DMA’S kick off their UK tour in Greenock
On Sunday night we made our way through to Greenock to catch everyone’s favourite Aussie trio DMA’S, supported by Coatbridge’s finest punk quartet Voodoos. The gig marked DMA’S first date in Scotland since 2019’s TRNSMT festival, and it’s safe to say they’ve been missed by Scottish fans.
Voodoos
At 7:30pm Voodoos took to the stage to open the show. The fourpiece played a brilliant set starting with their latest single ‘Easier Said Than Done’ which was packed with emotion, followed by fan favourite ‘TV Set’ which features a really catchy bass riff and was the highlight of their setlist for me. The feel-good ‘Party’s Over’ came next, before we were treated to the unreleased ‘Come See Me’.
These guys have such a brilliant and energetic stage presence; from the edgy high-tempo guitar of ‘Garden Ornaments’ and the catchy riffs of ‘Going South’ they performed with brilliant vigour and liveliness. Another highlight of their set for me was the hook-laden ‘Young Punks’ which sonically gives off early Strokes vibes with infectious riffs and fuzzy vocals.
Closing their set was the high tempo ‘It’s Your Life’ followed by ‘Do It To Myself’ which has a massive sing-a-long chorus that ended the set on a high note. Voodoos are a band I’ve been listening to for a while but I’ve never had the opportunity to see live before, and after Sunday its safe to say we will be buying tickets to see them play mash house in December!
DMA’S
Then it was time for the headliners to come onstage, and although they were a little late DMA’S are worth waiting for. They opened with the psychadelic ‘Never Before’ showcasing Tommy’s smooth and effortless vocals followed by electronic anthem ‘The Glow’ where we witnessed some brilliant guitar work set to a charging beat.
We’ve all waited a long time to hear tunes from ‘The Glow’ live, and the set featured a good handful like the slow-burning ballad ‘Silver’, rave track ‘Life Is A Game of Changing’, and radio-friendly ‘Criminals’. I was possibly most excited to hear the energetic pop-rock explosion of ‘Hello Girlfriend’, and it didn’t disappoint with its fuzzy guitars and an attention-grabbing chorus.
As well as their newer tracks we were treated to older classics like ‘Dawning’ and ‘In The Moment’ which are setlist staples. The Gallagher-esque acoustic strumming of ‘Emily Whyte’ teamed with heartful vocals was emotional, while ‘Tape Deck Sick’ is beautifully simple with vocals and an acoustic guitar. Another live staple is ‘In The Air’ which always delivers a chilled-out, melodic vibe. I think we’re all a bit sick of hearing ‘Delete’ but there’s no denying the passion and intensity of the unyielding crowd singing it back to the band, always making for a special live moment. The real stand-out for me was hearing the bittersweet ‘Junk Truck’ make its live debut. Taken from the trio’s latest EP, there was an undeniable tenderness and emotional intensity in Tommy’s vocals here which really elevated the track into something intimate and impactful.
Also from the new EP and making it’s live debut in Scotland was ‘We Are Midnight’, the soaring vocals, distorted layered guitar and anthemic hooksencapsulates the earlier sound that many of the fans fell in love with.
The gig came to an abrupt halt when Tommy was called off stage during the end of ‘Play It Out’, immediately before the fire alarm went off and the building was evacuated. Although it was a disappointing ending to an otherwise great gig, fortunately it was only the encore left so we didn’t miss out too much.
Unfortunate endings aside, DMA’S will forever be one of my favourite bands purely because of the way their gigs make me feel. Johnny, Tommy and Matt really assert a certain stage presence; they have a very unique blend of genres and sounds that makes for a cinematic, spine tingling gig experience that doesn’t get old.
