It’s a cold Thursday night in Glasgow but it doesn’t stop there being a sizeable queue right down the street an hour before tonights gig.
This is the second visit to the venue this year for Sydney’s DMA’s who have put in no end of work across Europe leading them to play major festivals and headlining larger venues every time they return. They’re no strangers to Glasgow, stopping off three times in just over 12 months. Judging by the healthy crowd outside the venue, this one was always going to be a lot fun.
Unfortunately, it seemed like most people in the venue chose to have a few drinks when Liverpool’s Stone took to the stage. Completely unphased, they wasted no time getting down to business with their eclectic mix of indie and punk which was well received by the early gig-goers who made the effort to get down the front.
The bands confidence and swagger was infectious and there were clearly a number of fans already well aware of the band. Musically, bands like Mudhoney and The Pixies spring to mind but with a distinct British undertone that gives the band a genuine appeal. There was even a hint of The Streets in places. Frontman Fin Power oozes charisma, giving off Ian Curtis vibes as he moved around the stage, keeping everyone watching engaged. The band look more than comfortable on such a big stage and gave a great performance. By the time they tore through set closer ‘Leave it Out’ the place had filled up considerably and there was s a sea of smiling faces and huge applause as the band left the stage. Job well and truly done. Stone are heading back on their own headline tour of the UK in February. I think they’ll really shine in a smaller venue. Definitely ones to keep an eye on.
In the lead up DMA’s taking to the stage, the venue became crammed and the anticipation in the air was magical. Opener ‘Olympia’ set the standard for the evening, getting everyone bouncing and singing their hearts out. Guitarist Johnny Took made every opportunity to fire up the crowd as he tore across the stage, pulling moves Steve Harris would be proud of. His smiles and enthusiasm certainly put frontman Tommy O’Dell and guitarist Matt Mason to shame. Bizarrely, both looked like they would rather be somewhere else for the first few numbers of the bands set which was a real shame considering the reaction the band had beneath them.
Thankfully by the time fan favourite ‘Get Ravey’ was played, the band were firing on all cylinders and everything finally seemed to click into place. O’Dell and Mason both started feeding off the atmosphere and showing their appreciating for the crowd as the pit surged in all directions, drinks flying through the air and security were put to work up the front catching multiple crowd surfers. It was actually hard to see the stage at one point for all the people climbing on top of each others shoulders to sing every word back at O’Dell.
One of the things that sets DMA’s apart from other bands is they have a real gift of being able to whip a crowd into an absolute frenzy and then out of nowhere slow down the pace but lose no intensity in doing so. A prime example is when the band showed their emotional side with the beautiful ‘Emily Whyte’ followed by ‘In The Air’ both of which show off the multiple layers of this talented band.
Just when we thought it couldn’t get any more special, the lights dipped in the venue to one single beam facing O’Dell, who stood centre stage and gave a truly amazing rendition of ‘Silver’ which echoed round the massive venue with fans hanging off every word. His unique voice is something that takes this band to another level and he delivers each line with an effortless style that is totally unique and completely flawless in delivery.
The capacity crowd get treated to a few older numbers ‘Delete’ and ‘Tape Deck Sick’ which get everybody moving again before set closer ‘Feels Like 37’ closes out a fantastic set. It would have been a strong way to go out, but the band return to the stage for a 3-song encore of ‘Step Up To The Morphine’, ‘Lay Down’ and the anthemic ‘Everybody’s Saying Thursday’s the Weekend’ which causes absolute carnage. It’s a perfect end to a great set. There seems to be no stopping DMA’s in their quest for world domination. Buckle up, it’s going to be one hell of a ride…
Photos by Beyond Punk Photography
