THE GARAGE
5TH APRIL 2014
The stroke of 10 saw a thunderously sweaty Islington’s The Garage packed to the gills on Saturday with East Londoners Dexters headlining. Opening acts Decoy Jets and Arthur Gun had done their job well enough to leave the crowd wanting more, when the fivesome took to the stage behind a wall of smoke, guitars ablazing for their set-opener ‘Cloudfest’.
The catchiness of this track echoed through the room with frontman Tom Rowlett setting the tone “Hey peeps it’s Saturday night, just go crazy!”. This show was the last on Dexters’ first UK headline tour, after having supported the likes of The Courteeners, Miles Kane, The View and Glasvegas, and, mirrored through the guys stage appearance, it had absolutely everything to end it in great indie-rock anthemic style.
Their debut album ‘Shimmer Gold’, released on March 17th via Acid Jazz Records, was performed in almost its entirety.’The Hard Way’ and ‘Start To Run’ touched the core of the show, with everyone mad in a high-spirited rock ‘n’ roll delirium.
Dexters have the energy and the theatricalities to succeed in what they’re doing. Compared to brit-pop bands as The La’s or The Libertines in terms of guitar anthem-forging, we could safely say they’re on the right path to become their bona fide successors, if they could only manage to convey all that overpowering dynamism in actual, fulfilling musical substance.
Now supporting The Rifles in their Germany tour, Dexters will then head back to the UK for a string of festival dates. Let’s keep our eyes open and see where their manic antics will lead them to.