By Jase Walker
Satan’s Hollow is a venue that I’ve often knocked due to not generally having the best sound but I’d be lying if I said it’s not host to some great up and coming bands over the years. Tonight is no exception to that with two bands that have caught my attention recently, Modern Error and Delaire The Liar, and on this occasion along with a band that’s new to me, Oakman.
If the quality of the two I’m here for are anything to go by, I’ve got high expectations for Oakman too. Frustratingly the soundchecks have been delayed so the venue doors have been knocked back by half an hour but hopefully this won’t impact the set times much.
After a brief wait, it’s time for Oakman to get the show started! The poppy style immediately gets my attention right from the start and for Satan’s, it’s sounding pretty damn good too! It’s the sort of style that got me really sucked into Emarosa: catchy vocal melodies and music that you just can’t stop yourself from smiling about. Their singer has a fantastic voice as well, soulful, full bodied and loud and clear throughout the performance. Definitely another reason to add to the overwhelming amount of reasons why you should never miss opening acts for any show, this is a truly wonderful performance that I would have been kicking myself if I missed it!
What’s also quite interesting is despite the very pop rock oriented overall sound, there’s some interesting hints of post-rock that shine through at times which adds an interesting dimension to their sound. The use of keys and synths in the backing tracks to flesh out the sound as well are used to great effect and don’t oversaturate everything else. Definitely one to add to my Spotify list as I’ll be giving them a proper listen the first chance I get, great opening set.
Judging from the frustrated expressions on stage and fussing over the backing rig, it seems Modern Error are having some pretty bad issues. A nightmare for any band when they’re due to get on and going and have overran their start time a bit, hopefully with the generous intermission times this will mean they won’t have to cut anything from the set.
A bit further on, sadly 30 minutes later than expected, Modern Error starts but I’m not expecting a full set for this given Delaire The Liar are supposed to begin 30 minutes from now with a curfew almost right after they were due to finish.
After their difficult start, Modern Error kick off and they sound absolutely *massive*, it’s time for some synth heavy post-hardcore! Either way I’m glad to see these guys do their stuff again, the energy is anything but lacking so they’re definitely making the most of getting everything working! The large light pillars they’ve brought with them give Satan’s an interesting ambience as almost all of the venue lights are dimmed or off entirely. It does say a lot about a band’s ability to endure massive technical issues though when they’re able to press on and still perform as well as Modern Error are doing right now. They’re clearly quite stressed about the situation based on the very brief talks between songs which is understandable but they’re still giving everything they can to make sure it’s a solid performance.
Sadly the set was still cut short due to the delays but I still enjoyed what they were able to put out and fortunately there’s still more chances to catch these later this year.
Finally for this evening, Delaire The Liar! Gonna pop these on the very short list of “bands that sounded great at Satan’s”, time to amp that energy up another notch to see this evening out! The bundle of energy that is Ffin jumping around the stage like he’s trying to dodge bullets is definitely the one drawing the most attention. It’s hard to know what I should concentrate on more, the fantastic sound and songs or just being in awe of the sheer amount of movement on Satan’s circular stage. The audience is clearly buzzed going off how much they’re shaking the stage’s fences while shouting the words as well. The harmonising vocals stand as well between Ffin and their bass player, the difference in vocal registers works brilliantly to give the vocal.lines that bit of extra oomph.
The erring between post-hardcore and almost straight pop punk that Delaire The Liar espouses is a real ride, energetic, catchy and above all, fun. A slight hitch with the guitar sees Ffin dive off stage quickly to grab a backup guitar and on with the show barely missing a beat, some deft recovery. Delaire The Liar have smashed it as a headline act tonight, and despite the odd couple of bumps they’ve had it’s been a great show. I’d urge you to keep an eye out for them if they’re in your neck of the woods (not a 2000 Trees pun, honest).
Shame that Modern Error had such a rough ride with their set tonight but still great performances from every band, a trio of upcoming bands that are on track for bigger things. Miss them now and you’ll be missing intimate shows like this before they end up on bigger stages!
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