By I would not class myself as a religious man in any shape or form, so the idea of going to church is a foreign one to me. But church is exactly where I found myself on Friday night, and I consider myself extremely lucky to have witnessed one of the most spectacular and truly unique live shows that I have ever experienced.
Photo: Alex Rawson
The band that had made me venture to Bristol, and more specifically to the church of St Thomas the Martyr, was a band called Goan Dogs. A five-piece indie desert rock band consisting of everything from guitars and drums to trumpets and Casiotone keyboards, these lads manage to conjure up a sound so unique that it is hard to find comparisons. The fact that these boys are native to Bristol only added to the occasion, and finding a live show to compare to the one that they put on is something that is particularly difficult.
Playing a gig in a church wouldn’t even cross the mind of most bands, but it worked so incredibly well that more of them should consider it. As soon as the lads came on stage, the crowd (which seemed to keep on growing throughout their set) all began to rise up out of the pews, as if some form of communion was about to begin. The venue helped create a fantastic and intimate feel for the show; like the band was playing only for you, but when you turned around and saw others you immediately felt part of a wider family.
The gig was a way to mark the release of the bands latest single ‘Devil Inside’, and the irony of celebrating the release of a single called ‘Devil Inside’ in a church was something that I found amusing. It was this new single that made me realise how incredible the acoustics in the venue were. The extremely prominent cowbell in the song was rebounding off of every wall, corner and crevice inside of the church, and paired with the various guitar riffs it sounded amazingly haunting.
The lighting added another extra dimension the evening. Stage lighting had a very DIY feel about it. It was so simple, yet so incredibly effective. Four circular lights (used in the video for Devil Inside), which were synced perfectly with the music, were placed behind drummer Dan Lane and reflected off of windows and illuminated the entire church. This was paired with a couple of lights that produced hazy purple and blue shades in the background, as well as spirals being projected onto the ceiling. The whole thing made you feel like you were floating through a translucent desert dream.
Considering they only have only released three songs since being signed, Goan Dogs have clearly already built up a considerable fan base. When the singles ‘Running’, ‘Flying Business Class’ and previously mentioned ‘Devil Inside’ were played, a lot of people were singing along, mouthing every word and toe-tapping to various beats. These three songs were paired with a host of unreleased material, and a song that notably stuck with me (and acted as a kind of encore) was titled ‘Gasoline’. One that I would love to hear released as a single in the future, ‘Gasoline’ was a fair bit more up-tempo than some of the other songs in the set, and the fast paced guitar riff and piercing vocals from front man Luke St Leger acted as a brilliant way to end a superb all-round show.
It is becoming rare to find a band that you can tell spend time carefully crafting a live show, but you can tell Goan Dogs certainly do that. Everything from the venue to the lighting and acoustics was perfect and totally unique, and I feel extremely lucky to have been able to witness it all.
Having already received airtime on Radio 6 and acquiring fans such as Elbow’s Guy Garvey, Goan Dogs are certain to expand their fan base and start making waves on a much larger scale. They are definitely a band to keep an eye on over the next few years.
