WORDS AND IMAGES BY DESH KAPUR
Manchester Academy was sold out for Aussie indie kings the DMA’S and that’s the way it should be.
But before the DMAS there were fellow Aussie cohorts and Triple J unearthed winners Pacific Avenue to contend with, I checked them out on youtube and thought they had a 60’s kind of Cast vibe, but live I think I was quite far from the mark, they looked like the bastard children of Led Zeppelin and Wolfmother and landed somewhere in between a 60’s pop and 70’s rock sound. And considering this was their first time in old blighty they walked on stage with an air of confidence and seemed extremely comfortable on the Academy stage. With that said and as they say in Australia, “They played a ripper of a set” and I am sure they made a lot of new friends
This is most likely the 4-5th time I have covered the DMA’S, Tom Odell (vocals), Matt Mason (Lead Guitar), and Johnny Took (Acoustic guitar and Keys) and each time they get better and better. Tonight, was no different, even better than before, the more intimate size of the Academy seems to make a difference.
The venue was packed, and the crowd were fully amped for the arrival of their heroes. Chants of DMA’S rang around the room. The band walked onto the stage and the venue erupted. The DMA’S star is shining so brightly right now, and it’s rightly deserved.
Australia has served up some amazing indie pop bands over the last 2 decades and now we can add the DMA’S to that list. Three lads from Sydney, Australia, playing, if I had to pigeonhole it, Oasis-inspired Britpop with shades of the La’s, The Stone Roses, and The Charlatans. But they are so much more than that. They write truly great songs.
Right from the very first song, the crowd sang along. It’s hard to pick any particular song that stood out, because they were all great tunes. The band played tracks from all their releases, “Hills End”, “For Now”, “The Glow” and the post-pandemic EP release “I Love You Unconditionally, Sure I Am Going to Miss You”, plus tracks from their forthcoming 4th album “How Many Dreams”
Right from the first chords of “Timeless”, the indie bangers came one after another, “The Glow”, “Dawning”. and the new single “Everybody’s saying Thursday is the weekend” which was brilliant by the way
“Silver” follows, a delicately beautiful song and my personal favourite. And I quote my friend and huge DMA’S fan, Andy Everley “One of the best songs written in the last ten years”. Praise indeed. It swoops and dips with the most beautiful melodies and harmonies. Tom Odell’s voice shines and the lyrics are so moving and tender. “Life Is a Game of Changing”, “Hello Girlfriend” and “I Don’t Need to Hide” and the whole venue is rocking what the band lack in audience interaction, is made up with brilliant songwriting, amazing performance and true beauty of Tom’s voice. He was immaculate tonight. I could listen to him sing all day. Throw in the brilliantly fractured vulnerability of their breakthrough record “Delete”, and it was a night to remember.
As the band played a set of anthemic indie pop gems, it was amazing to watch the crowd from the balcony, with phone lights raised, on each other’s shoulders, singing along word for word, bringing back memories of scenes past, and anticipation of what these three chaps could go on to achieve. Lead singer Tommy O’Dell’s voice filled the room, accompanied by Matt Mason and Johnny Took on lead guitar and acoustic guitar and the night was over in a flash.
So, until the next time lads, cheers!!!!!
SET LIST
1/ TIMELESS
2/ THE GLOW
3/ DAWNING
4/ EVERYBODY’S SAYING THURSDAY THE WEEKEND
/ SILVER
6/ LIF IS A GAME OF CHANGING
/ HELLO GIRLFRIEND
8/ I DON’T NEED TO HIDE
9/ IN THE AIR
10/ OLYMPIA
11/ TAPE DECK SICK
12/ COBRACAINE
13/ DELETE
14/ PLAY IT OUT
ENCORE
15/ STEP UP THE MORPHINE
16/ FEELS LIKE 37
17/ LAY DOWN
18/BELIVE
FOLLOW DMA’S
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My life is a soundtrack, i track my life through music, photography is my passion, my escape, my expression. Without both i have pieces missing, thankfully i’m blessed and get to combine both.
Born in Manchester, lived in Australia for 22 years where i was heavily involved in the Australian Music Industry, firstly in bands (Singer) and then managing bands (all original), I moved back to the UK, Wales specifically 10 years ago and married my childhood sweetheart and life is good.
