Blue Angel Lounge - Islington Assembly Hall, London, 5/12/2013

  by Gillian Fish

published: 14 / 12 / 2013

intro

Gillian Fish watches eccentric indie trio Dutch Uncles play an upbeat show in the beautiful venue of the Islington Assembly Hall in London

It’s always nice to find yourself at a venue in London that you haven’t visited countless times before, and that’s what happened when I headed to Islington Assembly Hall to watch Dutch Uncles. The Assembly Hall was refurbished in 2010, and since then has housed plenty of gigs. The Grade II listed building opened originally in the 1930s as a venue for variety shows. The venue still has many of its original features, including back of seat ashtrays upstairs on the balcony and even grand wooden seats in the toilets no less. The hall has managed to retain its Art Deco magic, and it really is quite a special place to watch a gig. Support on the night came from Liverpool band Outfit. They were instantly infectious, and their use of electronic samples and synth-pop sounds combined with shared lead vocal duties made sure they became a definite band to watch out for next year. Having released their third album 'Out of Touch in the Wild' at the start of 2013, Dutch Uncles returned to the capital to play, as they told us, "their last gig in London for a while." This tour saw them taking a three piece string band with them who they referred to as ‘The Out of Touch in the Wild Orchestra’. The strings made for an extra special experience, adding an extra depth in a live setting. The acoustics at the hall were wonderful as was the extra bouncy floor and, although the crowd at the hall were a little subdued to begin with, Dutch Uncles soon had everyone and the floor moving with them. Although most of the set was full of songs from 'Out Of Touch in the Wild', there was also a chance to hear some of their older songs too such as first album track ‘Steadycam’, which sounded brilliant with the addition of the orchestra, and from the second album the wonderful ‘Dressage’. It wouldn’t be a Dutch Uncles gig without duelling glockenspiels, and lead singer Duncan Wallis’ signature frenetic dance moves, and they didn’t disappoint. Islington Assembly Hall provided the perfect setting, and I am looking forward to it appearing on many more bands' schedules in the future.

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