Dr Dog @ The Glee Club

So last night I went to see Dr Dog.

Having wanted to see them for around 3 years ish this was very exciting for me. Heralding from Philadelphia, fond of tra la la-ing 3 part harmonies and smile-inducing 60s spangly pop, their 2005 release Easybeat was practically the soundtrack of my summer a few years ago, when I would rush home to put this record on; a kind of instant pick-me-up after a hard day's slog.

Finding myself on my tod , once again, I arrived at the show pretty late, to surprisingly find it was set up in the teeny-tiny back room of the Glee Club, with maybe 200 seats around a puny-sized stage. I was pleased with the seemingly-good fortune of finding a seat pretty easily, only to later discover no one was sat there because of a gigantic pillar obstructing the view..

The support band definitely deserve a mention - Wye Oak , an impressive distorted pop boy-girl duo. The guy drummed with his right hand at the SAME TIME as plonking a keyboard with his left alongside feedback-drenched guitar. I liked them so much ( and I mostly never do this through fear of coming across as an idiot) I sought them out after the show to thank them and apologised for having insufficient funds to buy their eps. I immediately felt like an idiot and swiftly returned to my seat for the main show.

Dr Dog eventually appeared sporting thick-rimmed sunglasses and various winter hats. From the start to the very end they were a joy to hear and watch. Borrowing heavily from the fab four (and even The Band at some points) their doo-wap-wapping and melodic psych was sunshine in music form. Showcasing much of their latest release Fate, everything sounded crystal clear in the tiny room, and I was finding it extremely hard to stay still in my seat (I probably resembled a manic nodding-dog to onlookers). The band leaped buoyantly about the place, consistently in time with one another, like synchronised po-goers.

Before the last song, the audience were urged to get out of their seats and mooove. I took this as an opportunity to raid the stage, and , perhaps too enthusiastically, bounded about like a crazy woman , mouthing along to the words of Oh No (I really hate these types at gigs,. what have I become?)

I cannot recommend this band enough. They are mish-mash of vintage hooks and current toe-tapping kookiness. Please check out their music and welcome them with open paws.