Music / Reviews
Review: Dominie Hooper, Exchange – ‘Emotionally charged, raw and unfurled’
I’ve been keeping tabs on Dominie Hooper’s immense talents since she opened for the delight that is This Is The Kit at the Bristol Beacon last year.
The Exchange ‘dungeon’ offers quite a contrast, but it’s the perfect venue to premiere new material and for an intensely intimate musical experience for both artist and crowd.
Moya Silk and band opened the night with some lo-fi grunge-rock
Operation ‘always watch the support’ came up trumps again as Moya Silk and her band took to the tiny stage to hit us with some grungy all-out indie rock.
is needed now More than ever
Honeycombe attacks the everyday absurdity of working in the customer service world. I can relate, as can a few in the crowd who’ve also had the same exasperating experience.
Their set feels like a set of singles, each song as catchy as the next. Future release Skinny Dipping is a toe-tapping indie banger delight and invites you to rip your heart out and throw it in the river.
It’s a bold move to book a gig on the bank holiday Monday evening, a bold move to play an entire set of brand new material too.
I’m struck by the strength it takes to show such vulnerability eyeball to to eyeball with people yet to hear any of the music, and to get to grips with new arrangements in a deathly quiet room with all focus on you.
The set begins a few times as the tension builds and Dominie wants to get things started on the perfect note.
Sheep’s Eye swirls a tempestuous sound, the drummer using mallet-type drum sticks to create a booming quality as the song blends into Hurricane which is described as lyrically referencing “growing up on the moors, and being a little drug addled rotter” – quite a picture to paint.
Dominie’s soundscape recreates this, transporting me to a rugged coast with the wind blowing in my face and the waves crashing against craggy cliffs.
Born near Dartmoor in Devon, Hooper takes inspiration from the landscape and her childhood there
Domine dusts off her cello, practically filling the stage with one instrument as she treats us to her latest single Land. Described as a “teaser” for what’s to come, it’s very promising.
Her voice is like honey, and the full band version sounds as rich, with marching quality to the drum beat. It’s a song that Dominie says is basically “therapy”, describing finding refuge in nature and simplicity.
She is fully immersed in her words, standing a foot back from the mic and letting the power of her voice take over. Witnessing this up so close is a privilege, the artistry, the craft and the talent all here, raw and unfurled.
Hooper augments her set with cello which, in the cosy environs of the Exchange basement, filled the stage
Soft Reckoner sees the rich honey vocals flow further, with a more stripped back sound and the refrain “hold on to your friends” repeated, delivered with tender conviction.
I’m happy to say I was sucked in and fully enthralled by her performance: the kind where you forget everything and focus in, fully invested in this concoction of beauty.
As the set ends an encore doesn’t seem to be on the cards, but as drummer Dave is trapped and can’t get out they give us our first familiar treat: Hastings, a song of stark beauty that drops you down calmly after an emotionally charged set.
With her debut album in the offing and hopefully some more live dates this summer, this is an exciting time for Dominie Hooper.
All images: Matt Barnes
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