Dark Self

When Dark Self took to the stage in the dark underground club Trillians, the crowd was moderately apathetic towards the night’s entertainment. With the majority of the crowd still getting over the excitement of seeing Metallica play the night before, no one was waiting to be impressed by this band.

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They couldn’t have been more wrong.
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Dark Self immediately made the stage their own, opening with fan favourite, Pathetic. With vocals being so crisp, and the music being so sharp and flawless that it could easily have been mistaken by a recorded track, the crowd took notice within minutes. Lead singer, Laura Henderson, owned the stage with her almost haunting voice, while the other band members worked alongside her so perfectly, showing striking professionalism.

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“Those guitarists (Andrew Alden and Lewis Chisholm) are almost as amazing as Eddie Van Halen!”, a member of the crowd is heard remarking, while those around him agree, commenting on the impressive guitar solos and how they work in line with the drummer. The crowd are quietly impressed- something that is rare in such a critical venue.
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The band can see they’re making an impact on the crowd, yet humbly continue playing their set, delving into songs such as Unforgiving World and Devil on my Shoulder. They’re clearly excited by the attention they’re gaining, yet refuse to let it go to their heads, something that can be rare these days.

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With the music sounding absolutely faultless, and the band literally pulling in a good crowd, you can tell this is a band you may want to watch out for. Everything’s so carefully executed on stage, every last note flows into the next and really gives you something to close your eyes and listen to.
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It’s clear from this show, that so much hard work has gone into something that looked so effortless on stage- this is exactly how live music should be.

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Mel Roberts (Cherry Vodoo Music-Ink-Art)


- Cherry Vodoo (Music-Ink-Art)

Next up 'Dark Self' from Newcastle, and the first thing I noticed in their opening song 'Lost in Neverland', was just how good the vocals are. And the singer Laura also had good stage presence. By their second song 'Self control', it's clear that the whole of this band can play. The two guitars compliment each other well and the rhythm section of Scully(drums) and Andy(bass), played with great confidence. The third of the short 5 song set was another of their songs, 'Cold ground', before they did the one cover. They have chosen 'Watch your words' by Alter Bridge, and they do a very good job with it. 'Epiphany' was the last of this short but excellent set of mostly original material, very easy to listen to and good to watch.
- Heavy Magazine