Hailing from Sydney, the band’s seminal debut garnered critical acclaim in Europe, with it receiving Certified Breakthrough status from the BRITs and going on to earn the band support spots under the likes of Liam Gallagher and Courteeners.
Kitted out in laddish garms straight out of British football terraces, an immediate, match-day-like buzz filled out the O2 Academy before their Australian counterparts, Salarymen, arrived as the pre-game warmup. Donning flared denim, leather, and long bangs, the duo delivered a short but sweet selection of hits, with ‘Surrender’, their self-proclaimed post-punk cut, and their top track ‘We Could Be Together’, offering a glimpse into the upcycled ‘60s sound they’re aiming to resurrect.
From harmonising their love for Japan and serenading the Valentine’s Day crowd with a subdued but nostalgically trendy presence, Salarymen’s sleek guitar riffs and synth-heavy beats provided a welcome taste of New South Wales’s emerging sound. Much as Ireland has drawn international attention in recent years for its deep bench of emerging talent, Australia now appears poised to command a similar cultural spotlight.
Now, for the one 2016 rewind anyone in the room seemed to truly care about: DMA’s recital of their iconic album, ‘Hill’s End’. A record characterised by its Britpop-esque charm and infectiously catchy, rousing choruses, the album struck a particular chord with British audiences upon its release, later earning it certified Silver status in the UK. The sea of fans pressing toward the front of the venue's barricade only underscored their continued cult-like following and the home-away-from-home success they’ve maintained ever since.
As vocalist Tommy O'Dell, lead guitarist Matt Mason, and rhythm guitarist Johnny Took each took their rightful positions on-stage, the atmosphere throughout the venue soared, charged by a tide of Stone Island and Fred Perry silhouettes. The core setlist came as little surprise from the get-go, following the order of their most-loved body of work and starting with the anthemic hits ‘Timeless’ and ‘Lay Down’. Tearing through the venue’s acoustics, as beers flew and arms punched to the sky in unison, the pace was temporarily tempered by the stunning opening chords of ‘Delete’. Already a heartstring-tugger, the full course of the album landed harder in-person as Took revealed how much the record still means to him and his bandmates today.
As the night matured, the deeply nostalgic ‘Step Up The Morphine’, ‘Straight Dimensions’ and the sonic equivalent of a cool summer’s day, ‘Blown Away’, provided more set highlights, before reverberating riffs bounced off the walls, trailing off like a vinyl record coming to a stop.
With an encore that felt like an entire new gig in itself in length and intensity, DMA’s rounded things off with ‘Silver’, ‘Tape Deck Sick’, and ‘Hello Girlfriend’ – the latter injecting a sense of pantomime humour with its repeatedly teased and extended ending. Capping a set that stretched beyond their most loved album yet to include favourites from their wider catalogue, there’s no doubt that the trio – and the boisterous crowd before them – could have continued well into the dawn.
While the years have certainly flown by, and those heady days of early DMA’s seem long ago, their sold-out Leeds show only served to cement that a good time is never more than a listen away, and instilled the belief that ‘Hill’s End’ will become an everlasting classic in the indie-rock hall of fame.
Ruby Brown
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