Deville

support Dødning + Sedated Angel
author AP date 06/08/10 venue The Rock, Copenhagen, DEN

The Rock is phenomenally screwed. The last remaining mid-size venue in Copenhagen is about to go bust and there is seemingly nothing anyone can do about it. As less people turn up to the shows, the venue has no choice but to raise the prices. And as drinks become more expensive, less people can afford the three or four beers that a full evening concert requires. This vicious circle has wound itself so tight that it is difficult to see a way out now. What is needed is for someone to raise their hand and say: look, bring back the happy hour, lower the regular prices to a reasonable 30 to 35 DKK for a pint, and put some fucking effort into promoting each and every event. Make it sound like every local band that's playing is the next big thing; an unmissable band that soon will grow so big we won't be able to see them in a venue this size anymore. Then, book bigger international names to headline, and fill in the open support slots with appropriate local bands and hype the show like it's going to be the live event of the fucking century. Advertisement still works! More about this in a future feature article though, because now it's time for some reviews:

Sedated Angel

Sedated Angel, for those unfamiliar with the group, are like a slightly heavier version of Queens of the Stone Age, with hints of Kyuss in there as well. Another thing Sedated Angel are, is facing a venue that's all but empty, which must suck considering that the band drove all the way from Kolding in Sønderjylland to play here tonight. As such their lack of interest, as demonstrated by their unwillingness to perform their planned encore which has been written into their setlist, not to mention the almost non-existent interaction with those of us who did bother to show up, is easy to relate to. Unfortunately this combination of justified disinterest and all of ten people watching results in a show that cannot, and should not warrant much applause - which is a shame, because Sedated Angel come across as an experienced and, were there a reason to be it, impassioned band whose live performance would probably be worth the buck in a more crowded setting. The band's obscure projections, acidic melodies, murky tones and droning percussion have the capacity to pull the listener into a dream state; only to be ripped out of it by explosions of noise in the best stoner rock fashion. But alas, when no one cares, it's hard to care yourself, and as such this unflattering grade should not be seen as reflective of the band's abilities, but rather, the disappointing show for which the empty Rock is the sole culprit.

6

Dødning

Dødning, word has it, is a formidable live force, and to be perfectly honest, the primary reason that members of our staff chose to attend this gig. When the band emerges on stage, the crowd has already thickened considerably, numbering around 40 or 50, which is a fair showing considering the poor promotion that local features like this usually receive. And Dødning are not about to disappoint the pack, unleashing their thunderous Southern sludge upon us with an exhilirating energy. The band's two vocalists create a good dynamic between harsh screams and a more hardcore influenced yell (with some clean vocals in between as well) while the remaining instrumentalists swing their hair and gear amid groovy, down-tuned riffs. Already from the first few songs it is obvious why Dødning enjoys such praise in the Danish underground, and despite the scarce crowd, the music and performance are impossible not to appreciate. The amount of energy in Dødning's music allows the band to stand up, become oblivious to the fact that there is still almost no one here, and instead incite what few faces have bothered to gather close in front of the stage to mosh and headbang like at any other, sold out metal concert. This is a fantastic example of how to handle a disappointing turnout, but there can be no doubt that this band would rather excel in a smaller, packed venue.

7

Deville

Deville are local in the sense that they come from the Øresund region, more specifically from Malmö in Sweden, a half an hour's drive from Copenhagen. Thus my dubbing this a local gig has not been inaccurate. Deville are considerably more straightforward in their approach, than the previous two acts, playing a modern rendition of 70s / 80s rock n' roll and combining it with touches of grunge and stoner rock. In fact they sound like a less trippy version of Sedated Angel, although vague comparisons to Alice In Chains would not be out of place either. But what of the show? Unfortunately, like their colleagues in Sedated Angel, Deville display a genuine lack of interest in playing or even being in Denmark - perhaps because a large contingent of the 40 or 50 people that were in the venue during Dødning's set, have vanished like a fart in Sahara - and consequently their show also becomes extremely uninteresting to watch. Again though, Deville obviously know what they're doing, and were the crowd a little thicker, this experience would undoubtedly translate into an ocean; no, sea; no, lake; well, at least a pond of bobbing heads and pumping fists. Just not tonight.

6

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