Where were Dilly Dally hiding for the duration of 2015? On their debut Sore, the Toronto group filtered all the best bits of alternative rock into a cohesive album packed with consistently great song writing. And yet it totally passed me by, as I’m sure it did for many others, not getting an ounce of the exposure or praise that it rightfully deserved. When local and touring support band Tigercub takes to the stage however, the room is already packed. Proving that if the music is good enough, there will be people who want to listen to it.

I don’t know if they’ve invested in some new pedals, but every time I catch Tigercub they’re even fiercer than the last time, and tonight is no exception. The bass tone in particular is a pleasantly disgusting bit of growling fuzz. “Destroyer!” someone shouts from the crowd and it's only when Tigercub’s lead singer jokingly responds “Shut Up Katie” in the voice of a sarcastic teenager that I release it's Katie Monks from Dilly Dally making the request. These two bands aren’t just touring buddies but clearly fans of each other’s music. Eventually Monks gets her request and ‘Destroyer’ is an appropriately lethal sonic assault.

Dilly Dally waste no time mincing words and the rasping bark that starts the opening track ‘Snake Head’ is already out of Monks throat, barely after they’ve picked up their instruments. Despite the ease and looseness of these songs, they’re a phenomenally tight group and move from one song to the next seamlessly, without even stopping so much as to catch their breath. It gives the set a feeling of constant movement and momentum that fits the perpetual aggression in their music.

“What’s you favourite Cher song?” asks a member of the crowd in reference to Katie Monks' T-shirt. She responds with a pretty interesting explanation of how the Cher’s ‘Believe’ was one of the first songs to use auto-tune to create the psychedelic effect that a lot of contemporary rap artists now rely on. Aptly, they launch into a cover of rapper and fellow Toronto resident Drake, turning ‘Know Yourself’ into a screeching grungy anthem. It’s a nice way of showing some home town pride and giving the night-time cruise of the original some added dread.

‘Witch Man’ is another highlight, with a chorus that shifts into swaying half-time rhythm whist Monks lets out a cry like a wolf howl. Monks' voice is what really elevates the gig into something truly captivating, able to effortlessly move from a hush to a gasping cry that could give Courtney Love in her prime a run for her money. They end where Sore begins: ‘Desire’ encapsulates everything great about their sound, one moment a cold blue flame that suddenly bursts into searing intensity.

Louis Ormesher
Photo: Mike Burnell

Website: dillydallyband.com
Facebook: facebook.com/DillyDallyTO
Twitter: twitter.com/DillyDallyTO