17/8/2007 Part 2. ...Dead Monroe @ the Hope & Anchor

Subject	Dead Monroe @ the Hope & Anchor
PostedDate	8/17/2007
	Hot-footing it from the Old King's Head in Holloway Road I arrive at the Hope & Anchor in time to see Dead Monroe perform their headline slot. It was great to see the boys playing to a pretty full venue, but it's no less than they deserve - although drummer Ben must have been naughty as he was made to sit in a corner! The sound wasn't particularly good, although it made the band's newer more pop sounding material sound noticeably heavier - which I liked.  The crowd had been warmed up by the previous band who were rather 'indie' sounding - which worked out rather well as they seemed to really get into Dead Monroe's newer more commercial songs. Alex cranks out the riffs... ...while Justin wonders if ditching his 'tea-cosy hat' look will land him a job in a shampoo advert? The band play well as usual, and the crowd really like their catchy songs - the combination of these more 'poppy' new tunes and a heavier sound tonight works really well for the band. This is just the sort of gig the band need at the moment - not just playing to a good crowd, but the right crowd. The band rise to the occasion and play one of their best shows for quite a while. If Dead Monroe can play more gigs like this and keep the momentum up they might finally start to get the success they have been working so hard for. Wow - I made it to two gigs at different venues in one night and everything actually went according to plan for once!