singer was clearly having problems hearing himself through the monitors, but he held it together and delivered a solid, in-tune performance of a yearning indie anthem that went up and down from chorus to verse, with the band sounding tight, controlled, as the guitars rang out. It was into track 3 without a break, as a driving drum beat this time heralds an almost spirited anger from the vocalist as one roar of a song sprang to life. Then, for the fourth track, it all really lit up, as their ultimate tension-laden, angst-driven song burned a hole in your brain, the vocals cutting through with bite and emotion, the band a mix of taut and hypnotic as a guitars-driven power cahrges ahead over rhythmic tension and strength. The fifth track was another gem of an anthem with soaring chorus and the band clearly illustrating they've got a good set of songs that matter. The sound problems meant that the band cut the set short, but I think I've got them sussed now - give me a good stage sound and a good performance and I'll tell you where they're REALLY at!
Out of the ashes of The Likely Lads come Second Go Lucky with their debut gig, and I have to say that this was seriously good stuff - well, I don't HAVE to but I'm going to!! With not a trace of looseness or over-confidence, this band have clearly come up with and rehearsed a 5-song set that really hits the spot and shows a glimmer of what they're capable of producing in the future.
Musically, they played 5 songs that are at the memorable end of contemporary indie music but with hints of all sorts of things in there too, from blues to ska, although nothing that takes away from the fact that this is a guitars-led band who can really cook. The first song had that sort of elementary but effective chorus which you find yourself singing along with even though you've never heard it before. Meanwhile the band, led by a twin guitar attack, are providing a full-sounding surge of riffing guitars backed by rhythms that are almost bluesy in feel but in a more driving manner. The vocalist shows off a commanding voice that's got a real holler quality to it but stays "sung" throughout. The second song is strong with that bluesy undercurrent still felt from the guitar work this time, yet still overtly modern and powerful with a sharp and tight arrangement. On top of this, the vocalist powers out but in keeping with the arrangement and not taking over to such a degree that it harms your enjoyment of the band. The third track was relatively lengthy for a band such as this, and went through a number of paces from slow emotion indie to an almost psych-ish ska ending in driving almost punk-esque strength, and back again. The fourth track, a legacy from the previous band, had new life breathed into it and turned out a real winner as regards commerciality, a bit like Sergeant with more guitar firepower and one gem of a rendition. They ended the set with another commercial offering, that had a sing-along chorus verging on indie-rock that dares you not to dance. With a hot band, a distinctive vocalist-in-progress and a clutch of tasty songs, this is a very good start indeed, a real step up from before, and definitely a band to watch out for. JUst before I started to write this, I learnt that lead singer and rhythm guitarist Marco had parted company with the band - for reasons unknown to me at this time - and so, this will be the final testament to phase one of the band's career so far (they are carrying on and will be back in the autumn!!) - and what a way to end!!
From the smiles on thier faces and the nasally twang of Marco's vocals that emit the chorus of new song "Romance Is Dead", you know that the band are going to be on good form tonight, and breathe a sigh of relief, as the only thing holding them back from greatness so far, has been their inconsistency. So, a boming slice of singalong indie-pop segues into the barrage of rollercoaster writing and playing that is "She Brings Me UP", for which the band really catch fire, the vocals sounding decisive, confident and cutting through as the guitars swirl and the rhythm section really hammers home. Now the band are truly on fire they launch into the next track that's tight and stormy as a surge of guitar riffs underpin Marco's cascading, tautt vocal, the harmonies lending an air of depth to the sharpness of the lead vocal, as the rhythm section veers from chopy to all-out attack in a heartbeat, the song twisting and turning as it powers out. "Calm Down" begins with staccato beats, Ronnie's guitar lead ringing out and scything through while Sean's bass pounds its way through a subtle rhythm guitar undercurrent, then - it all fell apart!!. Amid cries from the drummer of "it's all part of the show!!" to much hilarity from the audience, and a mark of just how professional this band has become at times like this, they gather forces and start again, this time working a treat as the cascading rollercoaster of a song drives up and down, the distinct vocal leading the way over Ronnie's high-flying lead guitar work. With excellent harmonies from the band providing the really catchy bits, the song proves a short but urgent winner. With its "Wooo Hooooo" chorus, the next track is a roaring performance with the memorable