Engine Rooms, 6th December 2009
Brighton based progressive/alternative/psychedelic band, thedealwasforthediamond is comprised of Adam Cawdrey, brothers Alistair and Dary Scott – all guitarists and drummer Eldge. With influences including Tool, Mars Volta, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Deftones and, of course, the ubiquitous Radiohead, the band play progressive post-rock with raw, primal energy.
Support came from garage greaseballs The Roskov Landing, followed by doom laden Enochian Theory. Songs including ‘The Dimensionless Monologue’, ‘Waves Of Ascension’, ‘A Monument To The Death Of An Idea’, were delivered by vocalist Ben Harris-Hayes as he sweated himself ragged in a bizarre charicature of rock god excess. Death is everywhere apparently.
Headliners thedealwasforthediamond finished off the show with a barrage of guitar pummelling and bombastic drumming. The small audience had grown noticeably, politely nodding and clapping the end of each delivery of theatrical instrumentals. The sound was overally poppy, fun and flavourful, with a final culminating transition from the bouncy melodies to a chaotic rockfest, soaring off into some find of mathematical rock/post rock hybrid of pure, unadulterated bliss to end the show.
Words by Isabel Owen
myspace.com/thedealwasforthediamond
What did you think of the gig?
Jeb: 8/10 “Exceptional, aggressive but instantly rewarding”
Ross: 7/10 “Gave you a shaking sensation inside, very progressive, lovely melodies, real energy to their playing”
Kate: 8/10 “Gently aggressive, profound from the beginning of the set to the end, wall of noise”
