My second show of 2010 is the 2nd ever for Memory Tapes. Despite having caused quite a buzz since the U.S. release of “Seek Magic”, it’s for the U.K. release that Dayve Hawk has finally unleashed his electronic pop project into the live arena. Not that you can really describe The Social as an arena, but it’s the perfect size for the minimal set up that Hawk and his drummer Matt Maraldo (from his previous band, “Hail Social”) require. Hawk takes care of vocals and guitar whilst a trusty macbook provides everything else that they need. The set starts off quite tame, with a lot of the slower tracks from the album loaded towards the front. Things soon start to pick up though, and by the time they play “Bicycle” they have well and truly hit their stride. The vocals also start a bit wobbly, but improve as the show goes on. You are still left with the impression, though, that Dayve Hawk would much rather be anywhere else but under the spotlight. Just as things start to peak (both in confidence and energy), it’s all over. The band leave and let the Mac provide us with an outro. It may have only lasted a little over 30 minutes, but (for a 2nd ever show) it hinted towards an exciting future.
