Flying high with Doves - Live in Detroit, MI, 30 May 2009 at the Majestic Theater

I will admit that I am completely new to England's indie rock trio (or quartet, for the purposes of touring), Doves.  They were one of those bands that had always received heaps of critical praise and I always meant to check out, but just never really got around to until the release of their newest record, Kingdom of Rust.

Rust is easily one of 2009's best records thus far, so when the opportunity to see them live in Detroit came up, I knew I couldn't miss it.  In addition to the accolades they've received for their studio releases, I had heard Doves were a can't-miss live band.

Boy, they weren't kidding.

Despite being completely unfamiliar with all but the songs off Kingdom of Rust, there wasn't a single tune played during their roughly 90 minute set that was anything less than fantastic.  Doves are a no-nonsense live act.  With the exception of the large video screen on which images are projected, there's nothing more to see except brilliant musicianship and outstanding performances.  This is the true test of any great band - when you can walk into their show almost completely uninitiated and still end up thinking it's one of the best concerts you've ever attended.

The evening kicked off with a set from New Hampshire's Wild Light.  The four piece indie band put on a solid, respectable set, and I was impressed by their musical ability as well as their harmonies, which often included all four members.  With the exception of drummer Seth Kasper, all the bandmembers traded duties on lead vocals, keyboards, bass, and guitars, playing songs from their debut release Adult Nights, which lasted just under an hour. 

Of course, the highlight of the evening was the main event.  Coming out to a video of airplanes flying overhead, Doves kicked off their set in the same way their newest album begins with "Jetstream".  Guitarist Jez Williams, twin brother of drummer Andy, and bassist/co-lead singer Jimi Goodwin both sounded fantastic, and the sound at the Majestic carried out over the audience and into the high ceiling clearly. 

Unfortunately, being as unfamiliar with their earlier work as I was, I was unable to keep any semblance of an accurate setlist.  I can only list several of the songs they played, including "The Outsiders", "The Greatest Denier" (my personal favorite track from Kingdom of Rust), and several others from the new record.  The performance of the title track, "Kingdom of Rust", was halted briefly due to an error and restarted with Goodwin joking it was the reprise.  I was also able to capture all but the opening notes of "Winter Hill" in video format, though I must warn you the sound is atrocious as the microphone on my camera is obviously not meant for this sort of recording.

A few of the older songs I was able to ascertain included "Snowden", "Black and White Town", "Rise", "Words", the instrumental "Firesuite", "Pounding, and "Caught By The River".  If any longtime Doves fans attended the show last night and happen to be reading this, please feel free to leave comments or a complete setlist and I will happily update this post (giving full credit to you, of course).  I also recall at one point during the encore Andy Williams took lead vocal duties while Jimi Goodwin sat behind the drums.

UPDATE: I've obtained a complete setlist, thanks to Nicky McMillan's comment below.  I'm leaving the remainder of the post untouched, but for the sake of posterity I'll repost the complete setlist in order:

"Jetstream", "Snowden", "Winter Hill", "Rise", "Pounding", "Almost Forgot Myself", "10:03", "Words", "The Greatest Denier", "Kingdom Of Rust", "Ambition", "Black And White Town", "The Outsiders", "Caught By The River" comprised the main set, and the encore included "Firesuite", "Here It Comes", "The Last Broadcast", and "There Goes The Fear" to close it out - which saw Jez and Jimi playing percussion.

Thanks again to Nicky for providing this information!

The band seemed in good spirits, thanking the crowd for their cheers on numerous occasions.  Goodwin remarked on all the wonderful music Detroit has given over the years, but his most memorable stage banter was a faux-rockstar moment where he complained about the white towels that had been provided to wipe themselves down.  "I specifically asked for PINK towels," he said before jokingly calling for the show to be stopped until the proper color towels were provided with a grin. 

I wish I had known more of the band's music beforehand, but on the flip side there's something truly magical about seeing a band live for the first time without any expectations and still being blown away.  It was an experience akin to attending my first Flaming Lips concert several years ago, an event that not only cemented me as a fan, but kept me on an emotional high for weeks after.  There's no question I'll be purchasing Lost Souls, The Last Broadcast, and Some Cities in the near future, as well as attending any and all future concerts - and I strongly advise anyone unfamiliar with Doves to do the same. 

Comments

[Nicky McMillan]

Setlist was:

Jetstream
Snowden
Winter Hill
Rise
Pounding
Almost Forgot Myself
10.03
Words
Greatest Denier
Kingdom Of Rust
Ambition
Black & White Town
The Outsiders
Caught By The River
---
Firesuite
Here It Comes
Last Broadcast
The Fear

Nice review & photos!

I was just in front of you, with my wife. I'm wearing the green tshirt in your photos. Excellent show.

All the best,

Nicky
http://dovesmusic.blogspot.com/

[David Gillespie]

Seeing them tonight in Toronto, cannot wait. Be sure to grab the earlier albums too, my favourite is Some Cities, but each one is brilliant in its own way. One listen and you will shake your head in disbelief that they're relatively unknown in North America yet bands like Snow Patrol verge on being household names.