Dashboard Confessional

With one of the band’s rather large roadies standing over my right shoulder as I’m seated writing the title to this review – I promptly move, fearing what may happen to me otherwise.

As Chris Carrabba (vocals) walks on stage to one of the day’s smaller crowds – out comes a loud of whiny, self-indulgent tripe that is best suited to your bedroom on a lone winters night – certainly not what you fancy hearing in the middle of an, otherwise, uplifting festival.

As the second song starts, the rest of the band walk out to complete the tear-jerking line-up that makes up Dashboard Confessional. Perhaps, after all, their roadie was in fact a large cuddly teddy bear – and I should not have been so scared that I would get pummelled in to the ground.

As a group clap starts in the middle of the set I am slightly concerned that random strangers will be asking me for a shoulder to cry on and a cuddle. As such – I retreat to a safe distance and watch the band from afar for the rest of their set.

It’s not all as bad as I make out – Dashboard Confessional have a great appeal to their fans. If these songs had a deep connection with you – you couldn’t fault the performance and, quite rightly, would have all the emotions invoked that were intended. The problem comes for those that are not fans – this is not really the correct forum for their material.

Progressing through a set including their recent Spiderman 2 hit single, the band end their set with a song about ‘the best day [the lead singer’s] ever had in [his] whole life’ – although even now I’m not feeling uplifted – I need a hug.

Great if you’ve got a collection of their music – but otherwise it would be wise to steer clear and save you’re the box of Kleenex for other uses.

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