The Daze

DUNDEE LIVE - BANDS TO WATCH!!

THE DAZE - Dexters 30-01-09

There were support bands - The Standard played, good, solid, straight-down-the-line indie while Peg & The Bouffants played another addictive set that ahd the audience on its feet, and which you can read all about in many of my 2008 reviews of the band - more will come, undoubtedly.
But tonight, for me, was all about The Daze. Billed as their "comeback gig", this was the first outing from the new band with Rise guitarist Alan Turner taking up the role of bassist and backing vocals, so it was with great anticipation that I awaited the arrival of the band onstage. Right from the start, you knew things were going to be different as the band began with what used to be the infinite stretch of the epic set closer "New Day Dawning". I would never have guessed that this could work so well as an opener, giving a glimpse into what the band are all about as the song climbs and drops between verses and chorus, slow to mid-paced but solid as a rock, the twi guitars chiming away, the lead guitar rising on top, while the rhythm section drive ahead as Robbie's vocal sound even more impassioned than before, and you realise what a tremendous song it is. The outro guitar-driven finale is now a lot shorter but less dense and, sensibly, more striking as Scott adopts a much sharper tone to the guitar lead as it stands tall above the riffing, soloing to perfection but only for a few minutes before the song ends, shorter, sharper and to the point. Forgive me if I get this wrong, but I think they then went into the solid rocking surge of "Young, Free And Easy" that showed the band had lost none of their fire, and while the song struck home, with its swaying chorus and surging verses, Robbie's vocal, clearly heard, seemed a bit "unsteady", but, as you'll see further on, I think he waas just finding his "match fitness" at this point. Then came a new song called, I think, "No-One Knows", which featured the first of a few dual vocal collaborations as Alan joined in on harmonies and added what was a truly stunning new element to the song, complementing and addiong to the strength and depth of Robbie's vocal to perfection as the song itself just soared, in a sort of optimistic mix of joyous, broooding and intense, again the band playing a blinder as the guitars rang out and the new rhythm section seemed totally at ease with the playing, stronger than ever. A selection of "oldies" as the band described them, gave us sparkling renditions of "Come Undone" and "She Was" that had lost none of their commercial appeal but which didn't seem quite to have the same spark of excitement that I'd remembered, great songs but maybe performed a bit tentatively this time, although they possessed the necesary swing to still come across as anthems by anyone's standards, stil catchy, still with the guitar riffs and hooks driving them home and still with that yearning vocal performance leading the way.
So, we came to the last three songs. Now THIS was what clinched it!!
First up, there was a new track - I did catch the title but I've forgotten it (I think it's on myspace but I want to get this review done from my memory of the gig before I hear anything there). Now this track just sprang into life a the band showed that, not only are they still able to come up with a sure-fire winner of a commercial yet long-lasting pleasure of an aindie anthem, but that the song itself was played absolutely flawlessly, with the band on fire as the addictive verses and hooks were delivered by Robbie's finest vocal so far, with Alan on harmonies, on a song that reminded me of something off Alan's recent solo CD-EP, and the two of them showed here just how crucial an addition his joining the ranks, is going to become. The band shone and you were left thinking that this surely has to be a single, eclipsing even the older anthems of before. But then the band announce that the next track is to be the single - and, as the guitars-driven hook rings out, you realise you've forgotten all about "All The Same". But, by now, the band are cooking and they proceed to deliver one of, if not THE, finest version of the track I've heard to date. With its irresistible rhythms, it's guitar hooks, its insanely catchy verses and chorus, the band reached stellar heights on a song that had the entire place jumping and then eclipsed even the greatness of the new song that had just preceded it. The electric moment was jaw-dropping as the hairs stood up on the back of your neck at the sheer brilliance that this song had become on this night. Single - and then some!! A sure fire hit!!
So, to the final track - the band announced it's a new one, called "Music Is My Maker" - and so the journey began. As it turned out the group had composed another epic track with which to close the sets. But this was wholly different from the previous mantras that "New Day" had become. The song itself for a start is more muscular, with Robbie's strong vocal really flowing as the tightness of the rhythm section steered the guitar into sparkling avenues of power and chiming glory. But, a the song finished, the band embarked on the extended instrumental finale, and here was where you noticed another major change. First off the new rhythm section really flexed its muscles as you heard the solid bass and crunching drums really coming to the fore, the drumming to date solid and dependendent, but now seriously catching fire as the two of them let loose. Over this the rhythm guitar riffed while Scott's lead guitar was a genuine lead guitar rather than an fx-laden wall of sound, and this guitar break was breathtaking as the band powered along in a blaze of muscular riffing, red hot rhythmic strength and nuclear lead guitar. In short, they got it absolutely spot on, a final epic that, by virtue of its songwriting directness, purposeful arrangement and spot-on tightness of playing, had the whole crowd going with it, as opposed to before when "New Day" split its lovers and haters right down the middle.
Thus ended the comeback gig - overall, an unqualified success and, considering everything, a polished and accomplished performance. This is a band that truly mean business, who are creative as they are commercial, as adventurous as they are addictive and who can take your heart and fill your head with equal amounts of passion, power and perfection. Phase two of The Daze "world takeover" starts here......
- Andy Garibaldi

