On the 21st April, Take Breath and Dxwnsides took on Deadwax in Birmingham. The bands have just finished their co-headline tour, bringing their talent to Sheffield, Birmingham, London and Bristol.
Put on by Suprise Your Dead promotions, the Birmingham show planted the post-hardcore outfits in Deadwax's intimate upstairs venue. The venue's traditional rough, punk aesthetic paired perfectly with the show's line up.
For each act, the stage was predominantly plunged into darkness with complimentary cool blue tones. Flashes of blue striking the stage tied in well with the subtle emo aesthetic of both Dxwnsides and Take Breath.
With support from Mirror Talk and Mercury the night was off to a promising and energetic start. The supports warmed up the venue, prepping the audience for an exciting performance from both headliners.
Take Breath took on the stage as the first headliner. Take Breath took a slightly timid crowd full of nervous energy, and turned them feral. The post hardcore 4-piece have an interesting approach, teaming heart-wrenching emotive lyrics and soulful melodies with harsh vocal screams and huge riffs.
A beautiful aspect of Take Breath is their simplistic, uncomplicated stage presence, allowing their music to take full focus. Somehow this makes their performance even more entrancing and effective. Having nailed their unique sound, down to a tee, Take Breath roll through their set with ease and have a clear chemistry between band members on stage. Favourites from their set include their newest single 'Ode' and their 2022 release 'Oblivion'. Take Breath currently have a selection of singles available on all major streaming platforms, and you can catch them on their next UK tour in June with Hell Can Wait.
With high expectation for their hometown show, Dxwnsides struck the stage and did not disappoint. Having seen the band live on multiple occasions, I was excited to see how their set had been adapted since their last live performance. Whilst incorporating old favourites, Dxwnsides switched up their set sprinkling in a flurry of new tracks.
Treated to Dxwnsides classics 'Bleed' and 'Snow' the outfit lulled the audience with a level of comfort and familiarity. Perfected and well practised tracks from Dxwnsides debut album I Will Never Be Enough always hit hard, but there was a growing level of excitement and nervous energy around their new tracks. After teasing new songs on their socials, there was a massive anticipation and buzz waiting to hear the new Dxwnsides.
With the classic Dxwnsides personality still shining through, the new tracks seemed to spotlight the heavier aspects of the band, taking on more metal vocals and harsher riffs. I have to say, I do like this new, heavier side of Dxwnsides. With both the old and new tracks, one of my favourite things about this band is there subtle, unashamed emo approach. Melancholic lyrics teamed with glistening guitar riffs, gives Dxwnsides an emotional and endearing character.
You can listen to Dxwnsides debut album I Will Never Be Enough on all streaming platforms, and hopefully you can expect some new Dxwnsides tracks out on there soon...
Photos taken by Ben Hunt and Caitlin Victoria.