Last gig of the year? Let's do this.

On the 18th of December was my last gig of 2015. The likes of London based Dead!, Welsh rock outfit Straight Lines and newcomers Counterfeit were playing.

The evening started with Dead!, whom I have followed for almost four years now. (how has it been four years already, go wonder) At the very first Takedown Festival, in March 2012, one of the members gave me a flyer as I was waiting outside for my friend Cat, and I ended up main stage watching them play their second ever gig. A year later, I saw them support Attack! Attack! on their farewell tour and properly fell for their brand of alternative rock. During their Islington set, I realised that I hadn't seen them since Butserfest 2014, and since then, the little band I remembered had accumulated tours (notably supporting Young Guns and One OK Rock) and got themselves a whole lot of fans. Their energy and obvious charisma get them the attention and participation of an obviously enthusiastic crowd and the group of their fans that have come to the show are heard from beginning to end. 2016 is, without a doubt, going to be a very important year in Dead!'s career - they keep going from strength to strength and gaining fans all over the place and it seems obvious their time to shine is coming soon.

Oh, Straight Lines. They entered my life on a cold week of February 2012, when I saw them supporting my beloved Canterbury. After that, they used to be everywhere, playing all of the festivals and supporting all of the bands, and then, silence. I hadn't seen them since a boiling hot afternoon of July 2014 when I had dragged my broken heart to a tent at Sonisphere, and I had missed them oh so dearly. I even had a ticket to their Persistence in this Game show in October, and couldn't make it in the end. This time, I was here, ecstatic to do a sing along and a dance, and I wasn't disappointed at all. They were the least known band of the evening and I feel like the audience has left with a very positive impression, for their reaction all through the set was as enthusiastic as the band on stage - frontman Tom Jenkins was simply on fire. Their music, which stands out in our scene due to its classic rock influence, takes me back to 2012 in the best way, especially when the band plays songs such as Antics or The Ballad of Peter Devine. They close a brilliant set with the gorgeous Praise You, Praise Me and I am left eager for new material and more shows.

If you have a look for Counterfeit on Spotify, you will only find three songs, and yet their Islington show is completely sold out and the venue is packed from the barrier to the door. It is very likely a consequence of having actor Jamie Campbell-Bower as a frontman, but considering the quality of their performance, here's to hope the next sold out venue will be a consequence of their talent and nothing else.

When you see that band on such a big stage with so many people watching, you wouldn't think it is their first ever show. Granted, it is their first show as Counterfeit with their new material, as they used to be known as The Darling Buds, but it is still a first ever show that feels like a celebration for a ten year career, or something similar. The atmosphere is nothing short of electric,  and if the crowd could have been called highly enthusiastic during both Dead! and Straight Lines, they have become simply ecstatic for the Londoners. 

If the Come Get Some EP (the only Counterfeit material you can find on Spotify) and the band's live performance are anything to go by, whatever they do in the future might just be excellent. There is passion, there is feeling, there is interaction between the band members and the crowd, there is charisma by the truckload and there is fantastic musicianship - what more do you need? They already have fans everywhere (as prove the sold out shows in France, Germany and Italy in 2016) and with new songs, a bunch more will definitely come their way.







As far as first ever shows go, this one was nothing short of a triumph, and you can definitely count me in for their Electric Ballroom in April - I'm sold.