I raced across town from another gig to catch this one. It was the band's gig to celebrate one year of existence - one year since that debut gig at Yuppies which started them off with good reports, but then things took hoold as everyone realised that this band could deliver songs that took the commercial side of serious indie songwriting onto a whole new level, the four tracks fromn their debut EP spending much of the summer of 2007 being DJ and between-set favourites from venue to venue, a mark of the extraordinary quality of songwriting and playing that they delivered. Playing more gigs than seemed wise, the band sensibly cut back on the live work towards the latter part of winter, to concentrate on writing, and were now starting - or as good as - 2008 as they mean to go on. But would it still have the same magic? Would it reach the heights that they attained before? Would it?
Don't be daft!! - Of course it would - and then some............
Armed with brand new songs, recent songs and the familiar songs, The Daze played the longest set I've heard them do to date and, in the process, not only provided one of the best concert experiences you'll hear from an on-fire indie quartet, but threw down the gauntlet to the rest of them. Opening with "Young, Free & Easy", the band immediately caught fire as Robbie's, now throatier and less nasally, vocal, burned through the blazing twin guitar onslaught and the hammering down rhythm section, as the audience started to dance, aware that this was going to be a good one! From there, a couple of songs from the first EP got more and more people on their feet, as the band found their grove and from about the third track onwards, REALLY started to cook. The unveiling of the first of the brand new tracks saw them unleash the fastest and most powerful track that they've done to date, the best bit being that they pulled it off with ease, proving that when they want to turn the heat up, they can get angry enough to do it and scorch their guitars-driven way through a fiery offering that's still got "Daze" written all over it. "You'll Never See That Day", one of the more recent tracks, is rapidly becoming a classic - the harmony vocals from lead guitarist Scott, now improving so that they partner the raspy lead vocal as both soar above the expansive wall of sound that's going on below, the guitars a mix of searing lead and all-guns blazing rhythym, while the bass pumps out the undercurrent with reckless abandon as the drums lay down the driving foundations to keep it all moving apace, the song itself every bit as addictive as any other Daze song. Another new song is "Devil's Disguise", the first time we've heard them deliver a song that's not absolutely immediate, but the sort of song, taken more at a mid-paced attack, that you hear and get wrapped up in, the result being that you think, "now that was good but I need to hear it again - and again - to get the full effect", one of those tracks that you know is going to grow on you the more you hear it, and another facet to what this band can do, compositionally.
From there on, it was the run to the end on the final straight, as two more deliciously addictive tracks from the debut EP had the whole crowd on its feet and dancing to some degree, while the set finished on traditional set-closer, the epic that is "New Day Dawning", the song starting as an intense slice of anthemic indie briliance and turning into this fiery cauldron of explosive drum work, solid bass, massive guitars, soaring choruses, and even more swirling guitars.
A triumph - this was one red hot set, the best part being that this wasn't even the band at their peak - there's way more to come and they can take this set and make it something that audiences are going to want to come out and see, as it that perfect mix of knowing you're going to hear great songs, knowing you're going to hear fantastic guitar works, knowing you're going to hear a quality band and - above all - knowing that you're going to have a bloody fantastic time, every time you see them play. You can't say fairer than that!! - Andy Garibaldi