The Dykeenies / Rush Hour Soul

Considering that they’ve already been on an NME tour with The Horrors and The Fratellis (who played in this very same venue exactly one year and one day ago), this could well be the last time that indie-rockers the Dykeenies play a smaller town like Arbroath - there is a buzz around the band right now that is the sign of a band deemed for commercial success.

	"despite the tight musicianship, a certain spark to take the show to the next level is evidently missing"

This is the first date of an extensive tour of the United Kingdom, after tonight they travel to Aberdeen, then back down to Dundee the day after. The tour lasts for sixteen dates in total, and visits Scotland, England and Wales.

Main support came from Dundonian band Rush Hour Soul who are reminiscent of the best of Britpop, and have catchy little songs that emphasise all that’s good about being young in this country - a large part of their appeal is that they don’t over-complicate their songs and the delivery is just about spot on. If they ever get to showcase themselves to a wider audience, they could prove to be very popular indeed.

By the time The Dykeenies start playing, the jam-packed Viewfield are dancing and clapping along, and it’s instantly noticeable just how much the five-piece are in the same vein as the likes of Bloc Party and the Cribs. They certainly are a tight live band, and frontman Brian Henderson’s vocals do justice to tracks like ‘Will It Happen Tonight?’.

The band have a very commercial sound, ‘Waiting For Go’ could easily be the sort of thing you’d hear on some Radio 1 daytime shows packaged as “new music”, but there is a sad truth that there is a startling lack of originality in the set. The highly receptive Arbroathian audience just about make up for this, but it does prove to be the bands downfall, as despite the tight musicianship, a certain spark to take the show to the next level is evidently missing.

When 'New Ideas' rounds up the set, everyone inside the building is dripping with sweat, and the crowd certainly seem to be happy when they leave. The Glaswegians are reasonable showmen, constantly praising the crowd, and you have to wonder how many new fans they will pick up on their forthcoming support to Get Cape Wear Cape Fly - in small doses, they are the sort of group who can lodge themselves firmly in your brain and refuse to leave.

It must be said that it’s very likely that their upcoming debut album could well shift a lot of units, and with the summer festival season just around the corner, they could well end up playing to big crowds, and after last years successful slot in the T in the Park T-Break tent, it will be interesting to see if they can wow the big crowds. If they can, the big time might not be too far away.

FUTURE GIGS

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