LIVE REVIEW: DMA’S AT CIRCUIT, KINGSTON 24/08/26
Photo: Roman Jody
Australian trio DMA’s kicked off their UK album release tour at Circuit in Kingston on August 24th arriving fresh from Sydney the day before to play to around 1.400 fans. The band, consisting of Johnny Took (guitarist), Matt Mason (lead guitarist) and Tommy O’Dell (lead vocals), delivered a stripped-back acoustic set that leaned heavily on songs from their new self-titled fifth album.
They opened with ‘Killing Time‘ before moving through tracks such as ‘Silver‘, ‘Hurracane‘ or ‘My Baby’s Place‘. During the set, Took said that he and O’Dell used to play country music together before forming the band and joked that usually they don’t talk much on stage before adding that tonight they would “yap“ a bit more as they had “no plans“. They told the crowd that tonight‘s show would be a mix of a bunch of songs but mainly focused around the new record. „Thanks for having us back in the UK. We love it here“ Took said, before he explained that they decided to self-title the record because their debut album ‘Hills End‘ was the inspiration for the new release.“We’ve always done what kind of felt authentic to us“ he added, clarifying that this album felt like a full-circle moment for them. He also described the DIY recording process as a scary time, explaining that it took a lot longer before jokingly adding “…but fuck, the pay off is really really good. We reckon it’s our best one yet“. The band was also selling around 500 lanyards that night, each containing special content to support the album release, plus giving fans a chance to win a signed vinyl and passes for the upcoming tour next year.
Despite the album having only been out for a few days, the crowd was already singing along loudly, with tracks such as ‘My Baby’s Place‘ or ‘Hurracane‘ among the loudest singalong moments of the night. The intimate performance marked a change of pace from the band’s usual high-energy live shows, with the acoustic arrangements giving the songs a more laid-back feel. Took also spoke about the new record‘s opening track ‘El Alamein‘, explaining that the title was inspired by a famous fountain in Kings Cross, Sydney, where he and Mason once lived for a while before jokingly adding that he wasn’t talking about London’s Kings Cross.
Later on, lead singer O’Dell revealed that ‘Windows‘ was his favourite track on the new album. The new run of shows came after the trio’s earlier UK run this year, which celebrated 10 years of the band. Before closing their set, Took thanked the crowd for welcoming the band back to the UK, telling fans: “Thanks for listening. We love you. We really appreciate it. We see you soon“.
DMAs Setlist at Circuit, Kingston on August 24th
Killing Time
The Glow
Heatin Park
Silver
My Baby’s Place
Emailz
Hurracane
Lay Down
Step Up The Morphine
Concrete
Windows
Feels Like 37
The trio’s latest album has been praised as a raw, confident return to their early indie-rock roots, and it has also given them their first-ever No. 1 on the ARIA album charts. Self-produced and stripped back, the record reflects the time they spent refining it and recapturing the raw energy of their 2016 debut ‘Hills End‘. If you missed their run of shows in August and want to hear the new songs live, the Australian trio will return for dates across the UK and Ireland in 2027.
Tickets are available HERE.
DMAs 2027 UK & Ireland Tour Dates
Feb 1: O2 Guildhall, Southampton
Feb 2: The Great Hall, Cardiff
Feb 3: hmv Empire, Coventry
Feb 5 & 6: Manchester Academy, Manchester
Feb 8: O2 City Hall, Newcastle
Feb 9: The Engine Shed, Lincoln
Feb 11: York Barbican, York
Feb 12: Eventim Apollo, London
Feb 14: Liverpool Olympia, Liverpool
Feb 15: Octagon Centre, Sheffield
Feb 17: Usher Hall, Edinburgh
Feb 18: Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow
Feb 19: Limelight, Belfast
Feb 20: The Academy, Dublin