As Scarborough’s Market Hall once again transformed into a night-time venue on September 13th, it became the setting for a rare hometown gig for The Danse Society. Support came from Whitby’s Westenra and Scarborough’s The Limeys. 

The Setting
Scarborough Market Hall on St. Helen’s Square. Home to fresh meat and vegetables and in my opinion the best value for money deli in the town, DeliDelicious … You’ll never go hungry when eating at or buying from there! Also, it would be a crime not to mention the vaults underneath the market, containing a vast array of trades and independent stores.

I managed to catch some of the soundcheck and setup of the event. Charlie Hunter took point at front of house and engineering. The gig was staffed by Liam (door) & April (merch). The venue’s bar was also open and neon lit, seating and tables were provided. A great use of the hall layout, bringing people close to the action, while still affording a level of comfort and privacy.

The dark of night combined with props and lighting added to the gothic/alternative tone of the music presented. Even down to the windows, flooring and overall ambience of the venue. It offered a character ideal for this event. I remember discussing the dynamics of the hall with Steve (Danse Society keyboardist). They explained that people had previously expressed opinions about the acoustics of the environment interfering with the clarity or quality of sound. However, we both shared the idea that in the case of Danse Society and Westenra’s music, that very “complaint” complimented the stylistic choices that arguably influenced the sonic nature of The Danse Society and other Gothic Rock, especially in the 1980s. Therefore, the space and its “effect” worked in their favour. I spoke to a good few audience members about this afterwards and most either didn’t notice or agreed with this viewpoint.

From the perspective of access and sound pollution, as a wheelchair user I often need to use headphones or ear protection at gigs. This can either be because the space gets packed with people, making it hard to move around or away from the lower frequencies over long time periods, or because the sound can be overwhelming when sat in position and writing a review. However, looking back I realised I hadn’t felt the need to move or use ear protection. This was probably due to both the ‘open’ nature of the hall, allowing sound waves to avoid ‘bundling’ and the work of Charlie Hunter in continually communicating with those playing. Their care, attention and management are what makes ‘Front of House’ and live sound engineering so important. As it protects the wellbeing of others, allows musicians to perform comfortably, and all without a loss in quality or enjoyment.

In terms of props and lighting, a square of bright bulb lights created a pleasing contrast against the dark of the evening, simply adapted as the mood called for it. I noted props such as what seemed to be as a small table of fruit with wooden daggers, draped back curtain, a fan and smoke machine. These little touches added even more theatre to the proceedings.

The Bands

The Limeys

I’ve seen a few of the band members in other groups and formations before, but I hadn’t yet seen The Limeys. Since the poster for this gig mentioned genres such as Goth, Alternative and Post Punk, it was a pleasant surprise to hear a culmination of Jazz infused with their own alternative mix of Folk & Rock.

The Limeys have quite a melancholic sound rising and falling between city Jazz and traditional bebop with some heavier punk vibes. At points, the vocalist/pianist (Sam) reminded me somewhat of Jeff Buckley and Radiohead’s Thom Yorke. This drove that melancholic feeling further, creating a kind of unpredictability and vulnerability to their musical tone, starting quite gentle and sombre but, in parts, howling into a rather ferocious bite. Awesome use of Crescendo. The drummer (Moses) demonstrated a beautiful understanding of the genre, velocity and musical anticipation. Also, I don’t think they used brushes, but the voicing of ghost-notes and cymbals was reminiscent of the practice of such drumming. It felt to me as though the guitarists (Theo & Jo) generated rhythm and pace for the piano and drums to collide with each other, weaving up and around as the bass and lead maintained a steadiness – a type of musical ‘current’.

The group showcased some nice minimalist motions into more solid arpeggiated ‘groove-led’ movements, this felt like a signature within their playlist of original songs. The setting and natural reverb added a subtlety in high momentum and a depth in low momentum. Sonically this reminded me of Los Angeles/West Coast Jazz, the only thing missing was some brass. Although, I did later catch many of The Limeys’ members in another band; Black White Square Form, as part of this year’s Scarborough Jazz Festival: Youth Jazz Highlights, in which saxophone was featured.

The final track of The Limeys’ set, called ‘That’s What you Think’, has become a personal favourite. I remember this track vividly as it reminded me of the jazz standard ‘Caravan’ -particularly a version by Duke Ellington, Charlie Mingus & Max Roach (Piano, Upright Bass and Drum respectively), mixed with ‘So What’ by Miles – distinctly in Bill Evans’ piano playing. The weight and intention behind Sam’s piano chords blended well with how the bass seemed to lead the piece. I really enjoyed the fullness of this song as the words were almost screamed over the flowing current of guitar, bass, and cascade of keys all enveloped by the drums. A pure wave of emotion… The ‘final bow’ in a crushing Crescendo!

During set up, Sam joked about doing a series of Steely Dan covers, I could hear this influence in many of the bridge sections, painted inside the melancholic alternative folk rock. Overall, a really pleasant and palatable melting point of fusion and motion. The ensemble had a lot of crowd support from friends and fellow Sixth Formers; it was great to hear cheering for song titles but also a silent respect for their sounds. The Limeys had a noticeable stage presence, whilst appearing comfortable ‘music for music’, showing respect and thanks from the band in promoting the other acts and giving air to the staff for their work. Crowd interaction and humour was also supplied, introducing songs, communication with audience and band members. Stage craft can be a difficult thing to remember in the moment, but Sam kept people engaged, conducting the set and providing levity.

