The DMA’s kicked off their Ten Years of Hills End tour with a sold-out show at The O2 Victoria Warehouse, and it was mental.

Words by Sofia Ruocco

Photo by Sofia Ruocco

The night opened with Australian indie duo Salarymen. Their dreamy indie-pop sound—reminiscent of artists like The Marías and Tame Impala—was a perfect way to begin the night. With their cool 1970s-esque presence and catchy but laid-back songs, the crowd were nodding their heads along to every beat. For a band playing their biggest show to date, Salarymen looked completely at home on that stage; I won’t be surprised if soon they’ll be headlining these stages themselves.

The second Salarymen’s set ended,  and anticipation rose. You could feel the excitement building across the crowd of caps and parka coats. The DMA’s launched their set with ‘Timeless’ and ‘Lay Down’—two huge hits that ensured nobody in the crowd was standing still. Pints were being spilt as fans climbed onto each other’s shoulders, hands in the air, screaming back every word. The show transformed into the best kind of chaos.

The band performed the entirety of the Hills End album; highlights like ‘Delete’ and ‘Step Up the Morphine’ proved that the record hasn’t aged a day and is clearly still just as adored. Alongside this, they also included some tracks from outside of the album, including ‘Feels Like 37’, ‘Olympia’, and the indie anthem ‘Silver’—during which the floor was bouncing so hard the warehouse felt like it was shaking.

DMA’s delivered one hell of a show, and if you’re lucky enough to get the chance to catch them on this tour, you 100% absolutely should. You will leave in a soaked shirt and probably smell of beer, but you’ll have the biggest smile on your face.

Photos by Sofia Ruocco