Monday the 10th of December proved to be a great night for all those who are lovers of anything Britpop at O2 Academy. The first support act Rosborough were mesmerising to watch, to the point that I couldn’t quite believe I’d never heard his voice before. The Irish singer has quite the pipes, showcased in a setlist of immediately catchy tracks- I’m sure many members of the audience googled him as soon as they got home (if they hadn’t just used Shazam right there and then). The second support act, six-piece, Scottish band, Neon Waltz, were somewhat confusing. Perhaps it was their lack of stage presence, or simply a result of who’d played before them, but something about it just wasn’t quite there.

By the time DMA’s were due on, the room was almost a cess-pit of bucket hats and mod-style haircuts, with a surprisingly large age range within the audience, truly illustrating the band’s expanding fanbase. Right from the offset, with ‘Play It Out’, the group oozed coolness, particularly lead singer Tommy O’Dell, who evidently knows exactly how to work a crowd, despite perhaps being a man of few words. The band were tight throughout their varied set, never missing a step. Personal favourite performances of mine were ‘In The Air’ and ‘Delete’, as well as the acoustic rendition of ‘The End’. Perhaps that’s because it was during these tracks that you were able to hear the audience singing along to every word- a highlight of any gig in my opinion, and a true sign of a great band.

Charlotte Bresh

Header Image Credit Press