Thursday 16/04/09 Doves, De Rosa @ Brighton Dome

This whole evening just screams the word "injustice" at your face, over and over again. As Lady GaGa, a talentless, rich bitch, pops open the champagne for another week, Doves, the act the thousands in attendance have come out to see in response to their consistently heartfelt output, have to settle for #2 in the album charts.

De Rosa, another relatively underrated band, whilst we're on the subject, correctly but jokingly proclaim to the half-full Dome that the number 1 spot belongs to a "fringe with tits." That's declared only one song in. Much of the Scottish group's set consists of melodic and romantic alternative rock, with occasional dips into something darker, more driven. You find yourself dozing off but then being interrupted from your dreamy state by an eye-opening, expressive Martin John Henry on vocals, who varies between pitchy and passionate, achieving a respectable balance. But a very small minority of the crowd know how De Rosa's actually spelt when the band announce their name, and that comes across as a little unjust.

Doves have been criminally underrated for some time, that much everybody can agree on. But some find their records too tame, too impersonal, which is understandable. But to find your 'breakthrough album', this year's 'Seldom Seen Kid' of sorts, sitting uneasily behind the most absurd success story of the year, it might feel like a kick to the stomach. But tonight's set is triumphant at worst, overwhelming at best. A surprisingly active crowd bounce up and down for the anthemic 'Pounding', widen out their arms for the 'Kingdom Of Rust' highlight '10:03' and go arm in arm of the latest album's title track.

The crowd give out their applause, cheers and whistles as a means of saying "we still love you..." to the Manchester trio. Jimi Goodwin is center of attention, swinging between his traditional bass and Jez Williams' drum kit for 'Here It Comes', and commencing the much-anticipated encore with a solo acoustic rendition. The 20-plus-songs set confirms the belief that Doves' music, however little it has changed in the last near-decade, however much it remains under the radar to some extent, it's still cutting-edge, topical, adored by those who who hold the firm view that Lady GaGa has rained on what would have been a mighty parade. This performance rids of the woes, and only re-affirms everything that makes Doves one of the best bands in the world, even if only 1/100 of the world knows it...