LIVE REVIEW: Dance Gavin Dance & Veil Of Maya @ Club Academy, Manchester

After the successful release of their seventh studio album, Mothership, last year, DANCE GAVIN DANCE embarked on a European tour this March with co-headliners VEIL OF MAYA and support from THOUSAND BELOW. Fresh from the release of their incredible new album False Idol, this is the first headlining/co-headlining tour of the UK that VEIL OF MAYA have done in quite a while. We headed down to the Manchester date at Club Academy to join in the fun.

Openers THOUSAND BELOW have not been around for long, with their debut album being released on Rise Records late last year. Approaching the scene with a fresh, youthful and atmospheric take on post-hardcore, it was unsurprising that their performance got heads nodding in the audience. Even after this short time, there were a smattering of obvious fans in the audience, sporting their merch and singing along. Songs like Sinking Me, one of the lead singles from the album which gained great success online, evoked several signs of recognition throughout the room. Nothing ground-breaking or jaw-dropping, but a solid set and more than what should be expected of a band just starting out.

Rating: 7/10

Tension built considerably in the room before enigmatic djent four-piece VEIL OF MAYA took to the stage. As ever, vocalist Lukas Magyar brought his unrivalled charm and charisma to the stage as well as effortlessly powerful vocals. His clean vocals since the release of the new album have improved noticeably since their tours supporting Matriarch, meaning what followed was an almost studio-perfect performance. Guitarist Marc Okubo proved once again why he’s one of the best in the business, joyfully shredding his way, without the aid of any secondary guitarist, through twelve songs. Their set ranged from old classics like It’s Not Safe To Swim Today, inciting the pit and gratuitous headbanging, all the way to new anthems like Overthrow, to which the crowd deafeningly roared along. It seems that VEIL OF MAYA are a band that will stand the test of time, as no matter which direction they go in or who they play with, everyone will always consistently have a fantastic time.

Rating: 9/10

The biggest turnout for the night seemed to be for scene veterans DANCE GAVIN DANCE. With seven studio albums to date, a set from them is a lucky dip. Their dual vocalist set-up worked incredibly well with the basement atmosphere of Club Academy, with both vocalists taking advantage of the intimate nature of the venue. Clean vocalist Tilian Pearson gave even Lukas Magyar a run for his money in terms of the quality of his live vocals, he and the entire band pulled off an energetic, technical and precise performance over the course of their set. Highlights came from newer songs like Inspire The Liars and opener Chucky vs The Giant Tortoise, whilst classics like Strawberry Swisher pt. 3 got the crowd bouncing and singing along without hesitation. Many might criticise DANCE GAVIN DANCE for their seemingly outdated sound, however their performance proved them to be one of the most fun bands in metal – and if they are outdated, it seems millions of their fans really don’t care. Here’s to hoping that they never change.

Rating: 8/10

Check out our photo gallery from the night’s action in Manchester from Sabrina Ramdoyal Photography here: