Top Grungey Psychedelic Rock
Although they appear to have been relegated to third on a four band bill, Georgia’s Dead Confederate captivate the crowd instantly with their fiery psychedelic rock epics. They kick off with a long ecstatic number characterised by wailing guitars, moaning vocals and sledgehammer percussion that drones on for several minutes, getting the crowd into the psych rock mood. Their set continues with powerful tunes featuring echoing lead guitar and a powerful rhythm section that can’t fail but engage the crowd. The band themselves look slightly mismatched but thrash their instruments together like a well-oiled machine and are exhausting even to watch, although there’s nothing more inspiring to the audience than a band that look like they’re really enjoying themselves and Dead Confederate seem to be giving it their all. The surging melodies are definitely headbanging, or at least emphatic head nodding material and the crowd get the hang of this pretty much straight away. There’s a definite 90’s grunge rock element to the sound, but with added melody that picks the tunes up out of the grimy depths. Dark melodies with lingering vocals and strong percussion are crafted from waves of feedback and angry guitar sound.
Out of all the bands on tonight’s bill, they’re probably the most chatty expressing their pleasure at being in the UK with A Place To Bury Strangers and their gratitude to that unusual creature, the female soundman. The audience seem universally impressed and it’s clear that Dead Confederate’s first UK trip is going very well indeed; let’s hope they return again very soon. This band are most definitely one to watch, from tonight’s reaction they deserve to be headlining UK venues soon and would most certainly have merited a higher place in this line-up.