Glasgow-based alt rockers Dalmatic took to McChuills on Tuesday 22 April for an independently organised show. Bursting with energy, the four-piece proved they’re ones to watch.
Formed in late 2023, the four-piece have headlined a number of the city’s venues like King Tuts. Tuesday’s gig was a new venture, however, having been entirely coordinated and promoted by themselves.
Support came from Fife post-punk group The Urban and East End shoegaze newbies TXXTHACHE. The Urban in particular were a great watch, with frontwoman Daisy channeling the likes of Amy Taylor and Ellie Roswell as she took command of the High Street pub’s stage.
Dalmatic took to the stage around 9:35pm, with the venue filling up especially well for a first DIY show. Clearly, they’re doing something right; with only one official single release and no promoter behind them this time, the group managed to sell out all advanced tickets.
In the first few songs, the early Arctic Monkeys influence was apparent. Hopefully as they progress, Dalmatic will find ways to incorporate new, original takes on the sound to distinguish themselves in an often oversaturated genre as they have in their single “Daemon”.
Frontman Ben Smillie’s vocals were an impressive blend of punk snarls and his own take on Liam Gallagher’s signature nasally intonations. He could have benefited from his mic being slightly louder to avoid being drowned out by the rest of the band, but these sorts of things are all part of a learning curve.
Guitarist Ollie Fisher was shit hot, never missing a note and playing complex riffs with grace and apparent ease. Drummer Riya Iyer and bassist Scott Lynch kept the group’s timing impeccable.
A little bit more crowd interaction wouldn’t have gone amiss, but Lynch and Smillie’s cheeky Gallagher-esque quips kept the audience entertained between songs. Perhaps it was a comfortability thing. As the show went on, the group visibly became more relaxed on stage, unafraid to poke fun at what they believe to be their weaker offerings and letting their in-group patter have its moment.
Attention retention whilst playing isn’t something the group struggle with, however – even during unreleased tracks, pits had opened before a single note left Smillie’s mouth. For such a small venue, they managed to make McChuills feel larger than it is with revellers jumping up on ledges around the room.
Whilst it’s expected for an artist to return to the stage after their “last song”, there was a genuine, tangible sense of excitement in the air when they came back out for an encore of “Daemon”. The crowd genuinely wanted more – it was a testament to the band’s talent and hard-earned fan base thus far.
All in all, Dalmatic’s chemistry is electric and they’ve nailed their technical skills impeccably. The gig was a testament to the magic of DIY shows and the type of crowds they pull. Die-hard music fans mixed with clear talent leads to the sort of atmosphere an arena or stadium concert could only dream of having. Dalmatic are one of the most exciting acts in the Glasgow scene right now and are definitely ones to keep an eye on.