Dark Horses are a group that do not disappoint. BrightonsFinest have been long-time fans of the Brighton band – not only do we love their two albums to date, but we are also mesmerised by their prolific live shows. The Joker filled out early to see them. Rumours must have circulated about them being one of the must see bands of Brighton, with the room bustling full of anticipation for an almighty set. Occupying the support slot, they are lit only by very dim sky lights and two projectors streaking across them from either side of the stage. The band of six (including a photographer) were looking typically cool, all dressed in black and holding an almost intimidating stance which suits the music so well. Their performance was musically faultless, with the sound being clear and their sonic psychedelic jams prevailing. The set included some of the Dark Horses best songs as well as a few new tracks off the forthcoming album which had the usual dark stylings that epitomises their sound. Their performance definitely lived up to expectations, and after an epic Krautrock finish, there was a fantastic response from the audience. If you still haven’t seen Dark Horses yet, what have you been doing! You are missing one of Brighton’s finest.
The Vacant Lots are a cool duo. From Vermont, Jared Artaud and Brian MacFadyen create a hypnotic sound that moulds itself into your conscience. They are on the psychedelic specialists’ label, Sonic Cathedral, home to acts like the Spectres and one of my favourites Younghusband. The Americans created a massive sound considering you only had Jared playing a ferocious electric guitar and Brian behind a mysterious keyboard box full of electronic wizardry that was hidden to the crowd. Imagine listening to a dark sounding LCD Soundsystem in a disorientating hallucinogenic nightmare that once over, you want to experience again and again. Although The Vacant Lots dark Phychedelia was held together by a tight 4/4 beat, the songs had a weird freedom to them created by the malevolent sounds of the guitar and The Fall esque raw lyrics that were sung full of emotion. Unfortunately, after the first track the band were having massive technical issues on stage that fiercely distorted any sound they produced. Rather than play through the problems that messed up their unique sound, they spent about 15 minutes trying to sort it out, which I think was the best option. Throughout the trouble they did their best to continue the intense atmosphere their music emits, but the delay took its toll on the Friday night crowd and sadly the audience melted away. Their loss, as once they had sorted the difficulties the band continued with powerful show to make up for lost time.
It was a real shame The Vacant Lots set didn’t turn out how they hoped, as right from the start it felt like an all-encompassing performance that was sure to be something special. Speaking to Jared and Brian after the show, they assured me they would come back to Brighton so they can truly leave their mark – can’t wait!
Iain Lauder