Doves

Venue:

Moseley Folk Festival

Date: 31/08/2025

There are bands that you feel are ‘yours’ and Doves are definitely that. While I can’t say I was in on The Cedar Room on release day in 2000, I had signed up to their brand of Northern Windswept Romanticism © by There Goes The Fear and The Last Broadcast saw them top the UK charts. The first time I saw them live was at the late lamented V Festival, one of the first we took ourselves post-kids with two under three in tow, to. We saw about 10 minutes of several bands in between worrying about eldest wanding off never to be seen again, but on the second stage I can vividly remember an intense version of Pounding. By the time Kingdom of Rust came out in 2009 we had babysitters sorted and saw them at the Academy, a truly great gig. And that was it until this year. There was a hiatus for solo albums, then COVID, then a new albumThe Universal Want. I had tickets for the tour in 2021, only for it to be cancelled in sad circumstances, as bassist and lead vocalist Jimi Goodwin’s mental health prevented him from touring. I like many fans assumed that would be that, and they appeared on several ‘where are they now?’ threads on this very site.

Until this year. When not only a new album was announced, but that there would be a tour with Jez and Andy taking on Jimi’s vocals between them. I saw them at the Institute in March and what a night that was. But I didn’t write a review then, so here’s one of the Moseley Folk Festival set on Sunday.

Doves come on after a space-rock freak out hour from Mercury Rev, and are given the difficult job of closing the festival, made doubly so by a torrential downpour during the traditional procession and the invocation of the worm (you had to be there). They are now five: a second guitarist, keyboard player and bassist joining Andy on drums and Jez on guitars and (mainly) vocals.

I’m not going to run through their setlist. They have what I might say is a perfectly-sized catalogue for a 90-minute set. Half-a-dozen songs that everyone wants to hear whenever they play (Cedar Room, Catch the Sun, Fear.., Pounding, Black and White Town, Kingdom of Rust), three or four from the new album, and then the ability to go into the catalogue to keep the whole thing fresh. Highlights were Kingdom of Rust with its inherent clop-clop C and W rhythm emphasised; a cowbell and samba coda to There Goes Your Fear, and brilliantly out-of-time closer Space Face from their dance music pre-life as Sub Sub.

The audience:

the Moseley crowd: over-forties, over-sixties, a smattering of twenty-somethings and kids running around. Raincoats, boots, picnic blankets, band–shirts, beanie hats and so on. They sing along, put their hands in the air and generally have a great time. Closing of festival mission completed.

It made me think..

If I liked Doves a lot before the nature of their comeback this year has pushed them into the ‘love’ position. The Moseley Folk concert didn’t quite have the emotion of the March concert – where Jimi’s absence felt much rawer and there was a sense of the audience helping the band through the experience. The between song chat is now a bit broader and more confident, less personal and more communal. But a real triumph over adversity. They have gigs at the end of the year and I would urge you to go if you can.

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