Live Review: Dance Gavin Dance @ Engine Rooms, Southampton UK
It was with shock and awe that experimental post-hardcore band Dance Gavin Dance announced their trek to Europe, offering the truly unique opportunity of witnessing their 10-Year Anniversary Tour. Not only is it the Californian’s first UK appearance in over five years (their last appearance just after vocalist Jonny Craig’s return to the band and the release of 2011’s Downtown Battle Mountain II), but they also announced they were bringing along ex-vocalists Kurt Travis (active 2008-2011) and Jonny Craig (active 2006-2008, 2011-2013) to perform with them.
Though each of the past vocalists have moved on since their time with Dance Gavin Dance, Travis having started and left A Lot Like Birds and Craig playing with his new band Slaves, it is a true spectacle to relive the moments. The show is as if watching time pass, one vocalist to the next adorning the stage and taking part in their own unique contribution to the band. Watching them grow and change is heartening, yet they always stay whole and true to their distinctive style.
After great solo performances from both Travis and Craig, the band enters the stage with current vocalist Tilian Pearson who possesses the space. Having recently released Mothership, the band’s seventh full length, they begin with the rowdy ‘Chucky vs. The Giant Tortoise’ setting the crowd a-light. Unfortunately the rest of the setlist lacks the record’s presence, with only one other song making its debut.
The current line-up plays five tracks from recent records, Pearson showing off his amazing vocal range while guitarist Will Swan’s fingers never for one second stop flittering across the fret board. Unclean vocalist Jon Mess accompanies stoic and still while his screams rip through the venue. Their final song before a vocalist change is newest single ‘Betrayed By the Game’ that has the crowd singing and wanting more.
Travis takes to the stage when Pearson exits, the band launching right into 2009’s ‘Tree Village’ taken from Happiness. While his solo set as an opening act was slower and soft, his vocal strength, especially during the unclean screams, is immaculate, as different as can be to the earlier performance. He owns the stage like he never spent a day away from the band, the vocals as powerful and as spot on as the older record. His joy and sheer happiness while performing radiates throughout the crowd, their excitement as high as his. He continues with a rowdy performance of ‘Carl Barker’ also from Happiness, jumping onto the crowd barrier so they can engulf him and share the microphone, and finally finishes with the popular ‘Alex English’ taken from the bands self-titled second record from 2008.
Craig then saunters confidently onto the stage, his popularity obviously radiating with the crowd. He was DGD’s original vocalist but was only with them for one album before Travis’ departure in 2011. His opening solo performance was short and sweet, two covers and two originals accompanied by Travis on the guitar, but now he’s finally able to let his full vocal range loose as he commands the stage with DGD. His three tracks of the night consist of Downtown Battle Mountain II’s (2011) ‘Spooks’, as well as ‘Lemon Meringue Tie’, then finishing with ‘And I Told Them I Invented Times New Roman’ from the band’s debut record Downtown Battle Mountain (2007). Similarly to Travis, Craig clamours onto the crowd’s barrier while singing and being held up by their loving arms. The band exists after his final song.
As the crowd yells for more, the band finally re-enters, all three vocalists gracing the stage. With laughs and smiles they take turns singing ‘Uneasy Hearts Weigh the Most’, a popular track from Travis’s time with the band. He takes the lead while the group harmonizes during the chorus. It’s uplifting to see them all together and all in good graces – the entire band able to enjoy the moment together. Pearson claims his rightful place onstage for the final song, alone with the band for one final performance. ‘We Own the Night’ leaves everyone breathless and wanting more, the hour long set simply not enough.
