DMA’s at Wardrobe, Leeds Review

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DMAs
DMAs

Saturday night at Wardrobe in Leeds had a different kind of buzz to it. DMA’S stripping things back to an acoustic set in a room that small is not something you get offered often, and the queue outside told you people knew it too. Doors went up around 7 and by half 8 when the trio walked out the place was packed tight, everyone crammed in and buzzing for it.

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Stripped Back But Never Stripped Down

I realised instantly how well acoustic suits them. You’d think a band built on big choruses and wall of sound guitars might lose something when you strip it back, but if anything it gave the songs more room to breathe. The venue being so intimate meant you could actually hear every little detail, every string change, every breath before a chorus kicked in.

Tommy’s Vocals Take Centre Stage

Tommy’s vocals were the standout for me all night. Clean, warm, no strain to them even on the higher stuff. You could tell the room was helping him too, a venue like wardrobe does something for a singer when you can see every face looking back at you.

The San Francisco Story

Between songs the band chatted about their time out in San Francisco, working with a producer out there before scrapping the sessions and heading home to Australia to finish the record their own way. It was a nice bit of honesty, no dressing it up, just a band talking about a decision that clearly mattered to them.

Matt Mason’s Lap Steel

Matt Mason deserves a mention on his own. His lap steel work all night was special, the slide technique running through the set gave everything an extra layer, almost a country tinge in places.

Any musicains who would like to replicate the lap steel guitar sound by Matt Mason should check out the guitar here on Thomann. It really is a sweet instrument! You may be surprised too just how affordable it is.

Stripped Down Setting

“Silver” and “Feels Like 37” landed harder than expected in the stripped down setting, while “Concrete” and “Windows” showed just how strong the songwriting is underneath all the usual production. Guitar work throughout stayed tight and controlled and it never once felt like it was missing the full band sound.

George Millington
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