“Show us what you’ve got!”: Gig review - Dream State at The Key Club
Over a whip-fast hour-long set, the Welsh post-hardcore outfit look to bridge the gap between their old and new eras with some cacophonous sounds.
Review: “For those of you who don’t know who we are,” Jessie Powell addresses the crowd gathered across the front of the tiny box stage at The Key Club, situated in the basement of Leeds’ Merrion Centre, “we are Dream State.” Whoops meet her declaration, and the singer gives a nod. “But then, you likely knew that.”
Nevertheless, the frontwoman’s declaration comes freighted with a knowing undercurrent of suggestion. This second-generation incarnation of the Welsh post-hardcore outfit remains a curious proposition, anchored only by founding guitarist Aled Evans. None of the members presented here alongside him were part of the band that cut their only full-length record now half-a-decade ago, 2019’s Primrose Path; as a new generation overhaul goes, the four-piece are effectively playing from the hymn sheets of both the old and the new.
The sweaty confines of this venue, spread across two rooms ahead of a club night, bustles to and fro with a steady crowd delighted to see them however, and with Powell now at the helm when it comes to their voice for two years, they have suitably refurbished their reputation. Over a whip-fast hour-long set, they lean just as heavily on the EPs they have released since she stepped into the role, from the bruising electronica of new single Bloom, to the underpinned hum of Comfort in Chaos, adding new textures to their hardcore rush.
Repeated commands to deliver circle pits are duly met, while there is a frequent line in relatively old-fashioned clapalongs from those in the crowd, especially on the acapella chant that comes with Hand in Hand. But they are still at their most effective when they can transport the racket of sheer cacophony into a primal rush; Open Windows and Made Up Smile both build to crashing outros.
“We’ve been to so many hardcore shows in Leeds,” Powell says late on. “So show us what you’ve got!” As a terrifically received White Lies threatens to shake brick dust from the ceiling, the city offers a full-throated response of adoration for this new-look band.