(Review by Peter Greenfield)
DEEP TAN + PORCHLIGHT + ATTICOMATIC + WONDERBUG + COWZ + SPEEDIAL + DIVORCE ATTORNEY – DALTONS, BRIGHTON 5.8.24
The ‘Dead Dog Showcase’ at Daltons in Brighton last Monday was one of my top music events so far in 2024. The local record label and promoter, Dead Dog Productions, hosted an event with a quality and varied line-up of exciting acts including deep tan, Porchlight, AtticOmatic, Wonderbug, COWZ, speedial and Divorce Attorney.
Let’s start at the beginning of what was to be a very special afternoon and evening of live music:
Divorce Attorney (4:30pm)
Opening proceedings were Divorce Attorney, an eclectic 5-piece rock band that used various influences and unconventional instruments, which included a saxophone and a keytar (a keyboard in the shape of a guitar). This gave Divorce Attorney their own unique take on the art rock genre, and a slightly mystical feel at times. Their opening number had a goth-like tone, while the keytar gave hints of prog rock on other songs. To add another instrument twist, keytarist Alex Lemonidis, who incidentally was dressed for a Siberian winter not a summer’s day in Sussex, plugged in a Nintendo DS to play. It made a change from the increasing use of laptops on stage. Fronting this array of instruments and sounds, singer Nathan Key led well from the front. At times his vocals seemed deliberately pained and stressed, often using echo to good effect. During their last song he ventured off stage into the audience to play guitar laying on the floor before returning to the stage for the musical crescendo to close their fine set.
speedial (5:30pm) (Photo from this performance can be found HERE)
Several times during the evening I used the term “my favourite new band”. The first of those was the second band on Speedial (stylised as speedial) a four-piece alternative band from London. Their sound has been described as “melodic post rock with accompanying saxophone and harmonies” which was spot on. The vocal harmonies between guitarist Serena and bassist Millie were among the best I’ve heard for a while. This was mixed up with spoken word narrative, such as on their latest single ‘5000 Lumens’. That was one of several highlights in their set. From Monarch’s soft saxophone intro and through its varied soundscapes, it rose and fell back so smoothly.
The band hinted at an EP in the making, when announcing that a new song ‘Tourist’ may be on it. This track showed another facet of the band’s style being shorter and sharper with a funkier bass line and some distortion on guitars. Newcomers Speedial were playing only their second Brighton show. I for one hope they make a speedy return to the city.
COWZ (6:30pm)
Next up (and without a saxophonist) was local artists Cowz (stylised as COWZ). The duo Saga Wahlström and Natasha ‘Tasha’ Nicholl (aka Tasha Bloom) shared vocal duties with a laptop playing their musical compositions. There was a genuinely good chemistry between the pair, as they sang as if in conversation with each other. Their sense of fun soon spread from the stage and into the audience, several of whom were soon dancing along to the up-tempo dance beats. It was a fun and enjoyable performance from COWZ.
Wonderbug (7:30pm) (Photo from this performance can be found HERE)
Another of my favourite new bands to play Dead Dog’s Showcase was Wonderbug, a grungey indie rock band from London. From their opening song ‘Stolid’ with its post-punk sound mixed with dreamier notes, the stunning intensity of Edie’s vocals really shone. Not only was her own voice one of the vocal highlights of the event, but its juxtaposition with guitarist Ollie’s more laid-back vocals worked so well. The song ‘Slowly’ which started with Edie’s vocals to just a guitar, showed another aspect of her captivating vocal range.
Wonderbug’s sound had delicate layers which built into sonic landscapes. Those layers ranged from grunge and alt-rock to dreamy shoegaze, notably on ‘Don’t Already Know’ which they only finished writing the previous day. Their songs built up with the intensity of Edie’s vocals matching the increased tempo and volume of the music.
Their debut single, ‘Hiding In Plain Sight’ started with Edie and drummer Ben sharing vocals. There was a lot of emotions in their voices especially in the heartfelt lyrics “Don’t tell me / You don’t feel the same”. Wonderbug closed a very special performance with ‘What A Waste Of Time’, after which a friend said to me, “I wouldn’t want to be the band to follow that!” I’m sure we weren’t the only people at Daltons looking forward to seeing Wonderbug return to Brighton.
AtticOmatic (8:30pm)
The task of following Wonderbug fell to a local favourite of mine, AtticOmatic. There was a lengthy delay for a few technical issues to be sorted before their set began, but it was well worth waiting for.
The Brighton five-piece produced another amazing performance with their unique brooding and uplifting sound that blended elements of post-punk jazz, hip-hop and spoken word. From their opening number ‘Hen With Honey’ you could simply lose yourself in their kaleidoscopic dreamscapes. ‘Tended Ground’ was one of many great examples of the superb harmonies between Kam and Lorcán, which effortlessly intertwined with the band’s music. Often Lorcan’s spoken word delivery was echoed by Kam’s dreamy soft jazz-like singing. While Marie’s bass added a funkier jazz note to the swirling synths. During ‘Wait’ Kam left her keyboards momentarily to get drummer Kai’s birthday cake. The audience’s rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ summed up the joyful mood of the whole event and the connection between all the bands and those watching. The lighting effects started on ‘Last Journey To Sea’ which had a psychedelic jazz feel. Their final number ‘Bunker’ started so quietly with wind chimes and soft rolling thunder effects from the keyboards and transformed into a stunningly beautiful alt-rock soundscape.
With the clever complex blend of sounds, the various instruments used (especially by Ollie) and those vocal harmonies, it could be easy to forget that there were only 5 people in the band. The quality and enjoyment of AtticOmatic’s stunning set will be remembered for a long time.
Porchlight (9:30pm) (Photo from this performance can be found HERE)
Brighton based five-piece Porchlight played a lively and angular guitar-based type of indie music. There was an almost understated nature to their set which drew you in as you picked up their more subtle intricate changes. At times there was a darkness to their sound, as when out of nowhere they added distortion on their opening number. The bass lines added an indie dance feel to some songs, while on later tracks keyboards gave a new wave sound. Over their toe-tapping indie tunes, vocalist Sam had a mesmeric presence. It was a decent entertaining performance by Porchlight, which many at Daltons seemed to really enjoy.
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deep tan (10:30pm)
The final band of Dead Dog’s Showcase was the East London based trio Deep Tan. Their stripped-back, minimal sound was a distinctly modern take on post-punk and new wave. Their sharp angular sound reminded me a little of Gang of Four. There was a real intensity built around Celeste’s bass lines and Lucy’s metronomic drumming. At the start of their set, the stark vocals of Wafah were a little lost in that sound. This did improve, which could’ve been because I went to watch from the other side of the stage or the sound mix had altered. Either way, they sounded much more balanced after the first couple of songs. After a relatively slower introduction to their opening song, the tempo picked up considerably led mainly by Celeste on bass.
As preceding sets had been running behind schedule and there was a lengthy delay for their soundcheck, Deep Tan were late starting. Unfortunately, this meant several people had to head off to catch their last bus home, missing much of the final band’s set. Those who were able to stay seemed captivated by the fervor and severity of Deep Tan’s sound. I was glad I stayed late to enjoy Deep Tan.
Based on quality varied line ups and great atmosphere at their showcase event and other evenings they’ve hosted at Daltons, I can totally recommend you get yourself along to Dead Dog Productions’ live music events.
