LIVE REVIEW: Death By Denim is on the rise
If there’s one band I’m currently obsessed with, it’s Death By Denim.
No matter what song of theirs you have the pleasure of listening to, Death By Denim are worth every second of your time – and in their lively set at the cosy Indian Ocean Hotel (Indi Bar), this notion is undisputed.
It’s been a massive few weeks for the band, having won the triple j unearthed competition to play at Falls Festival Fremantle in January 2020. Plus, with their newest 6-track EPYear Long Minute just unleashed into the world, this was the band’s second hometown show of their Australia-wide tour.
To say it was the perfect setting for the gig was an understatement; with kitsch beach club interiors and a glistening pool outside, it felt like we were in a killer 2000s house party. Despite the intimately sized set-up and drinks spilt, people were still comfortably shoulder-to-shoulder with plenty of room to jive.
Cue Death By Denim. Announcing his affinity for slow dancing, lead singer Nik Iliadis took things easy as they opened with ’Right Mind’ off their latest EP. Hamish Macarthur, who’d just undergone knee surgery, was giving his all on the drums, while Pallè Mazzulla and George Gunson worked up a storm on the synths/guitar.
With love ballads like ‘Georgia, Grace’, it was hard not to be smitten with the band’s form of melacholic storytelling. Crooning with a voice so clean it could clear up acne, the line ‘It’s the face that kills / and it’s my heart that they steal’ perfectly embodies a type of heartbreak anyone could resonate with.
Amidst all the feels, there was an undeniably charged up atmosphere, with the band (and audience) having way too much fun. “I can see in your eyes that you’re all having a good night,” remarked Nik, who gestured to a couple of gregarious punters up front.
To step things up, Death By Denim launched into ‘Drone’ which featured a voracious drum solo and much heavier guitar riffs. With an intergalactic transition into ‘Tattoo’, the dreamy synths came to life to wash away all of our west coast blues. Then, relaying the words from the chorus of ‘What You Want Now’, Nik would punch his fist in the air with a small yet clever touch – having the stage lights flash on and off for extra effect.
Prefacing the track ‘Plane from Amsterdam’, the lead singer went on to ask which members of the crowd had been to the European destination. Taking us on a heavenly ride with soft vocals and hard-hitting riffs, it was nothing but music to our ears.
One of their best was saved for last with ‘Wiggy’; having been on triple j’s rotation as of late, we were all more than acquainted with its lyrics. As Death By Denim put it best, it’s been ‘a year-long minute / frozen in it’ – and to be honest, humble moments such as standing in the adoring crowd of one of Perth’s most up-and-coming bands is surely something to remember 2019 by.
Fittingly, the band had reminisced about how far they’ve come from 200-person shows at Rosemount Hotel, before carrying on with a classic, ‘Cigarettes & Honey’. What followed were even more sing-a-longs and the boys cheers-ing everyone who’d come out to support them over the past few years. As a first-time attendee of one of their shows, it was a privileged moment to be a part of.
As the yells for ‘One more song’ grew eminent, the band fulfiled everyone’s wishes with ‘After Party’ and later, the more pensive ‘Ocean Lines’. So if you’re searching for some brand new music to throw yourself into, make no mistake – Death By Denim should be at the very top of your list.
