LIVE REVIEW + PHOTOS: DIIV AT HERE AT OUTERNET, LONDON 03/09/25
Full photo gallery here
Atmosphere has always been central to DIIV’s appeal - not just in sound, but in presence. At London’s HERE at Outernet, the Brooklyn-based band transformed the space into something immersive and introspective from the moment the house lights dimmed. The ultra-modern, subterranean venue made for a perfect setting for the quartet’s hypnotic blend of shoegaze, post-punk, and dream pop.
The night kicked off with support from Milan W, whose 30-min set was a showcase of pure, raw emotion. Milan W’s blend of soulful vocals and moody, ambient atmosphere set the perfect tone, warming up the crowd with tracks that effortlessly balanced vulnerability and power.
DIIV took the stage without a word, emerging against a towering wall of LED screens - the backbone of their visual identity and a key part of the night’s immersive atmosphere. Before a single note was played, a video projected across the screens introduced the evening as “a key to unlock the deeper potential within you,” “a journey to challenge the very essence of your being,” and “a gateway to a new dimension of existence, a night of magic.” A bold promise - and one the band delivered on with conviction.
Opening with ‘In Amber’, the American indie-rock band - consisting of Zachary Cole Smith (vocals/guitar), Andrew Bailey (guitar), Colin Caulfield (bass) and Ben Newman (drums) - wasted no time pulling the audience into their unmistakable sonic haze. ‘Brown Paper Back’ and ‘Like Before You Were Born’ followed, pushing the energy forward and getting the London audience moving.
There was a noticeable shift in the crowd’s energy during ‘Under the Sun’, which sparked spontaneous dancing across the venue. Yet even at its most euphoric, the atmosphere never broke. There was no chatter from the band, no real breaks between tracks - just one song bleeding into the next in a continuous wash of distortion, delay, and perfectly calibrated chaos.
Each member of DIIV performed with an understated intensity, locked into the set with a laser focus. Zachary Cole Smith stood off to the side, rather than front-and-center - unusual for a lead vocalist, but a subtle gesture that underscored the band’s collective unity. He didn’t speak until the encore, when he thanked the crowd for being there - a rare moment of acknowledgment that somehow made the whole experience feel even more intimate. Tonight was all about the music.
The set leaned heavily on material from their 2024 album Frog In Boiling Water, with ‘Soul-net’, ‘Frog In Boiling Water’ and ‘Reflected’. Their 2019 album Deceiver was also well represented, with ‘Taker’, ‘Between Tides’, and ‘Blankenship’ delivered with the same immersive weight and emotional punch. Songs drifted seamlessly into one another, punctuated by surreal, sometimes cryptic visuals on the LED screens - part abstract art, part commentary - giving the night the feel of a slow, hypnotic unraveling.
‘Acheron’ arrived just before the encore - heavy, brooding, and emotionally loaded - leaving the room suspended in near silence before the band returned one final time to perform ‘Raining on Your Pillow’ and ‘Horsehead’.
The outfit closed the night with ‘Doused’, the fan favourite closer from their 2012 debut album Oshin, landing like a jolt of electricity. Mosh pits broke out, heads banged. For one last moment, DIIV let the chaos off the leash - furious and cathartic to the core.
Words by Florelle Servageon
Photos by Eva Grant
Full setlist below
In Amber
Brown Paper Bag
Like Before You Were Born
Under the Sun
Soul-net
Frog in Boiling Water
Take Your Time
Taker
Reflected
Somber the Drums
Between Tides
Blankenship
Acheron
Raining on Your Pillow
Horsehead
Doused
