Gig: Dayseeker @ O2 Forum Kentish Town , London
Dayseeker by Anne Pfalzgraf
Dayseeker brought their Dark Sun Tour to the UK and Europe for an extended run of fully sold-out shows, with the last show of the UK leg being held at London’s O2 Forum in Kentish Town on 11 December. Rounding up the line up, they brought along the djent-pop-infused group Rain City Drive, and Heart Of Gold, the dreamy 80’s inspired synth pop solo project of former Being As An Ocean vocalist and guitarist Michael McGough, treating the audience to an evening filled with dreamy synth melodies, big singalongs, and catchy guitar riffs.
Heart Of Gold
Setting the tone for the night, Hart Of Gold opened the stage bringing some nostalgic 80’s inspired California synth pop creating a calm mellow summery vibe. It didn’t take long for the audience to be captured by the raw emotions and heartfelt lyrics animating them to sway along. With the setlist being short and sweet, they didn’t waste any time getting the crowd warmed up nicely and ready for what was to follow.
Rain City Drive
Florida-based quintet Rain City Drive took to the stage next and immediately sparked a wave of excitement in the room. Being known for pushing genre boundaries, the group offers a blend of pop and r’n’b inspired vocal melodies, accompanied by a rock heavy djenty guitar sound with underlying synth melodies ebbing and flowing between heavier and more melodic sounds creating an interesting energy. Especially crowd favourites ‘Medicate Me’ which saw Dayseeker’s Rory Rodriguez join in on vocals, ‘Heavier’ and set closer ‘Talk To A Friend’ saw the crowd dancing along and belting the lyrics at the top of their lungs.
Dayseeker
The anticipation was palpable by the time the lights dimmed for the final time and the huge LCD screen in the back lit up to the dreamy synth intro of ‘Dreamstate’. There was an instant spike in energy that swept the crowd off their feet and saw the floor erupt into dancing. Being known for their dreampop infused metalcore sound, the energy ebbed and flowed through out the setlist, seamlessly alternating between catchy 80’s inspired synthpop heavy anthems and more raw metalcore rooted guitar-driven songs. While ‘Burial Plot’ saw the crowd lighting up the whole venue with their phone lights, ‘Gates Of Ivory’ sparked a mosh pit amongst the dancers. Rain City Drive’s Matt McAndrew joined on vocal duties for ‘Paper Heart’ before Dayseeker ended the set with a rendition of Evanescence’s heartbreaking ballade ‘My Immortal’ followed by crowd favourites ‘Sleeptalk’ and ‘Neon Grave’ which both saw the crowd turn into a massive choir singing on the top of their lungs – leaving them on a high.
