Review: Doves, HMV Picture House

Published on Saturday 7 August 2010 11:04

Doves HMV Picture House ****

TINNITUS- inducing roars of appreciation rang out around the HMV Picture House as 1500 punters welcomed their heroes on stage last night. The object of their affection, Doves, were in town to play the first big gig of this year's Edge Festival, and the mostly 30-something crowd knew they were in for a set brimming with atmosphere and tension from beginning to end.

You don't get a whole lot of razzmatazz at a Doves gig. The band don't rely on hideously over-the-top stage theatrics a la Muse and U2, and their between-song patter consists of mutterings to one another - presumably - about guitar strings. But they get away with any lack of charisma because the music is so damn affecting.

As if to illustrate the point, frontman Jimi Goodwin said a simple "Hello" by way of an introduction, and not a lot else for the remainder of their set, save for a few pleasantries here and there.

The night kicked off with an impressive, energetic support slot from rising Scottish reggae punks The Ray Summers, the six-piece putting in a performance worthy of ones tipped to break out this year. Managed by the same team as young Dundee tykes The View, the Falkirk band have both the tunes and the gusto to suggest they could go all the way - current single Heshka Rashka, for one, being a track that's just ripe for radio airplay.

Doves' calling card has long been triumphant guitar riffs and pounding drumbeats but, because their skill at pulling together those epic indie rock soundscapes is a given, the songs that stood out on the night were those that diverged from the formula. One such song was the country-tinged Kingdom Of Rust, with its Lancashire spaghetti western feel and Johnny Cash-type shuffle; another was the Krautrock-influenced Jetstream, the band's attempt to write an imaginary score for the closing credits of Ridley Scott's Blade Runner.

Impressive though they were, there's no denying the power of Doves' old material - flawless renditions of old classics like Here It Comes, There Goes The Fear and The Last Broadcast driving the crowd potty. Impressive stuff.