It's a little crazy to consider that a sold-out crowd had congregated for a genre that was prevalent when they (or most) were babies.
The Tivoli Theatre was packed, teeming (1 June), tensions slowly rising as the minutes ticked past DMA’s scheduled set time – five, ten, fifteen. And then they entered, cheers erupted, the set started with ‘Feels Like 37’, track numero uno from their debut EP.
It was one I’d forgotten about, dating back four years, and it sounded it, not necessarily lower quality but simply full of eagerness, energy, promise.
The band fast-forwarded to album two, leading track ‘For Now’ showcasing their grunge-like transition and more expertly layered instrumentals. ‘Melbourne’ followed, the final taste from their EP/ two record-pallet; the ‘Hills End’ trend continued with starting song, ‘Timeless’.
Recent single ‘In The Air’ asserted itself as ‘For Now’s token heart-string tugger, lyrics already branded in the minds of fans. They promoted their sophomore with ‘Warsaw’, ‘Break Me’ and ‘Time & Money’, the latter was somehow nostalgic.
‘Step Up The Morphine’ came next, verses poetic, chorus nihilistic, before the catalyst of their success made its expectedly memorable impact. ‘Delete’ is truly beautiful, arguably unsurpassed by ensuing releases; the crowd became a chiming choir, mates hugging mates, hugging strangers, even.
DMA’s prolonged the sentiments with ‘Do I Need You Now?’, before picking up the pace with ‘Hill End’s first single, ‘Dawning’. The wistful ‘Emily Whyte’ closed the set, though despite their departure, the stage lights never dimmed. They strobed, in fact, all while deep sirens sounded, building anticipation for the band’s inevitable reappearance.
And then they entered, cheers erupted, the encore started with ‘Play It Out’, the closing track from their debut album, lengthy instrumental electric. Back to back ‘Hills End’ hits with ‘In The Moment’ next; ‘Lay Down’ was finally surrendered last, audience chaotic, the perfect climax.
The Sydney trio’s swift rise to success isn’t an achievement I’d label as ‘good luck’; even now, softly sifting through the set-list, I’ve shortlisted every song for playlists.
They’re extraordinarily consistent and excellent songwriters, lyrics often ambiguous and entirely open for interpretation. The short, sharp lines (‘Step Up The Morphine’ a prime example) are so vaguely written the end result is quite poetic.
While admittedly 90 minutes of DMA’s became a little repetitive at times, songs occasionally blending into one another, the blend itself was seamless. Each track was very much within the high standard parameter they’ve established through their EP/ two record-pallet.
Interestingly, there was no banter though the performance was so tight, so tidy, unnecessary chat may have cheapened it.
Guitarist Johnny Took instead used his body language to communicate, and when he simply lifted his arms the audience responded.
I was three-years-old when Britpop began to decline. I missed the career peak of Blur or Oasis. DMA’s may not be at the forefront of that movement from 1990, but they sure are doing a spectacular job of reviving it.
