Standing in a sparsely populated hull of a ship is already an odd sensation. This is multiplied however when waiting to see a five-piece from Nottingham that operates under the name ‘Dog Is Dead’. Naturally with this kind of name one might expect a virile metal concoction to make your ears weep. Yet the noise that emerged was entirely different. I’d be lying if I said their sound wasn’t essentially poppy, with strong hooks and brazen melodies, but unlike much other cannon fodder around at the moment, they manage to dunk these tunes into a layer of simple synth and tasty harmonies you can sink your teeth into. Moreover, the versatility of this band meant they were able to produce a saxophone to delicately (and rather brashly at times) play alongside the riffs, giving them a slight edge in this indie dog-eat-dog world.