DMA’S bring Aussie-flavoured Britpop nostalgia to The University of East Anglia’s LCR, Norwich

Following the announcement of their fifth studio album, Australian indie rockers DMA’S have returned to the UK for a special Hills End 10th Anniversary Tour, marking the calm before the arrival of the band’s newest era. The tour came to the LCR, Norwich on Friday 22nd of May, bringing a vibrant blend of old-school nostalgia alongside boundless energy and excitement. 

But before we get to DMA’S I first want to talk about the supporting and opening act for the night. First on stage were the Sydney-based duo Renee de la Motte and Thom Eagleton, best known as Salarymen. These guys provided some real variety for those who arrived early to listen and watch, combining pop, psych, rock and folk almost seamlessly. It’s a mash up that, on paper, doesn’t make much sense but in person it just works and sounds great. 

Salarymen kept the audience engaged throughout the entire set, chatting back and forth with the crowd. It’s always great to see bands interact with the crowd like this, building the kind of connection between artists and fans that can only be created through live performance and making the atmosphere all the more special. Salarymen played quite a short set but wasted no time in fitting in their most popular songs such as: ‘If You Want Me’, ‘I Forget About Time’ and ‘Rerun’. These were also the songs that most stuck out to me as they were catchy and lively.

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Next to hit the stage were, naturally, headliners DMA’S. As soon as Matt Mason (lead guitar), Johnny Took (acoustic guitar) and Tommy O’Dell (vocalist) and their live touring members Joel Flyger (rhythm guitar), Thomas Crandles (bass) and Liam Hoskins (drums) appeared, the crowd absolutely lost it and started chanting “DMA’S, DMA’S!”. It was just like a football derby match; the atmosphere DMA’S bring to their shows is trademark high-energy, fuelled by a huge Britpop influence that leaves the crowd feeling both nostalgic and completely pumped.

The crowd’s reaction throughout the show was pretty consistent with that football derby match image I mentioned earlier: chanting, jumping and flying beers were par for the course (which did mean I got a bit wet!) especially when ‘Silver’ and ‘Feels Like 37′ were played. Although the band kept crowd interaction to a minimum throughout the set, it hardly mattered, with the audience going absolutely wild from the opening song right through to the end. DMA’S also played: ‘In The Moment’, ‘Step Up The Morphine’ and ‘Heatin Park’, to name just a few of the big crowd-pleasers. 

For me, this show was utterly wild and at times totally anarchic. While indie and Britpop aren’t usually my first choice, DMA’S completely won me over with a high-energy set full of chaotic atmosphere, crowd euphoria, and the inevitable shower of beer rain. This show was a perfect example of what happens when British and Australian party cultures collide. Anyone attending a future show best prepare themselves for a workout!

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