Doves, Neon @ MetropolisFremantle, 29/07/2005

Fri 29th Jul, 2005 in Gig Reviews

When Manchester band Doves had to cancel their Australian dates earlier this year due to illness, fans could have feared the worst. Instead, it meant the band’s rescheduled tour could include extra dates in Perth and Adelaide as well as Splendour in the Grass.

With the band missing Perth when touring 2002’s The Last Broadcast, tonight’s show not only focused on new album Some Cities but it also showed off the material their West Australian fans had only ever heard on record.

Beginning their set playing to a very empty room and falling victims to a poor mix, support act Neon fail to impress. About a year ago the band were disastrously miscast as Muse’s opening act and tonight one gets the feeling they’ve done it again. Their songs aren’t bad at all, but not long into their hour-long set their songs start blending into one another and only radio hits A Man and Dizziness stand out from the rest.

So, Doves. With three stellar albums and numerous hits, the anticipation for the band’s first ever visit to Western Australia is immense. Unlike so many other shows, tonight’s sell-out crowd is quite dispersed and while there’s excitement in the air, the vibe is very laid-back. The opening section of the set is quite different to what one might have expected, and very quickly Jimi, Jez and Andy make it clear that this is a rock show.

After warming up their amps with the short instrumental Where We’re Calling From, the band delivers Pounding, Words and Black and White Town faster and harder than their recorded versions. Though the mix is slightly shaky, the smooth, slick sounds of Doves in the studio come to life on stage as raw, spontaneous and honest with no need for gloss.

Strangely enough, tonight’s set includes just six songs from the current release and the bulk of that material comes in the middle section of the set with Almost Forgot Myself, Sky Starts Falling and current single Snowden receiving good receptions. While the band seems well-acquainted with the back catalogue, one can’t help but notice drummer Andy Williams struggling to keep time on some of the new material.

Fortunately though, more attention is given to previous album The Last Broadcast as the cheers for Caught By the River and title track The Last Broadcast are up there with the biggest of the night. Much like Words and Black and White Town earlier on in the set, The Last Broadcast is louder and harder than it sounds on record, but unlike the more up-tempo tracks, this song is one of the ones that will never work live like it does on record.

The finale of the show contains all the best moments tonight, with a glorious rendition of The Cedar Room from 2000’s Lost Souls record following One of These Days, one of the strongest tracks from Some Cities. This visit to our shores may be billed as the ‘Some Cities Tour’ but One of These Days is quite a rare highlight tonight from that album.

Yes, almost all of tonight’s highlights come from the previous Doves albums. After a brief break, Andy Williams comes out from behind the drums to contribute harmonica and vocals for Here it Comes, while bassist Jimi Goodwin shows he’s just as good on the skins as he is playing his bass guitar upside-down (it must be tough being a left-handed musician).

The show-stopper though is the grand finale, where There Goes the Fear grinds to a sensational halt with all four performers on percussion as the metaphorical curtain comes down.

With a better mix, tonight’s show would have been among the best seen in Western Australia this year. The band appeared a little rough around the edges at times, but it’s the minor imperfections that make Doves in concert a totally different experience when compared to Doves on record.