Growing up in the early 2000s during the Kerrang! era of music was a strange yet nostalgic time. It was a time where people threw the devil horns unironically, bands shouted “motherfucker” a lot more and Sum 41 could legitimately headline festivals. Dinosaur Pile-Up, along with ace support from Leeds’ Fizzy Blood and Brighton’s own Demob Happy, took me back to those wistful times with an awesome, rowdy and crazy show at The Hope & Ruin that could have, and should have been upgraded to a larger venue.

Opening on the night were Fizzy Blood who, it has to be said, are a much bigger band than should be opening first at a 150 capacity venue – but it’s testament to Dinosaur Pile-Up’s pull as a band to get the to support for the whole tour. As can be expected, Fizzy Blood were brash, loud and energetic and largely connected with the Brighton crowd – especially during their biggest single ‘January Sun’. Having just spent time in Brighton recording their new EP, I think it’s safe to say they’ll sell out their next headline show down here.

The same can be said for local heroes Demob Happy, who are on a comeback of sorts after disappearing at the end of 2016 until now. With the opening notes of single ‘Wash It Down’, though, it’s fair to say they’ve been missed. They balanced the new ones throughout – featuring a first-time ever live playing of new single ‘Be Your Man’ – with the old classics (‘Succubus’ has never sounded better) in a set that, in many ways, showcased the perfect support performance. The crowd were certainly warmed up after Demob Happy had left the stage and were left with an insatiable hunger for their next Brighton show and their sophomore album.

The excitement reached a boiling point when Dinosaur Pile-Up took to the stage and, subsequently, rolled back the years to a time where pop-punk and rock ‘n’ roll were the coolest things in the world. Starting with 2013’s Nature Nurture opener ‘Arizona Waiting’ which swiftly followed the same album’s lead single ‘Peninsula’, the crowd turned into a pile of flailing limbs. Two songs in and Dinosaur Pile-Up already had the crowd in the palm of their hands. Frontman Matt Bigland stated that they’d been touring the world for the last two years, but it’s good to be back on British soil because there’s nowhere else quite like it. From what followed, he was certainly right.

Continuing through the likes of new album track ‘Red and Purple’, Growing Pains songs ‘Birds & Planes’ and ‘Mona Lisa’ and Nature Nurture cut ‘White T-Shirt and Jeans’, it was clear to see that the entire audience had been on a journey with Dinosaur Pile-Up. I’d wager a bet that the majority of the crowd had been fans since, or maybe even before, 2010’s Growing Pains. Their fans love them, and the love is shown back with a thrilling, tight and red-hot set that carefully balances their three albums, along with the singles, B-sides and softer album cuts you don’t often hear.

A lovely moment came when Bigland introduced Growing Pains’ penultimate number ‘Hey You’ with, “This is a slow one that we haven’t played live in about seven years”. Of course, though, the crowd not only knew it, but they sang it back to them as if it was their biggest single. Thus, Bigland and co. rewards the crowd with a formidable cover of Weezer’s ‘Say it Ain’t So’, which left The Hope & Ruin in turmoil, before final song, mega-single ‘11:11’. Before unleashing the song, frontman Bigland said “This is our last song. This is all up to you. We want to be talking about this moment in 20 years time so show us what you’ve got”. I think it’s safe to say they will be talking about it in the years to come as bedlam happened, including the majority of the crowd joining the band on stage while the rest continued to bounce off the walls, off each other and off the band's monstrous riffs. There aren’t many bands that can whip up a frenzy like DPU can.

Liam McMillen

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