This weekend is the big Splendour in the Grass festival held in the camping fields of Byron Bay. Although I managed to miss out getting tickets because they all sold out on the first day, I was not terribly disappointed as the line up is not as it has been in the last few years. One of the side benefits of Splendour though, even if you do miss out on the actual festival itself, is the sideshows that a number of the artists do. So last night I went out to go see the Doves perform at The Arena.

With doors opening at 8, I was surprised when the support act, Neon, came on in shortly after and churned out a decent set that lasted for at least an hour. Having seen them more recently support Motorace, before that Jebediah, and then Muse last year, I am definitely impressed by how much exposure and popularity they seem to be gaining. The Doves, on the other hand, have not had much airplay in Australia for a while, even with their latest album, Some Cities released earlier this year.

It didn’t take long for the stage to be set for the main act and it was in no time at all, dazzling beams of light welcomed the full four person band to the stage. Describing the style of the Doves’ music is pretty difficult. Take your traditional brit pop rock, weave in the synthetic sounds of an electronic keyboard, throw in a little drum and bass and you still have something that doesn’t quite capture it. But don’t let this unusual mix stop you from watching an otherwise professional performance. You can easily distinguish the quality of the Doves performance from many traditional Australian bands, with every song carefully selected to move the audience, and accompanied by a co-ordinated yet effective light show that stunned the crowd. Another great performance to have seen at The Arena!