I hear The Limeys have an album in the works; I’ll be keeping my ears open.

Westenra

This three-piece Melodic Goth Rock band consists of Lucy Danby/Luciferia (Vocals), Dominique (Bass Guitar) and Karl (Lead Guitar). The trio are based in Whitby and released their new EP ‘Burn Me Once’ in November.

Westenra’s music is a great modern complement to The Danse Society, while offering a nod back to the early 2000’s. This is heard within Lucy’s operatic tonality, combined with the band’s choices in production and songwriting. I’ve seen Westenra twice now, first at the Old Parcels Office, earlier this year. Listening to them, I’m reminded of bands like Evanescence, Nightwish, Within Temptation and even the likes of Celldweller. I was taken back my own ‘Goth’ days.

With the use of a well-produced backing-track, Westenra bring a ‘Filmic/Epic’ charge and atmospheric sound design to their music, achieved by pounding break-core beats, samples and synth arrangements, further providing a tonal pocket for Karl’s riffs and Dominique’s grounding basslines. Albeit the backing track is effectively used, I would be really interested to see how the dynamic shifts and the stagecraft amps up further if they were to have a live drummer; but there’s a definitive understanding of style and theme here, which is supported by all instrumentation being well balanced and mixed. Far too often, productions like this can become muddy, leaving no room for vocals or any variation in dynamics. However, I see the management of all these sounds to be a strength for Westenra’. I could hear every role and a consistent quality throughout their set. I particularly appreciated that among all their use of the frequency spectrum, Luciferia’s voice seemed to have a solid and legible position within the overall mix. I know from experience that this result can be hard enough to obtain in studio recordings, so to hear this in a live setting is all the more impressive.

I enjoyed their new song ‘Burn Me Once’. Also, the production and earworm that is ‘Like A Bomb’, and a favourite of mine is ‘Time’. I really like the vocal layering and synth arpeggios. The track also contains a great guitar solo, and the overall sound would make a great late-night drive tune. I can also recommend songs like ‘Parasite’ for a really nice emotive texture, awesome atmosphere and powerful lyrics. Last but not least, ‘Breathe’, I love the space in this track backed by synth strings, a beautiful palette that makes the song evocative of something with a more ethereal nature.

The Danse Society

TDS began under cover of smoke and darkness, accompanied by a cool soundscape, providing a sense of anticipation and of occasion, similar to festival or stadium shows. A simple moment of theatre, which gave renewed energy and some mystery to the evening.

I’ve seen TDS a few times now and with each turn they seem to really enjoy playing together and this can be visibly seen, not just in communication but also movement. Bass guitarist Jack is certainly an example of this, throughout the set he seemed to be captured by the music and moving to it with joyful abandon, this energy is always great to see and feel. The whole band takes not just presentation and aesthetic seriously but also the care to maintain enthusiasm and chemistry throughout. Never seeming to tire or slow, this shows real passion for the music they’ve created, a great respect for audience and furthermore an understanding of what it takes to be at the level (professionally) that The Danse Society are at.

Musically, I enjoyed many of the arpeggiated melodies, depending on the song, these where either played by Steve (Keyboard/Keytar) or Jack (Bassist) these lines became a noticeable speciality of the group. Maethelyiah’s versatile vocals brought authority and style to the band’s signature, words she sang with confidence and clarity, loud and powerful. Even when whispered, it was also great to hear some vocal backing by founder member, guitarist Paul Nash. Maeth’s interaction with the audience was energizing. I remember myself and the audience participating in a new track ‘In the Middle of the Night’, a song that seemed lighter in tone, and was a lot of fun!

A stand out track for me was ‘If You Were Only Listening’ from their 2024 album ‘The Loop’; as a lover of film soundtracks, I could hear a mix between the main title track of John Carpenter’s ‘Escape From New York’ and 007 James Bond themes like ‘The World Is Not Enough’ (performed by Garbage); this character can be found in Maeth’s lyrical delivery and stressing of notes. The drone of eerie strings, interwoven with the bassline, create the perfect soundstage. In writing this, I listened to the studio version of the track, and the use of brass and orchestral effects drives this thematic feel even more, drawing closer to the ‘espionage motif’ with a beautiful ‘double 0 – 7th’ guitar chord in closing! ‘If You Were Only Listening’ has to be my favourite TDS track to date.

I know from talking to members and friends of The Danse Society that they like to play with sound and style, not constricting themselves to stylist permitters. The group ended the night with upcoming song ‘Time’ – a loud and lively tune which got people dancing and having fun. The lyrics made me think of time as a man-made construct, and evoked thoughts of quite dystopian imagery. I love the use of contrast between ‘thought provoking subject matter’ put against upbeat and energetic music.

During my research Paul Nash (Guitarist/Backing Vocals) told me: “We played some songs on the night destined to be on the new album, it’s always good to gauge reaction before recording but I was very pleased with how they were received. The songs (working titles) are ‘When You Cry”, “Hollow Men” “In the Middle of the Night” and “Pick a Card” – a flavour of what will be on our 9th studio album which will be released in 2026.”

In closing, I want to thank the audience, (over 100 in attendance), the Scarborough Market Hall staff and of course all the bands.

Links:
The Danse Society: Linktree

Westenra: Distrokid : Instagram : Facebook

The Limeys: instagram