First up, apologies for the delay in getting this review out. I wasn’t hugely fighting fit on the night of the gig as I’d not been well (which is also my excuse for the lack of photos, I just wasn’t up to pushing through the crowd), and then I got even more sick a while after. However, despite managing to get a couple of interviews online from the co-headliners (Dollyrots here and Don’t Panic here), the whole touring bunch deserve some words. So here they are!
Look, this is going to be an odd review. But I have my reasons. For a start, I’m going to do the sets out of order. I’m starting with The Dollyrots. They were great. They’re always great. And with the growing addition of The Dollytots to the mix, they get better with each visit. Who else has their ridiculously young child shoehorn their way into the set to do a standup segment? Nobody, that’s who.
The venue was rammed while they were on and here comes a confession – I don’t know a huge number of their song titles off the top of my head. Thing is, I like the music… but it’s The Dollyrots themselves who I flipping adore. It’s who they are, and what they do, and how they do it, and what they embody. Everyone who was there, and who attended the other dates on their visit, knows they can get a crowd going. The songs, the laughter, the self-effacement… it’s a joy to watch. Two women in the crowd in particular were going absolutely mental, dancing and bouncing for the entire set while, by some miracle, not battering into those around them.
So, once again the Dollyrots arrive and up their game. Long may it continue and I feel it will do just that.
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Headlining tonight were Philly’s Don’t Panic, named for “the most helpful or intelligible thing” Arthur Dent had read on that fateful day. A bouncing pop-punk band full of energy, they played to a venue that had emptied a bit after the departure of their American friends, but as any true professional would do they could have been on stage at Murrayfield and not put on a more impressive display. Sure, there were technical issues (more on that shortly), but these were taken in stride.
Their tunes are catchy and humorous, and they really know how to communicate with a crowd. Missing a mic of his own, the drummer takes to wandering out to the front for a chat now and again which is nice. The whole set had that perfect edge of chaos to it and I hope they’re back again at some point, playing to a bigger crowd. They deserve it.
Now, I mentioned technical issues. Nothing major. A broken string, which involved Luis from The Dollyrots running downstairs (mid-podcast) to assist with. An amp that went wibbly, so a member of openers Royals had to be on hand to reconfigure things. But the point here is that the bands are a unit. They’re not throwing plaudits to each other on stage for no reason, they’re genuinely in this together as a team.
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And this is where I get to Royals (who we featured amongst our Classic Covers a while ago). I missed their set as I was conducting those interviews – using their dressing room. My friend said they were good, and I will absolutely catch them the next time they’re in Glasgow. If it wasn’t for them, then this tour likely couldn’t have gone ahead. They’re not just “the opening band”. They’re the home team, the hosts.
Heading over from the US on a small-budget tour, you can’t afford to bring a lot with you. One guitar. No spare, no amps. No drums, good grief, no. So Royals provided the backline. The backups. The support for technical issues after their set had finished.
I just want to make sure that Royals get the credit they deserve. Not just for being a great band (according to my friend), with one member who has pecs so well defined you could cut cheese with them (according to me), but for being the engine behind the entire UK tour. Please check out their social links below and keep an eye out for them touring again. One good turn and all that.
There you go, probably the most one-of-a-kind gig review I’ve done to date, resulting from having a glimpse behind the scenes of how a small, independent tour is put together. It’s a huge pleasure to write about bands like these. Support them! Get out to those gigs, and buy the merch. I genuinely hope my shirt purchases helped cover the return airfare!
Dollyrots: official | facebook | twitter | instagram | youtube | myspace | bandcamp | spotify | myshopify
Don’t Panic (PA): official | facebook | twitter | instagram | spotify | bandcamp | youtube
Royals: official | facebook | twitter | instagram | spotify | twitch | tiktok | youtube
