City And Colour + Attack In Black @ The Glee Club, Birmingham – 8th April 2008
Tonight’s Glee Club gig is a long way from the shows Dallas Green is used to with Alexisonfire. Instead of a packed venue with limbs flying and sweat dripping, he finds himself playing to an over 18’s only crowd, seated and civilised, this distinction reflecting the very different style of his solo project, City And Colour.
It must be strange for Canada’s Attack In Black to play to an entirely seated audience, although their music is not particularly heavy, it would still get the crowd moving if they had been standing. Their complex riffs, rich harmonies and laid back attitude make their set an enjoyable one, the country feel to their music complemented by singer Dan Romano‘s voice, particularly in slower song, ‘If All I Thought Were True’. The band pick up the pace for ‘Marriage’, clearly giving it their all as they tear through their final song.
There is none of the usual build up to the headline act, Dallas appearing onstage to tune his guitars and chat with fans way before his set begins, adding to the intimate nature of the gig. With opener ‘Forgive Me’, the show gets off to an impressive start, Dallas’ voice proving as good as ever as he performs his deeply personal songs, backed by members of Attack In Black.
The beautiful and heartfelt, ‘Sometimes’ is filled with emotion, while ‘Body In A Box’ provides insight into the singer’s fears, the combination of acoustic guitar and harmonica producing a laid back, soothing sound that leaves the audience mesmerised. His cover of Rose Royce’s ‘Love Don’t Live Here Anymore’ suits his voice perfectly, fitting in well with his own material. Despite the often quite pessimistic mood of his songs, Dallas clearly has a sense of humour, his hatred of touts and out of time clapping leaving the crowd laughing on many occasions.
Many of the audience are clearly also Alexisonfire fans as an acoustic cover of the band’s ‘Boiled Frogs’ receives a huge reaction, the majority of the crowd singing along to every word. The news that Alexis will be playing Reading and Leeds also sparks excitement, along with the promise of another City and Colour tour later in the year. It seems the UK will be seeing a lot of Dallas Green in the near future, the demand for tickets for tonight’s gig suggesting he may not be playing venues as small as the Glee Club for much longer.
The set ends with the confessional ‘What Makes A Man’, a highlight of the new album followed by the old favourite, ‘Coming Home’, again backed by Dan Romano and Spencer Burton of Attack In Black, ending the show on a high. The growing popularity of Dallas’ solo project is proven to be well deserved, but hopefully he will continue to play the small, intimate venues that suit City And Colour so well.
Review – Helen Catchpowle
Photos – Tony McClure