With a band handpicked from The Raconteurs, Dead Weather,
Hacienda and Constantines, and lead singer Dallas Green formerly of post-hard-core
band Alexisonfire, you might not have expected the tender melodies and poetic
lyrics the Dome experienced on Tuesday night. City and Colour was started by
Canadian born Dallas Green as a side project but through word of mouth grew
into selling out gigs, several Juno awards and a global following.
The harmonies were reminiscent of Crosby, Still, Nash and
Young, with Dallas’ vocal style being particularly reminiscent of fellow
Canadian Neil Young. The band mixed Alt-country
similar to Ryan Adams with David Gilmour sounding rocky guitar flourishes. At
times it felt like the momentum of the band would cause them to disintegrate
their instruments but they always transitioned into the softer moments with
ease.
By his own admission his public speaking isn’t his strong
point and he slightly awkwardly engaged the audience for a few minutes before he
strapped on a harmonica for ‘Body in a Box’. For a song with such a macabre
sentiment he managed to play it with a romanticism that got the loudest
applause of the evening.
Published in The Argus
