I found myself back at The Cellar in Oxford on Saturday night for another excellent indie rock/punk night. On the line up were Quartermelon, Easter Island Statues, October Drift, and Desperate Journalist.
There aren't many times where a supporting artist has been more engaging than the main act, but October Drift blew me away.
Hailing from Taunton, October Drift is comprised of Kiran Roy (vocals, guitar), Chris Holmes (drums), Alex Bispham (bass), and Daniel Young (guitar).
There aren't many times where a supporting artist has been more engaging than the main act, but October Drift blew me away.
Hailing from Taunton, October Drift is comprised of Kiran Roy (vocals, guitar), Chris Holmes (drums), Alex Bispham (bass), and Daniel Young (guitar).
Right from the start, the quartet set the scene for a dramatic performance. Each band member adopted a certain stance, maintained it for an almost uncomfortably long time while producing an epic amount of noise, and then didn't stop moving throughout the 45 minute set.
Each band member succeeded in engaging the audience, from Daniel's haunting expression to Alex's impressive headbanging. One particular highlight was when Daniel collapsed to the floor, balancing the guitar on his knees.
When Kiran took a break from energetically moving around the stage, we got the chance to focus on his vocals. I was reminded of The National's Matt Berninger - and the band list them as one of their influences.
Each band member succeeded in engaging the audience, from Daniel's haunting expression to Alex's impressive headbanging. One particular highlight was when Daniel collapsed to the floor, balancing the guitar on his knees.
Here's a little snippet of the action (filmed on my phone, then sent to everyone I know).
When Kiran took a break from energetically moving around the stage, we got the chance to focus on his vocals. I was reminded of The National's Matt Berninger - and the band list them as one of their influences.
He didn't stay still for very long, however, and he was soon climbing onto the bar. When the band are playing together, minimalistic post-punk verses happily transcend into joyous noise. I had a smile on my face throughout the entire show.
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| From left to right: Daniel, Chris, Kiran, Alex |
Obviously I'd like to think every performer takes pride and has passion in their work, but October Drift took it to a new level. Kiran cut his fingers and broke two guitar strings during the set. Blood, sweat and tears were definitely shed during the performance. (Okay, I'm not sure about the tears).
Originally I'd intended to see post-punk Band Desperate Journalist - mainly for their great name - but I found myself so overwhelmed by October Drift's performance that I found myself 'drifting' towards the back mid-set.
Saturday night certainly taught me the lesson to arrive on time for gigs. Sometimes a support act can become your new favourite band.
Saturday night certainly taught me the lesson to arrive on time for gigs. Sometimes a support act can become your new favourite band.
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