For any band playing a city with legends like Neutral Milk Hotel playing a sold out show only a short distance away, the chance of poor attendance would certainly be a worry, but not for La Dispute as against the odds they’ve sold out King Tut’s tonight.
The poetic post-hardcore group return to Glasgow for the first time in over two-years in support of their brand new album Rooms of the House.
Before tonight’s headliners we are treated to a set by Atlanta based ambient rock group, O’Brother, the band present a unique brand of indie rock filled with influence from post-rock bands such as Mogwai and Explosions In The Sky.
They blast through with a wall of shoegazing guitars similar to the sound of My Bloody Valentine, as well as the slow drawn out chords in that post-rock style, all this driven by the no-nonsense rhythm section of the band whose pounding drums and flowing bass lines push the set forward.
This band do not present much of a physical performance but instead rely on the music itself to do the talking, as the band spend much of the set static under the moody slow changing lights.
Finally the band everyone is waiting to see takes to the stage, opening the set with the first track from their latest album, ‘HUDSONVILLE, MI 1956’.
Fronted by the highly lyrical Jordan Dreyer, who spits out complex and gripping lyrics effortlessly with the same intensity and passion heard on the albums.
Very few bands have the power to perform with the level of passion that La Dispute do, the band do not waste time and blast through a set filled with songs from across their back catalogue.
La Dispute play in a style that is distinctive to say the least, a style filled with huge sounding rock riffs as well and slow atmospheric lead parts, accompanied by the groups talented rhythm section who present us with an assault of complex yet musical parts.
The set builds to a mighty climax with track from the 2011 album Wildlife, ‘King Park’; the intense song builds and builds telling us the story of a young fugitive in what looks to be his final days of freedom building up the climax where the room explodes with energy and the vast majority crowd screaming “can I still get into heaven if I kill myself” back at the band.
A very impressive set from what appears to be a group on the rise.
Words: Iain Gillon
Photos: Bill Gray
