It’s been a rough few years for Dinosaur Pile-Up (and that’s putting it lightly), but Saturday’s show at Electric was no pity party. After frontman Matt Bigland’s battle with severe illness and the mental toll that followed, the performance felt less like a comeback and more like a victory march alongside bassist Jim Cratchley and drummer Mike Sheils. Having very recently released their fifth studio album ‘I’ve Felt Better’, the band shredded their way through a setlist that blended fresh material with fan favourites, proving that despite difficult circumstances, they have very much maintained their established place on the scene across almost two decades.
It was clear from the very first crunching notes of ‘‘Bout to Lose It’ that the crowd were already locked in, swinging into action and immediately chanting opening bars ‘I guess I’m back on the edge, maybe I never left,’ along with Bigland, proving that the new record has already made its mark. Next up was a taste of their back catalogue with the undeniably catchy ‘Stupid Heavy Metal Broken Hearted Loser Punk’, followed by ‘Peninsula’ from their second record – a track so glowingly nostalgic that someone in the crowd was even waving a lighter about (which is probably considered retro in the age of glaring phone torches).
A track that really shone was ‘My Way’, with sprinkles of hip-hop and Bizkit-esque undertones mixed with reflective lyrics for good measure. The band were clearly having fun leaning into the rap elements, later surprising the crowd with a playful cover of Run-DMC’s ‘Tricky’ in a charmingly unpolished nature with Matt reading the words from below him, the band having decided to add it to the setlist at the last minute.
It was, quite frankly, banger after banger without a single misstep; however the momentum held particularly strong with ‘Sick Of Being Down,’ another highlight of the evening. Crowdsurfers poured over the barrier for the entire set, but the chaos reached its peak when the unmistakable chugging riffs of ‘11:11’ dropped, setting up what could have been a perfect high note to end on. Instead, the band returned for an encore, unleashing a final barrage of fan favourites with ‘Thrash Metal Cassette,’ ‘Big Dogs,’ and the explosive ‘Back Foot’, leaving those in attendance sweaty, exhausted, and thoroughly rocked to the bone.
There’s something oddly satisfying about witnessing a gig these days that doesn’t rely on fancy light shows or towering LED screens to leave a lasting impression primed for social media hype. Instead, we saw three musicians simply doing their thing, and that raw authenticity hit even harder knowing the challenges Dinosaur Pile-Up have faced in recent years. They may have felt better but on Saturday night, they sounded phenomenal.
Words: Phoebe Messenger, Images: Anna Hatfield
Role: Reviewer
Outside of my day job, I’m a regular gig-goer and have always enjoyed writing articles to fuel the passion even further, whether that be through reviews for live shows or for full albums.
Available for: Gig reviews, album/single reviews and artist interviews.
First attended gig: The first show I bought a ticket to myself was 30 Seconds To Mars supported by Enter Shikari at the Brighton Centre.
First gig reviewed: The first gig I reviewed was a showcase of underground DIY rock acts dubbed ‘Deprestlemania’ at The Victoria in Dalston.
Dream gig: Alice in Chains (Layne era) or Pearl Jam in the 90s
@anna.h_photos
Role: Photographer/ Journalist
Available for: Gig and press phototography, album shoots, music videos, tour coverage
Qualification: 1st class BA photojournalism degree
First attended gig: First ticketed gig I remember is Newton Faulkner but there was plenty of live music that I saw growing up in the folk scene in Cornwall
First gig shot: Rattler Fest for all three days
Dream gig: It's too hard to pick just one, and i'm lucky enough to have been able to shoot some of my bucket list bands already, so top 3 would have to be Frank Turner, The Hives, and Twenty One Pilots