He, who lives in London and doesn’t know Scala cannot call himself a Londoner. Scala in London is this mythic venue in King’s Cross, North London, that welcome many great concerts -- and night-club events.
Scala is this wonderful place that makes you regret every second of your pre-gig cigarette as you have to climb half a hundred steps to get to the stage area. Double it to make it to the bathroom. However, once you get there, the magic of the place gets straight at you. As soon as the lights are off and the spotlights are on, your eyes are filled with this sort of energy that will make you stand up from your seat and dance to any notes you could hear. But, obviously, if it is at Scala, it means that it is going to be good.
Last night, Scala welcomed the five guys who love to share their feelings through their songs by playing them in front of an ever-growing crowd - and going to Five Guys. This band, these five guys? Dog Is Dead. Well, sorry, they have change their name and I should get used to use their new one now, DID.
DID is an indie band from Nottingham, England, who performs in front of their audience with the greatest humility, passion, and love that I have ever seen in a 21st century band. Emotions that they manage to share through their songs and performance on stage. This is what makes them so unique, different and loved by so many people. Once again, I may be very biased when it comes to writing a review about them, but you will understand once you hear them. There are great!
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The DID’s gig that was initially scheduled for 5th March 2015 has been moved to last night, and even though I have thought of not attending it because of my exams, my feet have walked towards the venue without asking for my consent. Although the first parts were great, wonderful and very enjoyable, the rest of the post will only talk about DID.
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| Joost Ebbers |
As usual before the entrance of the band on stage, a complete silence filled the room. A dominical silence that creating a great tension amongst the crowd - and the band? A great silence that was worrying and exciting at the same time. We all knew what was about to happen, yet were all like children on Christmas Eve: afraid of not having gifts on the next morning. But as we’d been good kids this year and Santa Claus did not forget us.
At this moment, the five tall men everyone was waiting for entered the room. It took them only a few seconds to fill the stage with their energy and a few more for the whole room. On stage now were these five guys caring for their instruments, shy to fully look at the crowd, looking nervous and embarrassed of being there. They were in their bubble of friendship and laugh with a couple of hundreds people watching all their moves, holding their breaths to the beginning of the show. And then it started...
With the first notes, the audience was charmed by the passion, the talent, the professionalism and the love DID was sharing with them. As the notes were played, the band’s timidity was leaving for good, letting the five artists a chance to fully express themselves. Songs after songs, people were jumping, dancing, screaming and singing along, a way for them to thank the band to share their time, cheerfulness, and art with random people who gathered at Scala. They were living and loving it.
Within seconds, the five extremely talented musicians on the stage and the hundreds of people facing them were just making one. One group of people, one harmony, one voice. We were making one.
And what greater opportunity for the band to present their new babies, their new songs to than a night at Scala, with a crowd that could understand them, feel them. And to people who were not at Electrowerkz in Angel, London, in November, these were new songs. To me, they are already great songs which are ready to receive more love from the outside world.
Songs after songs, the crowd was also sharing with the band, sharing their energy, sharing their smiles, sharing their scream. Is it what made half of the band stand in the crowd? I do not know, but this might be the reason the singer decided to crowd surf at some point. Or it might have been the energy given by the pink bra they had received on stage..? Who knows?
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| Gig at Electrowerkz, London, in November |
With more and more phones put back in their pockets and more and more arms in the air during the night, people were sort of calling for the great night they needed to take a break from busy London. They were calling for a way of relaxing and doing their cardio in the most enjoyable way: jumping to the songs they enjoy so much.
Songs after songs, the time for the night to end was getting closer. The time for the one entity that had been created to become five men on a stage faced by hundreds of individuals. The time for the five men to walk off the stage relieved that it went well. The time for everyone to come back to Earth, feet on the ground, with a smile on their faces for probably the rest of the night. Nothing, not even the bad weather of London would be able to make them forget the night they just had. And then, it ended.
As usual, the band stayed very accessible post-gig receiving and giving love, giving embraces, exchanging kind words, signing autographs and… taking selfies. A moment that makes people really how nice, genuine, caring and authentic this band really is.
I have heard a lot of people around me saying that each time, the gig is even better than the previous time. I could not agree more. He who goes to a gig of DID’s without loving them at the end of their performance should go and check his hearing.
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Once again, I have seen my chances of listening to Young and The Zoo live decrease, which is unfortunate and saddens me a bit. One day, maybe...
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The band is going to release a new single in pre-order in a couple of weeks. Pretty sure you will find the link for it on one of their social media.
If you want to know more about this band, you can follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. And here is DID's website.
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Have a good day,
xx
You can follow me on Twitter: @ EmilieHrrmnn - and on Facebook: @ FrenchieFringe
