Election night in the States and a sense of clenched anticipation was lingering in the air.

Dr Dog aren’t a political band per se, but frontmen Toby Leaman and Scott McMicken are opinionated chaps (S: “I think Vampire Weekend is a terrible band”; T: “And that show House I’m not so keen on either”), so it was perhaps unsurprising that their set tonight felt as though it tapped into the nervous expectations of the moment.

They certainly didn’t mess about, precision playing, technicolour vocal harmonies and synchronous on-stage grooving combining to maintain a high charge of boisterousness. Leaman was in good form, growling and rasping his way through such bluesy gems as ‘The Ark’ and ‘100 Years’ with vocal nods to, most obviously, Lennon without ever veering into mimicry.

However, it was the cheerfully scrawny figure of McMicken on stage right that seemed to be the powerhouse, taking the lead and putting his foot on the pedal, particularly on ‘My Friend’ and a full-throttle rendition of ‘The Rabbit, The Bat and The Reindeer’.

It s been two years since Dr Dog last visited London. Considering the musical debt they owe this side of the Atlantic, one hopes they return sooner rather than later.

Oliver Downes
Photo: Rachel Lipsitz