Darlia make their voice heard – and then some – at one of the most electrifying but criminally short gigs of the autumn.
With a frontman who looks uncannily like the late and great Kurt Cobain, Darlia have caused critics to draw inevitable parallels between this trio and the slightly more famous grunge trio of the early 90s. Aside from Nathan Day’s strikingly blonde mop of hair, there is undeniable Nirvana-esque growling and the band’s instruments are played with equal ferocity. However, where Nirvana appeared to shun the very name of pop, Darlia’s sound is much more digestible, with melodies being more tuneful, and discordant screaming nowhere to be seen.
Aside from Nathan Day’s strikingly blonde mop of hair, there is undeniable Nirvana-esque growling and the band’s instruments are played with equal ferocity.
It is to do a disservice to the band’s talents to bang on too much about comparisons to Nirvana (though I doubt very much they’d shy away from parallels to such an obvious influence). In the context of 2014 music, Darlia have a unique sound – at no point in the gig did I find myself bored or wishing they’d just skip this song. It’s not uncommon for people to find themselves thinking about post-gig food rather than the bands playing, but credit where credit is due, these thoughts were surprisingly absent at Rescue Rooms that night. Well played Darlia.
Keeping a performance unpredictable can keep it interesting…
The only criticism I can bring myself to make is how short I found the gig to be. Granted, their repertoire isn’t massive (they’re yet to bring out even a debut album), but a couple of covers wouldn’t have gone amiss – and with their skills they could have made a Pixie Lott song sound gloriously grungy. A longer set would have made this the perfect gig, though perhaps would their restraint highlights their ability as performers. Keeping a performance unpredictable can keep it interesting. More to the point, a short set keeps the crowd awake; keeps the crowd wanting more.
Liv Clark
Live has been listening to: ‘I Found A New Way’ – Twin Peaks
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