Dearly Beloved LIVE @ The Windmill, Brixton, 08.10.14

One of my favourite venues, and just ‘round the corner from me, The Windmill is the ideal space for music – real, gritty, head-banging, loud music. So, to see a band there that fit that description to the tee was really pretty perfect.

Amidst the wealth of old band stickers, gig memorabilia and generally chilled out, friendly atmosphere, Eamon McGrath starts off the music for the night. With an enthused Vedder meets The Boss sound, Mcgrath oozes boundless energy as he and his band deliver impassioned, blazing Americana-infused punk rock. “This Roofdog beer’s mighty fine!”, he exclaims before scissor-kicking across the stage; it sure is, Eamon (yes, the Windmill even brew their own beer too – named after the famous resident dogs).

As Toronto’s Dearly Beloved take to the stage, they ooze a penetrating, ruthless attitude, immediately blasting into their titillating set. Comprising of half of McGrath’s band, with Rob Higgins and Niva Chow taking centre stage, Dearly Beloved deliver one relentlessly raucous track after another, all the while exuding an incredible riotous energy that is unparalleled. As Higgins delivers lashings of frenzied bass lines, furious riffs are executed with a refreshing enthusiasm and vigorous, punk-inspired lyrics flow from Chow’s lips as the tambourine shakes incessantly. As each rip-roaring rock anthem explodes from the stage, climatic, pummelling beats are thrashed out of the drumkit with an incredible buoyant energy, the likes of which remind me of the great Taylor Hawkins; “You don’t need to know the backstory, just that this guy is a champ”, Higgins informs us of the drummer.

Blasting my ear drums in all the right ways, Dearly Beloved continue to treat us to a spectacular set, filled with everything you could ask for from a rock show. As Higgins and Chow leave the stage to immerse themselves in the crowd (which should have been bigger) for a wonderfully chaotic, welcome encore, we are warned “This is not a nice song”, as we’re almost knocked over by a swinging bass. As the pair endearingly put their heads together for a moment of togetherness before storming into another incredible cacophony of awesomeness, the way in which the whole band gel and the unique charisma that oozes from each of them is strikingly apparent – part of what makes Dearly Beloved just so mind blowing to see live.

One of the best gigs I’ve been to for a while, Dearly Beloved offer a perfect amalgamation of classic rock with an impassioned, punk-infused vigour, that will leave your fists clenched and head banging, screaming for more. A refreshing change from the dirge of synth-led ‘psych-rock’ that seems to be filling London right now, Dearly Beloved are real Punk Rock at its best: just what music needs.

Dearly Beloved’s current album Enduro, is out now, with the new video for ‘Run For Your Life’ having just been premiered at Gigslutz: http://www.gigslutz.co.uk/dearly-beloved-premiere-new-video-run-life-exclusively-gigslutz/

Mari Lane

@marimindles