Some Kind Of Nightmare are a hard-rocking, hard-working band from San Diego, USA. Perpetually on tour, they are perhaps best enjoyed live, and their new recording is perhaps as close as you can get to the real thing. A collaboration with DCxPC Live, we hear the guys perform at Lou’s LMGA in Orlando.

By Graeme Smith

Feature photo by Lindsey Warnot

DCxPC Live came about during the coronavirus pandemic when venues were closed and live music was off the table. Recording livestreams, then releasing them on vinyl in order to pay homage to the VMLive album covers of the ’90s, the guys have expanded into live shows now that things are opened up again. This live recording was done in December 2021, and was DCxPC Live’s first post-COVID show at Lou’s LMGA.

The performance opens with We Take Form, a song that deals with the pain and body dysmorphia brought about by cancer and a double mastectomy that the band’s bassist and vocalist has experienced. There’s a visceralness to it that is instantly arresting. A stripped-back intro launches head first into pacy punk. It’s a strong start.

Everything’s Okay takes a shot at the police force with some frenetic riffs and passionate vocals. Crow is a powerhouse at the heart of the EP, with lively percussion, layers of hard-played guitars and take-no-prisoners vocals. Driven Red brings bombast and no-holds-bar punk. Bombs And Jobs rounds off the digital release. Not originally available on the vinyl version, it delivers a surprise and energetic coda to the record.

In a world in which live music is struggling for attention with more forms of art and entertainment than ever before, innovative services like DCxPC Live are all the more important. The release is their ninth in a series of live performances, and if you like it, then you should definitely check out the others. There’s plenty more to hear in the world of Some Kind Of Nightmare as well.

You can listen to the whole of the live EP below.