LIVE FROM THE PIT: Divorce and Dug

Wednesdays are always better accompanied by a good music, so it was no surprise to see the Camden’s famous KOKO filled with fans, who were there to celebrate Divorce’s big milestone, as they finally released their debut album Drive to Goldenhammer on March 7th. The alternative four-piece from Nottingham, who is not afraid to go beyond the expectations of their audience, consists of the main vocalist and bassist Tiger Cohen-Towell, co-vocalist Felix Mackenzie-Barrow, drummer Kasper Sandstrøm and the lead guitarist Adam Peter-Smith.

The London concert was the last stop of the ten days long UK tour, as the band continues their promotions in mainland Europe. They were supported by DUG on the home-country run.

Before DUG started playing, they were introduced to the audience by a little clown performance by Mackenzie-Barrow’s mother, which was a funny little detail, that the audience was very happy about. Right after that the Irish-American duo came onto the stage with their banjo and bass and captivated the whole auditorium with their talent. Blending together Irish folk music with American folk music, DUG features a plethora of different songs and instruments. The members Lerkin O’Reilly and Jonny Pickett were teasing the listeners throughout the set, as they were surprised by the audience’s enthusiasm and attention to their songs. At the very end of the set, just before playing the song ‘Cumberland Gap’, Pickett went into the crowd and started explaining how to traditionally dance to the song they were about to perform, only for the audience to perform this throughout the whole song, ending the short set with a beautiful memory to keep for themselves.

As the time was running, it was clear that Divorce is taking over the stage very soon. Introduced by the funny clown performance again, the band immediately won the fans attention as they started off with their song ‘Fever Pitch’. Continuing with their curated setlist, they played a lot of songs from their newest album Drive to Goldenhammer, but at the same time did not hesitate to include their older songs, which were always met with the audience’s approval. Enchanting the auditorium with Cohen-Towell’s breathtaking vocals, that sounded like from another world, especially paired with Mackenzie-Barrow in harmonies, the band was getting through their final UK set for this tour run like nothing.

Sandstrøm was breaking the drums like it was nothing, producing the most insane sounds, that were worth focusing on, meanwhile Peter-Smith was showing off how multitalented he is, switching between guitar and synth, producing a mesmerising sound that was definitely tying the whole experience together. After giving the fans, the most emotionally charged performances, the band ended off their set with two encore songs, both performed with the duo DUG, that were a wonderful departure to the band.

The whole concert had an amazing atmosphere that was kept throughout the night, and it was obvious that the fans enjoyed every second of it. The support act was a great choice, as they did exactly what they were supposed to and more, and it was hard to say goodbye to both bands after the phenomenal performances. Divorce keeps surprising with their music every chance they get, and it is obvious that the new album is just the beginning of their well-started journey.

Words: Katerina Stepanikova

Photos: Cate Neves