Live Review

Dizzy Kings – Liverpool Academy

• 7th Apr 2008

A bands first gig can be a torturous affair-playing to an indifferent crowd who haven’t heard half your songs and don’t recognise the ones they have usually bottom of the bill where the audience is waiting for the headline act and your simply in the way. But then tonight proves to be an exception to the rule-in more ways than one.

It all becomes houses of the holy for the opening act Sir John Mandeville, embodying all of the elements of late sixties/ seventies rock-British rock.

Harking back to the Cream like power trio Sir John make an immense sound with the tools they have-chiefly of which is drummer John’s output- tonight resplended in a drum solo that actually hold’s interest and adds to the gig, which probably had a lot to do with it being technically impressive.

In a set both tight and fluid whilst being incredibly free at the same time, long spiralling space jams sit alongside songs of love and mythology like a concept gig, minus the pretensions.

That most of the audience will possibly not own any of source material Sir John liberally take from is one of the tragedies of music, but bands Like Sir John Mandeville will always be there to keep solid, well written rock in the present.

If just one person downloads Led Zep 4 tonight’s gig could be considered successful; the fact that several audience members are dancing, without any irony ensures it is.

Almost unassuming, Vacancies front man David seemingly doesn’t fit, maybe even awkward, but it’s his sheer enthusiasm that cuts through and a boundless energy that means the songs bounce and despite the breakneck pace never fall over.

It all culminates in an Eminem cover ‘Lose yourself’; subsequently enriching the gig and stepping it up to the necessary next stage with consummate ease.

There’s a belief that My space, downloading and the numerous cross-genres that sprout up seemingly every other day are harming music, people are no longer coming to gigs that there’s some kind of complacency; but its bands like the Dizzy Kings that prove this simply isn’t the case.

You expect a first gig to have mistakes, tonight there’s not an ounce of fat on the set and the lighting mixed with the sonic introduction raises a few eyebrows almost instantly-was it really that good?

The Kings spend no time dispensing with wave after wave of precisely aimed songs, paced and well thought out-no, no this isn’t right; this is that patchy first gig-isn’t it?

It’s only after several songs that it finally dawns, forget about any preconceived notion you may have-the Dizzy kings are a complete band.

It’s when ‘Time’ is played and the band mutually agree it’s their favourite that the full weight of their ability shows, carefully etched melody with a light show perfect for the backdrop.

Recently there’s been a move around the endless circle of ability versus the song-solos have returned-even welcomed and bands are now entirely comfortable using previously frowned upon techniques. It’s that equilibrium that the kings use exquisitely, tapped solo’s alongside simple and not so simple chords, with absolutely no afterthought other than does it make the song sound good ?, which regularly for the dizzies it consistently does.

When you witness a band that confounds you expectations it makes you want to tell as many people as possible-like the ending of a movie with a complex twist-when you catch the Dizzy kings you’ll want to keep there existence a secret, because everyone is going to want a piece of them; but it’s a useless endeavour because this type of band should be heard and that’s something you just can’t surprises.