Das Boot
Oxford based Dive Dive are often mentioned these days as Frank Turner's backing band but during this tour they are here to remind everyone that they are a band in their own right and with an album due out in February this can only be good exposure for them.
Proceedings start well as they open with 'Modern Man' in front of a packed out venue. They get a healthy reception and impress early on with a good dose of chopping, driven rhythms. Good, solid bass lines are augmented with harsh guitars and with clean vocals and good sound they come across well. The faster songs work better in general but there seems to be quality in depth throughout their material. They have a decent variety of styles that holds the interest and they successfully manage to retain the edge during the slower songs.
What lets them down tonight is the rather apathetic stage show. The crowd reaction doesn't really build throughout the set however and you have to think that a more energetic performance would make all the difference. Coupled with limited between song banter they never really engage the crowd, which is a shame as at times they do seem to be the missing link between straight indie and more aggressive punk tinged sounds. Finishing the set with 'Good Show' Dive Dive have shown distinct promise and it remains to be seen whether their album can deliver the extra energy that their live performance doesn't.