Doves
Every so often a band comes along who is so lo-fi, you don't think they will ever break into the mainstream music scene. And then they go and prove you entirely wrong and do just that. One such a band is the Doves. They don't have a recognised front man, they switch instruments and vocal duties at will (but not in a cheesy Mo-ho-bish-o-pi style). They write un-commercial, inspiring, anthemic, soulful music, but still seem to manage to include two or three unbelievably accessible songs per album. And here lies the secret to their success.
In the summer of 2000, they released the perfect slice of pop that is "Catch the Sun". This became one of the anthems of the summer, despite never breaking into the top thirty. Together with songs like "Melody Calls", "The Cedar Room" and "The Man who Told Everything", it formed the backbone of a truly awe-inspiring album.
Tonight, the band begins their Bristol Academy set with the two most accessible songs from their latest release. The steady drum rhythm and beautiful layering of "Pounding" and recent top 3 single "There goes the Fear" race by at a rate of knots, captivating the throbbing Academy. Tonight's gig takes very much from "The Last Broadcast", occasionally dipping into debut album "Lost Souls" (The bass-heavy "Sea Song" and "Rise" to name two).
The new album definitely seems to be a bit of a grower, songs like "New York", "Words" and "Satellites" taking on an extra dimension in the live setting, the band glancing across at one another to keep pace during some of the long instrumental sections. A slight change of tempo sees Jimi Goodwin discarding his bass to play a semi-acoustic for "Friday's Dust", while distressing scenes of air-ships crashing and buildings collapsing are projected onto the wall behind him.
Surprisingly, "Catch the Sun" is pulled out of the bag pre-encore and is possibly the only disappointment of an otherwise exemplary performance. The chorus, which, on record, inspires feelings of freedom, joy, spirit and achievement, just seems to fall completely flat. But, hey, it happens sometimes. We'll let them off just this once.
Normal service is resumed immediately with "Caught by the River" and "The Cedar Room", given a double coating of keyboards underneath a triple coating of feedback, rounds off a marvellous set, with Jimi almost shouting his lyrics to get them across above the mayhem surrounding him. A set which has somehow still managed to miss out "Melody Calls" and "The Man who told Everything". Are they being saved for the encore?
Not so, but we are in for a real treat. Drummer Andy Williams takes on vocal and harmonica duties during "Here it Comes", before the band turn the clock back ten years to play us out with Sub-Sub's first ever single. "Spaceface" was the song that got the ball rolling for the boys in their hacienda days. A fitting end to a wonderful gig. Maximum respect is due.
Related pages
Official Doves Website
The band's official website.
