Dylan John Thomas brings his debut headline show to the O2 Ritz Manchester UK 13th December 2024

 

 

WORDS AND IMAGES MICHAEL BOND

 

 

Not for a while have I seen such an electric atmosphere in a venue than tonight, and Dylan John Thomas (DJT) hasn’t even come on stage yet. The O2 Ritz feels like an indie disco, with the likes of the Fratelli’s, Arctic Monkeys and Oasis blasting out over the sound system with the crowd going nuts at the chorus, flinging beer into the air and making full use of the Ritz’ sprung dance floor.

The venue is jam-packed with 1,500 fans, eagerly anticipating what songs they are going to hear tonight. And as the last song comes to a close, the house lights lift just before the whole venue is plunged into darkness. As the band make their way onto the stage there is a massive roar from the crowd which only intensifies as DJT appears from the darkness.

It felt like everyone knew that ‘Jenna’ was going to be the opening track tonight, and from the first note the crowd sang along to every word, to the point DJT no longer needed to sing, or could be heard over the collective choir. ‘Jenna’ is one of those tunes that gets the crowd going early, and has consistently been the opening song on the 2024 UK tour.

Next up are three songs taken from the latest self-titled album, ‘When I Get Home’, ‘Rich Boy’ and ‘Wake Up Ma’. These to go down well, with the crowd still singing along. DJT has been steadily building and ever growing following around the UK since he toured with fellow Glaswegian Gerry Cinnamon back in 2019, and it’s clear to see that some of tonight’s hardcore fans have been around for the duration. Tonight’s energy continues for ‘Feel the Fire’, another great moment of crowd participation as the lyrics are once again collectively sung back to the stage. 

 

 

From seeing DJT back in the earlier stages of his career, as a solo acoustic act. You can really see how having a full band playing alongside him has made a massive difference, injecting a higher level of energy into the overall performance. With DJT looking really relaxed and taking in the atmosphere and feeding off the crowd.

Next up is an acoustic cover of ABBA’s classic ‘Mamma Mia’ which the crowd love and has everyone in the room singing the chorus back at the top of their voices. Newer tracks in the set, like ‘Yesterday Is Gone’ are really good examples of how DJT’s music has progressed over the last few years, as he matures and hones his craft.

After a brief pause the set comes to a close with two of DJT’s most popular tracks ‘Nobody Else’ and ‘Fever’. Watching the crowd throughout this set, you wouldn’t think there was anywhere left for them to go but when ‘Fever’ starts the crowd find another level and go absolutely manic. Dylan John Thomas is without a doubt one of the best up-and-coming talents at the moment and with such a solid fanbase, its worth keeping an eye on his journey over the coming years.

Setlist

1/ Jenna

2/ When I Get Home

3/ Rich Boy

4/ Wake Up Ma

5/ Champs-Élysées

6/ Feel the Fire

7/ Mamma Mia (ABBA cover)

8/ If I Didn’t Laugh

9/ Up in the Air

10/ Problems

11/ Yesterday is Gone

12/ What I Need

Encore

13/ Nobody Else

14/ Fever

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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