Gig Review: Double Down at The Head Of Steam

Despite the fact that I arrived pretty early, the Head of Steam already had a fair number of people starting to gather, notably excited for the evening ahead. It filled with people pretty quickly, and I was soon having to fight to hold on to my spot near the bar. The return of ex-Durham band, Double Down, reuniting from across the country for this intimate gig, had clearly been met with a lot of excitement, which could definitely be felt as the audience gathered in front of the stage. Support was to be provided from student bands Mother and The Cygnets (and an impromptu set from Legion), who also all had their fair share of enthusiastic fans in the crowd. By the time the first band- Mother- went on, the audience was packed, excited and ready to go.

Student post punk band Mother started off the night very strong. Speaking to the group afterwards, I found out that they have been playing gigs together for about a year now, which certainly came through in their set, which was confident and engaging. Their set of all original music- a mix of fast paced punk-rock/grunge with some slower, more chill numbers as well,- was very good and perfect to inspire that first bit of energy in the room (never an easy thing to do). Some great punchy guitar riffs and drumming, and simple but brilliant guitar solos. Vocal duties were shared, which made for some entertaining watching, and good interaction within the band.

After Mother, we were surprised with a last minute set from Legion, reuniting for the evening. Despite the hasty decision to perform, the group played with a well-rehearsed sense of confidence and ability, and some great vocals as well. They provided a solid half-hour or so of crowd pleasing originals and covers - encompassing a variety of genres, including pop, soul and rock - and performed with a charismatic and easy stage presence; playing really well off the energy in the room. I couldn’t see a single person who wasn’t tapping at least one foot to the music.

Next up we had alt rock/grunge band The Cygnets, who stepped up to an especially lively crowd. They also provided a well put together original set, with fantastic variation. Songs that were a little softer lined up next to harder, more aggressive punk songs, keeping the crowd on its toes the entire time. The band cultivated a really good atmosphere in the room, the crowd nodding, singing and dancing along. With some more excellent vocals, guitar riffs and baselines, some incredibly catchy melodies, and great inclusion of a saxophone (the use of which really brightened up the room) the band were able to deliver a great sound and mark themselves out amongst the performers.

And finally, the main act, Double Down, took to the stage with unbelievably loud shouts and cheers from a clearly hyped audience. The band played a lively set of original rock songs in performance that was exciting, charismatic and full of energy. The extent of the chanting from the audience, and the number of people singing along to their songs is a testament to the band’s ability, music and relationship with their audience. Their songs were fast, loud, aggressive with repetitive and catchy choruses, sung along to some great guitar riffs and backing rhythms. I had never seen the band live before, but by the end of the set I felt as though I had; each song and melody felt really familiar to me by the end, as I sang along and picked up the tune with everyone else. A great end to an all around amazing night of music.

By Holly Hughes-Rowlands