04-12-2008 iO

Supports: Dialogue; Venue: Bibelot, Dordrecht (Netherlands)
By: Elvira Visser

This very quiet evening started with only a hand full of people gathered around the bar, drinking beer or other beverages. This Thursday evening Dialogue had to start playing as a support act in an almost empty venue. When the band just started to play and asking the people to show up in front of the stage people did leave the bar but stayed a little in the back. When you come to see the headliner you do not always like the support act but Dialogue is a good band, hard to deny. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea but they played some good solid rock songs. Some of the transitions between riffs and choruses or other parts were a little spontaneous sometimes, at least that is how they sounded to me. Overall I liked this band and hope to hear more from them.

I need to get something off my chest before I continue: I like to see iO in a sold out venue. This evening when there were about 30 people, they rocked the place, they got almost everyone jumping and interacting with the band. And when there is so much open space in front of the stage and only 30 people I think that is already an achievement. iO was formed?when the musicians from the Guano Apes were looking for a new project and when they collaborated with Charles Simmons they had found their band, iO was born. How would a soul singer rock? you might ask. Well I think you have to see it yourself. The band had so much energy on stage and brought a very good energetic show even for a few people. They got the audience in front of the stage waving with the hand in the air showing that they liked rock music and made them jump, jump and jump a little more. I really liked their version of Rebel Yell, which if you play the longer version can become a bit boring but iO’s version is great. They are built up the tension and at one point when you expected the climax of the track they just stopped….talked a little and then played again, but they had not lost that tension, it was right there. One track you can listen on MySpace is “In You” which immediately sticks to your mind, and the crowd could sing this song along as well as “Say Something”. Their CD “For the Masses” was released last August.(review). If you are looking for a dynamic rock band that plays with a lot of energy that is not afraid of showing a little soul and rap on stage, this is definitely a must see.

More pictures of this gig available at photographicretentions.nl

Links:
Dialogue MySpace
iO MySpace