Dacara are a 4-piece that prove uneasy to pigeonhole. Their sound is kind of rock with a dance twist and just mereist lashing of goth for good measure. The singer has a good voice (if somewhat lacking in power) and that is complimented nicely by the guitarist’s shouty growl. Every now and again it skirts the edge of commercial euro-rock but then plunges back into the subterranean delights of the underground. Overall although I probably wouldn’t rush to see them any time soon I wouldn’t go out of my way to avoid them either.   

North Atlas have come down from Scotland as last-minute stand-ins on this tour and I'm a little worried before they take to the stage - they have garlands of plastic flowers and extra kettle drums on the stage. I have a sense of foreboding, might they be (gulp) prog? Thankfully no, it turns out that they are actually a bit industrial and very faintly goth in sound if not in looks. They come across as quite serious musos with an added twinkle of fun.

Every now and again the tempo gets a little bit upbeat and I think ah, this is better but then it fades to weird again. Things get a bit stompy in the song where they bring out the extra drums, and it’s very primitive and raw. The quitarist does some nimble-footed funky dancing whilst not missing a note. This could be clubbing music in places although it’s more drum and drum than drum and bass! Overall for super sub dragged in at a minutes notice they get a good reaction and they defiently are different from the norm. What that difference is i struggle to sufficiently pinpoint but i do know that they are firmly swimming in a sea of one.

Lost Society are a bit of a mishmash of styles these days. They have been around for about 10 years now, starting off as a full-on thrash band and gradually mellowing a bit and heading in more of a nu-metal direction. This is an era/genre that passed me by when it was happening and it’s only really now that I am slowly finding my feet within its intricacies. So why am I here you may ask? Well, they ARE from Finland of course, but despite that they are also a hard-working band with an arena attitude  (even when playing to 40 people in a Monday-night Manchester club and there’s something about them that just reaches out to me. These days they throw in a little bit of melody as well as all the anger and shouting, and in places Sami’s voice even verges on being haunting and melancholic. Essentially they are a band that can provide a bit of something for everyone. 

On stage the band are dark and brooding in their matching tops with mysterious symbols, getting their heads down and getting on with it. Whilst Sami, like a little goth Duracell bunny, bounces around the stage like it’s burning his feet. There’s a lot of high flying hair and there's some great crowd interaction. They do that peculiarly Scandinavian thing with the guitars though, the foot goes up on the monitor, the neck points to the sky and they play at at least 90 degrees to the usual. I blame Yngwie, I think he started it! 

Anyhow that aside the musicianship is superb and so is Sami’s showmanship. As mentioned, it’s a Monday night in october so the crowd isn’t massive, but he pleads with us to interact with him and we dutifully punch the air and sing the choruses from start to finish.  By the time we get to ‘Riot’ things are warming up nicely, The set is eclectic, and they have a large if not well-known back catalogue so although several songs from last year’s release “If The Sky Came Down” get a good airing they also go right back to their roots with the mighty ‘Kill’ from their first release. 

There's a bit of a bass solo, which is an unexpected and welcome surprise. The influences stand out as probably Slipknot, Linkin Park, maybe Anthrax and Motorhead. So a traditional base but with their own modern twist. Some of the songs are upbeat and catchy, some are angry and punchy, and some are a little bleak and very personal. It even verges on the edges of metalcore in places. It’s been interesting to see this band grow and develop in the 7 or so years I have been aware of them, and I’m looking forward to seeing where they will go next. 

The more recent stuff is an easier listen, a little more accessible, but not necessarily better than the old stuff. We even see a softer side when Sami sings acapella over a backing track of acoustic guitar and strings, his soul laid bare to us for a fleeting moment. The last song which I think is called ‘Stitch’ is a jumping song; suddenly the stage, the room, the world isn't big enough for this band. Sami is on his knees, then his belly. He is up close and personal with his people, a part of them, and emotions are running high as the lights go up and we make our way out into the night. I’m still not sure Lost Society have found their own musical niche yet, but I think they are working nicely towards it and I’m happy to go along for the ride with them whilst they search for it.

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!
Lost Society, North Atlas, Dacara