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A full night of live Power Ballads is coming to Manchester

The Manc - 11th March 2020

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Gig review | DMA’s have Manc in their DNA, whether they know it or not

Danny Jones

Yes, we saw the crowds in Brixton, Leeds and so on, and they were also box office, no doubt – and we’re sure there’s plenty of bias coming in here – but DMA’s final night in Manchester was just magnificent on every level.

Still managing to bring a real Friday feeling even though it was a Sunday night following the protracted Valentine’s celebrations, when most were already dreading the inevitable Monday blues (morning, all), it felt like the perfect way to close out a weekend with everyone’s first love: music.

During a period when we’re all encouraged to be a little bit more sincere and spread pure positivity, seeing the sea of happy, smiling faces watching DMA’s on night two at the O2 Victoria Warehouse was just the injection we needed.

For starters, you can’t ask for much more than getting to hear not only Hills End from start to finish but ‘Lay Down’ live twice in one night. The limbs were just as mad the second time around, if not even more.

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To quote a fan speaking in the comments under this video, for some, it was beyond good: “The best gig I’ve been to in my 45 years on this planet”, apparently.

Quite the bold statement, and while we’re not sure we’re quite ready to be so superlative just yet, hearing them play their debut album from cover to cover on its 10th anniversary did make for a perfect set and an “unreal night” as we’ve heard and seen so many remark in the hours since the gig.

One person wrote, “If the next album is good, these will be absolutely huge”, while another declared that they’re “the greatest on Earth” already.

Whatever point on the scale you land on, pretty much everyone almost universally agrees that their first record is still their best, even with all the bangers they’ve put out since.

One of the best moments of the entire nostalgia trip was when they bookended the show with ‘Timeless’ and played their usual extended outro with multiple repetitions of the chorus and a proper breakout, letting their instruments do the talking in a fast, frenetic flurry as the crowd thrashed around.

DMAs never let you down when it comes to a performance, and neither do Manc crowds.

DMA's O2 Victoria Warehouse review — One of those where you saw way more arms in the air than phones. (Credit: ***Audio North***)

dmas manchester live gig review — One of those where you saw way more arms in the air than phones. (Credit: ***Audio North***)

And maybe that’s just it, as far as bands that come to this region and do well, the Sydney trio are one of the VERY best, vouched for by pretty much every mate and regular gig-goer whose opinion you trust implicitly; you can certainly add us onto that list.

Maybe it’s somehow to do with some of those Melbourne roots, too, as we’ve often heard the parallels drawn between the two cities, and they even asked if there was anyone in from ‘Melbs’ between songs – there was a notable cheer – or maybe it’s just some kind of uncalculable magic we can’t understand.

Either way, besides the ongoing rise of Aussie rock and Anzac bands doing very well around the UK in general, there is something very special about this particular indie outfit’s connection with the North West and Manchester, specifically.

Johnny, Tommy and Matt have all themselves cited it as a ‘second home’ throughout their career, having hit the ground running and finding a cult following here right from the off.

In fact, they admitted that the full touring band still regularly flies into Manchester first whenever they’re heading to the UK. Love that.

DMA's UK Hills End anniversary tour UK 10th anniversary — ‘Olympia’ and ‘Silver’ were also big standouts beyond the *Hills End* part of the setlist. (Credit: ***The Manc***)

DMA's Manc gigs 2026 — ‘Olympia’ and ‘Silver’ were also big standouts beyond the *Hills End* part of the setlist. (Credit: ***The Manc***)

Perhaps labelling them part of the ‘Britpop revival’ is a bit reductive, but it certainly hasn’t done them any harm thus far, and conversely, it’s definitely done them plenty of favours here in Greater Manchester.

They’re not just adopted Brits who understand our history as a nation of audiophiles; they get our crowds and this city’s culture down to a tee.

Put simply, either through blind luck or divine intervention from the music gods, DMA’s are Mancs by proxy, and whether or not that means anything to them, it sure as sh*t means a whole lot to us.

Here’s to HE10, and we can’t wait for the next celebration in whatever form it comes.

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Featured Images — The Manc Group

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Fatboy Slim at Aviva Studios – still electrifying after decades in the game

Lonnie Bowes

Fatboy Slim at Aviva Studios in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group

At Aviva Studios, Fatboy Slim showed that even after decades in the game, he’s still finding new ways to electrify a room.

Set against a backdrop of lasers, confetti cannons and LED Screens Fatboy Slim felt less like a DJ and more like the lord of acid ballroom, ready for the tidal wave of fans in front of him.

Whether you’re an old-school Mancunian rave head or a new kid on the block you knew he was always in control, issuing a constant bombardment of psychedelic colours and smiley faces.

Long before he stepped up to the decks, anticipation had been building and when the first beat dropped the response was immediate.

From the very beginning it was clear he knew his Manc audience were hooked. Pictures of cultural iconics like Chadwick Bosman, Idris Elber and Andy Warhol were totted on the screen behind him.

He played The Rockafeller Skank, setting out his set with an obvious hit.

It was Ya Mama (Push the tempo) to bellow out across the vast floor of Aviva Studios next, accompanied by the original 2010 music video on the backdrop behind him.

From there, the set unfolded like a guided tour through decades of dance floor dominance, old and new blending seamlessly.

The crowd was then hit by ‘Groove Amada – I see you baby (Fatboy Slim Remix)’ the shift that occurred at that moment is something only a tune of that stature can deliver.

Throughout the set, he doubled down on the heavier moments. ‘Weapon of Choice’ landed like a controlled explosion with lights strobing, bass reverberating through your chest, while a remix of ‘Mr Brightside’ originally by The Killers showcased his ability to stretch a breakdown just long enough to keep thousands hanging in suspense.

The emotional high point arrived with ‘Praise You’. Phones lifted, arms wrapped around shoulders, strangers turned into temporary best mates. For a few minutes, Aviva Studio’s felt less like a room and more like a shared memory in the making.

But sentimentality didn’t linger for too long. This is Fatboy Slim, after all. The pace soon ramped back up with ‘Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat’ delivering that spine tingling, hands in the air, friends on shoulders moment that defines nights like these.

Even between tracks, he worked the crowd with the confidence of someone who knows exactly what they’re doing, after 40 years it’s absolutely no surprise to us. A Hawaiian shirt , a well-timed rewind, a teasing fake drop and not to mention a for airhorns it’s showmanship at it’s finest.

As the main set drew to a close, ‘Right here, Right Now’ felt like a finale in itself. The track even these days feels defiant, euphoric, and was shouted back in fragments by a crowd that’s lived with this track for years, while a percentage of the crowd hearing it live for the first time.

The encore didn’t mess about. One final surge of energy, one last seismic drop, and boom! More confetti, fireworks, lights and smoke than even Greater Manchester Fire Department could handle. It sent Aviva Studios into a closing frenzy. Fans were sweat-drenched, smiling, and reluctant to see the lights come up.

Fatboy Slim at Aviva Studios wasn’t just another tour stop. It was a reminder that while trends shift and scenes evolve, few artists understand the architecture of a great night out quite like he does. Decades in, and he’s still orchestrating chaos with pinpoint precision. Once again proving that some acts don’t fade with time, they just refine the formula.

Featured image: The Manc Group