Dutch Order are a new band that has only been together since last summer and this was their debut London gig. Their sound is very much in the post punk/alternative bracket with strong leanings to a Joy Division sound. They played their cold, blackened hearts out giving us 13 very powerful songs that had the singer, Matthew Kesby, on his knees  with the intensity of it all.

As a new band they didn't have too many expectations from tonight but the uproarious reception that they received and the continued shouts for an encore that they hadn't prepared for, visibly surprised them.

Listen out for Jack N Jill being played on the dance floors and if you can get to the opening night of The Belfry in Norwich on 13th November, you can see Dutch Order supporting NightPorter.   
CASSANDRA MUNRO

Half-way through the third quarter of what has been an intensely busy year, the hard-working Luxury Stranger are no, er, strangers to shows of this size and it is their role this evening to be the headline act to the stripped-down angular post-mod, post-punk Dutch Order: this is an unfair heightening of expectations for a band who, this evening, seem a little distracted and uncertain of themselves. Their material is well-crafted and ambitious, their musical skill as a band is unquestionable, and their passion and commitment beyond doubt, yet tonight there seems to be something missing, a lack of cohesion.

It is not that the band didn't play well: each song is rehearsed and performed to perfection. The singer/guitarist Simon York seems almost detached from both the rest of the band and the audience, and given their schedule of shows this year and an inevitable journey from Nottingham to London (and of course tonight's return journey to look forward to) it would be of no surprise if they were all knackered.

It would be far too strong to say the band disappoint, and it would be an injustice to say that they we not giving it their all. A year of relentless touring (and holding down day jobs) takes its toll: the return on this has, however, given the band a national following. Their image is well-established and the songs speak for themselves, but this writer can't help but feel that if, in the words of Frank Zappa, the band just shut up and played their guitars it would result in a stronger set. Just because the music is complex does not mean the performance has to be: to leave the trickery and witchery to the studio and fashion out the songs with less distraction and interruptions would be easier for both the band and the audience. This band deserves greatness, but sadly tonight wasn't theirs.

Both these acts represent some sort of vision of part of the future for British dark, alternative post-punk music (or, if you will, schwarze musik). Both artists are engagingly retro yet modernist in their approach, and both should be supported by the schwarze szene. Luxury Stranger will shortly be releasing their second album, and it will be fascinating to see what 2011 holds for both they and Dutch Order. If you get the chance to see either of these bands, make it a priority.
MIRANDA YARDLEY