chorus, an arrangement defying you not to dance while the band whip up a storm of immense riffing and driving beats. Insanely catchy with strength and power, even the "lalala" sing-along chorus towards the end, which normally evokes a groan in me, I have to say, tonight brings a smile to your face when done so well as this. The incendiary sensation that is "Mr Valentine" yet again, failed to hit the spot. They've taken their eye off the ball on this song - Ronnie's electrifying guitar lead/riff is every bit as crucial to the success of the song as the overall arrangement, and if this is in any way too far down in the mix, the song just loses a vital part of what makes it so fantastic, and it happened again - the guitar was just too low in the mix, not enough to spoil a superb song, but when you know what can be done with this song, enough to matter. "Carry On" was taken at a jaw-dropping pace - you'd think the band had to get the last bus home!! - but it worked so well as the choppy pop was replaced with savage intention, as the song delivers in spades with insistent verse, pounding rhythms, cutting lead guitar (still not up enough in the mix, by the way - dunno what that sound guy did at the "Mr Valentine" point!!!) and driving riffs, as the lead vocals are positively spat out as the choruses take off like a rocket. They end with "Fights, Laughs & Arguments", as a big beefy guitar introduction (the guitar now mysteriously back on top), the croned vocal lead is joined by brief harmonies as the atmospheric song slides out in a ballad-y mannner, then the band suddenly race in with cliped rhythms and deep rivers of attacking bass, the song powering up as its dynamics veer from soft to loud and the anthem ends the set.
The Steeples, a band I'd not seen before, clearly had a decently large and devoted fanbase by the number of people who stuck around for their set. They opend with a track that featured chopy indie ska with powerful electric bass work as the guitars chime and the vocalist really lifts off with an in-tune, slightly higher register delivery that takes off on the harmonies. Quite powerful and dynamic with some subtleties of arrangement but overall, more tasty than overtly fast with some neat lead guitar work towards the end, and verging on catchy. The second track began a bit like The Kinks "All Day & All Of The Night" given a contemporary indie makeover but then surges into the chorus with tight, clipped rifs and rhythms, more soaring harmonies and strong lead vocal, again taken at a tight mid-pace and again, enjoyable but its polished perormance puts it somewhere in a hinterland between commanding album track and catchy chart style, more the former if only because of its length!! Track three mixed the chopy beats and powerful surge with cascading arrangements filled with ringing guitar leads and riffs, solid rhythms and the high-flying vocals filled with a sense of purpose and urgency, short and to the point. By track 4, you've got a handle on where this band is at, somewhere between the indie-pop of Sergeant and the bite of The Brogues with songs that, while good to hear, well performed and even dancey, seem somehow to lack that vital "x" factor keeping them good rather than great. But the audience semed to love it, with its insistent beats, riffing guitars and siongalong chorus, altho' that was terribly "cheesy", but working in this live context - just!! The next track was similar to the previous one, while the track after that, opened with a military rhythm leading into a surging sea of guitars that drop back to introduce the vocals as, arguably, the best song of the night. Despite its stop-start arrangement, it defies you not to dance along and smile. Somewhere between fun and funny, it nevertheless works a treat by being just so "different" as the band wind down to a whisper then slowly climb back up via another singalong chorus that mixes bar-rom holler with one-man band insistence eventually breaking out into a storm or wordless chorus that accelerates and ends. The next track was a cover of a Lily Allen hit whose title I cannot for the life of me recall, but was actually rather fine, substituting that maddenin Allen accent and affectation for a truly soaring performance with powerful lead and harmony vocals as the band stay true to the arrangement but give it a power it never had before. TRack 8 begins with faster, choppy beats, catchy stuttering guitar leads and urgent yearning vocals over pounding bass, as the band deliver an insistent song has the sizeable audience leaping up and down with reckless abandon. By now the band are proving that they can be a good-time, fun-packed outfit, not quite an adrenaline rush, but flowing and insistent, almost like a version of The View if they were ten years older! The final track opens with a wordless chorus as the formula remains the same yet the track powers out with its mid-paced mix of solid, intense and catchy choruses keeping you hooked. An admittedly tremendous final track that really whips up the audience with a memorable chorus and a band that's tight, polished (sometimes a bit too polished!!) and solid, who can deliver the goods that the audience wants.

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