Live Review : The Dust Coda + Doomsday Outlaw + Luna Marble @ The Deaf Institute, Manchester on October 24th 2023

In my opinion, there is no genre of music that encapsulates pastiche more than that of the 21st century take on Classic Rock. The lack of innovation or desire for change and reliance on nostalgia and cliché leaves it feeling stagnant and ultimately uninspiring. Despite this, there is also an admirable and undoubtable demand for bands of this ilk from fans who want nothing more than to be transported back to a time when the humble guitar was king and simplicity was deemed innovative. Time waits for no one, and whilst the heroes of that bygone age may no longer be able to hold their own in 2023, the next generation of Classic Rock bands are here to pick up the mantle. 

This sentiment rings true on a bitter autumnal Tuesday night in Manchester, as by the time The Dust Coda take to the stage, the intimate yet character-laden top floor of The Deaf Institute is absolutely rammed. Flashback 2 hours, at which the crowd is a bit more modest and spread out and you will find our first support act of the evening, Luna Marble.

On face value, it is very easy to see where Luna Marble draw inspiration from, the button downed Paisley shirts and flared trousers absolutely reek of the late 70s and their sound compliments this look and era rather well. Sonically, they stick to a very recognisable Hard Rock/Blues sound in which the kick drum and stabbing guitar Riffs work in perfect harmony to create a nice depth, allowing vocalist, Maria to project some astonishingly powerful vocal hooks over the top of it. Through having a seemingly effortless ability behind the microphone, she forms these superb vocal arrangements that simultaneously transcends and compliment the band. It was through this that Luna Marble managed to elevate themselves from a run of the mill 70’s blues rock inspired band, to their own unique force. Whilst at times, the sound meant that these vocals were a little bit too loud and overpowering in comparison to the rest of the mix, the ideas and concepts were present enough for me to think that Luna Marble could be one of those bands to watch over the next couple of years.

2nd on the bill were Doomsday Outlaw. Judging by the reaction from the crowd you wouldn’t be blamed for thinking this was their night, as they managed to conjure up a devout following who knew every word of every song and as a result garnered quite the reception. As is the theme of the night, Doomsday Outlaw presented an inspiration heavy blend of Classic and Hard Rock that paid homage to bands like Guns and Roses, Thin Lizzy, Lynyrd Skynyrd even at times being a little country music-esque. This is a result of an effective use of loose, free flowing vocals that at times hit all of the right sweet spots to stir up that emotional response that makes you want to just scream “fuck yeah”. One song encapsulated this perfectly, ‘If This Is The End’. The verses of this song are ripped straight from ‘Get A Grip’’ era Aerosmith with a heavily impactful and emotive chorus sandwiched in between.

When they divert from their softer, melodic sound and lean into their heavier, hard rock based material, that’s when it becomes a bit more cookie cutter for me. 8 bar Blues Riffs, vocal harmonies and an abundance of guitar solos are the order of the day in these sections. Whilst it is enough to get my toe tapping, when seeing what they can do on songs like ‘If This Is The End’, it just leaves me yearning for more of that. This is purely as a result of my own personal taste, as i prefer to hear those melodic sweet spots being hit as opposed to hearing energetic fist pumping guitar riffs, especially when they show that they can take their sound to that level and do it so so well. Overall, there was enough for me to leave that set feeling impressed. I would’ve loved to have heard a couple more risks being taken and the raw emotive power on vocals being taken full advantage of at more points in the set. If that was the case and Doomsday Outlaw lean into that side of their sound there is something truly special waiting to be found.

As mentioned, by the time The Dust Coda take to the stage, the place is as packed as it could be. The band are currently touring their third album, “Loco Paradise” and as a result they decide to lean heavily into this album when forming their setlist. 9 of their 14 songs played tonight are pulled from that particular album, with all but 2 songs from it making the cut. 

Opening with ‘Rock & Roll Paradise’, this would be the first of many times tonight that vocalist John Drake makes full use of his falsetto. Whilst it is an undoubtedly impressive vocal feat he is able to produce, it at times seems a little strained and that he is hanging on for dear life to control it, especially when the power of the music behind him demands him to fight above the noise in order to be heard. I found it more effective during the more intimate moments of the set, especially during his solo performance of ‘Loco Paradise’ track, ‘The Streets’. This was a song in which his vocals did most of the talking and sounded a lot more relaxed without the full band behind him. 

In line with my introductory statement, what you see is what you get with The Dust Coda. It is straight up classic rock, with nothing much In the way of a 21st century spin to keep it seeming fresh and new. Their songs could’ve easily been released in 1983 as opposed to 2023 and no one would be none the wiser to it. That’s not to say I found it bad, it just didn’t align itself to my own personal taste. There was just no danger, no risk taking. Their sound was designed to encapsulate an era and when the era you take inspiration from covers a broad range of sounds, themes and bands that completely dominated the late 20th century it is difficult to hone in and develop your own niche. 

As musicians, their abilities are undeniable. As is often the case with The Deaf Institute, the sound was impeccable and I found it very easy to pick apart and dissect the individual intricacies of each instrument. Each note, each beat, each syllable of each word was crystal clear. Through this, you were able follow the lyrical anecdotes and put yourself in a state in which you could understand the journey and direction each song was intended to take you down. Despite my reservations of their music, it is undeniable that you can easily get lost in the stories told through Drakes words, especially in their more subtler songs such as the aforementioned ‘The Streets’ and songs like ‘Since You Were Gone’. 

Overall, it is very easy to see the appeal of The Dust Coda. They tick all of the boxes for those who want those boxes ticked when it comes to what they like from their music and whilst it doesn’t particularly scratch my own itch, it would be a disservice to say that as a performance it was bad. Sure I can say it was safe, that it wasn’t anything new, but as individual musicians they kept a mightily tight ship, had a flawless sound and told some interest stories that kept me captivated when I focused on the lyrics and not the music. If there is one thing I know about those who love classic rock, its that they know what they like, and they like what they know. The Dust Coda have that level of nostalgic familiarity that means they won’t be hard done by when it comes to making new fans who are much more in tune with that sound and era than I am.

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!
The Dust Coda, Doomsday Outlaw, Luna Marble