An Indisputably Good Time
Indie |
Friday 21st September 2012 | Osh
This week at ‘The Garage’ in Islington, I was unknowingly ushered into, what I guess you would call a Hard Rock gig, performed by a popular band from Michigan, called ‘La Dispute’.
Being completely out of my depth, (I am generally a fan of Lady Gaga and The Black Keys are about as hard as I go) I started to become fascinated by the vibe produced by this small pub hosting a band that obviously had some highly invested fans. The fact that the mosh was only five people deep did not seem to bother those involved and they persisted to rave and crowd surf with the best of them. The spectators up the back, who although they weren’t as energetic in their enthusiasm, still seemed to be transfixed by the performance of the lead singer, Jordan Dreyer, who’s passion and dedication did not go unnoticed, even by a Hard Rock Rookie like me. He was often reaching out into the crowd to the point where I was worried that they might just carry him away, but he was always released and returned to the stage after the front line got their message of pure joy across.
There was a really nice moment in the middle of the band’s set where Dreyer stopped proceedings to inform us of their involvement with the ‘Teenage Cancer Trust’ and that the band dedicated Wednesday night’s show to the benefit. All crew worked for free and all profits from merchandise and tickets went to the cause that assists young people with cancer in their day-to -day life by making them as comfortable as is possible. Another great reason to step out of my comfort zone I thought.
The music itself was well executed as a live performance and was highly enjoyable due to the fact that it seemed to blend many different styles of music. It encompassed beautiful melodic sections that made the build to the heavy rock parts engaging and at one point I felt that Dreyer might as well have been rapping. This blending of genres made for a pleasurable experience for all, something I can honestly testify to.
For more information on the band and to stream their albums, check out their website and see the updates for what they are doing for the Teenage Cancer Trust here. Below is my favourite tune from the evening, a song off the new album, Wildlife. Check it out, ‘Edit Your Hometown’.
By Emily Kay