It might have been a Sunday night but The Dare and his audience made it feel like the start of the weekend.
The American electropop musician has been credited as one of the artists bringing back “indie sleaze”. His 2023 project ‘The Sex EP’ went viral on TikTok and he gained further recognition for producing, and being name-checked on, Charli XCX’s Number 1 hit ‘Guess’.
A large proportion of the crowd at this sold-out Bristol show are dressed in The Dare’s signature attire; white shirt, black tie and sunglasses. Large groups of identically dressed gig-goers crowd the stage immediately after doors open and it’s the sort of sight usually found at big arena shows from the hottest current popstar. Think bows in the hair for Gracie Abrams, lingerie dresses for Sabrina Carpenter or bright green t-shirts for Charli XCX.
Is it genuine fandom devotion as it is for those artists or a meme-like trend akin to the bald caps donned by attendees at recent Pitbull shows? Whatever the answer, the effect is an obvious energetic atmosphere from a crowd clearly here to have fun.
The Dare (real name Harrison Patrick Smith) emerges slightly ahead of the scheduled 9pm start. There are no band members or dancers with him on stage. Instead, stacks of Marshall amps and an impressive lighting rig encircle the surprisingly tall frontman.
This is where the comparisons many commentators and listeners have made to LCD Soundsystem fall short. There is no doubt that elements of The Dare’s debut album, ‘What’s Wrong With New York?’, are very heavily inspired by the James Murphy-fronted electro-indie heroes but the live shows are quite different. LCD live are an absolute tour-de-force, playing as a full band and producing a mind-blowing sound. Patrick-Smith takes a simpler backing track approach although there are some knob-twisting moments; it sits somewhere between The Rapture and Justice.
Clocking in at under 60 minutes in length, the set is a relentless blast of silly hedonism. The Dare flings himself around the stage in a display of surprising showmanship. You could be forgiven for expecting a nonchalant ‘cool’ approach to performing but he doesn’t hide behind the moniker or the synthesizers. It’s a commanding and energetic performance which perfectly matches the enthusiasm of the mostly young audience.
After ‘I Destroyed Disco’, The Dare shouts out Calvin Harris; presumably a reference to people observing the similarities to the name and sound of the Scotsman’s ‘I Created Disco’. It gives the impression that ‘You’re Invited’ not to take this too seriously; the point of The Dare is to have fun. To overly critique it or question the artistic merits is to miss the point; surrender to the ‘Good Time’.
There are some unreleased songs in the set which do not cause the energy to drop. The sound is impeccable (as it usually is in The Marble Factory), the impressive strobe-lighting really aids the party-atmosphere and The Dare delivers precisely what the costumed-audience were looking for.
A joyous encore of ‘Movement’ and ‘All Night’ threaten to take the roof of before his most popular hit ‘Girls’ is met with an audience not just singing along but shouting every line with unabashed fervour. The front few rows are perhaps enjoying the song too much to remember to catch The Dare when he crowd surfs in their direction but, if anything, the failed stage dive just adds to the sublime cheesiness of it all.
In a rare address to the crowd, The Dare remembers his previous Bristol show (at Thekla as part of Dot to Dot Festival in 2024) as one of his best crowds. Tonight, both the audience and artist lived up to each other’s expectations and had a visibly enjoyable evening.
Bio: Professional photographer since 2016, specialising in nightlife and live music photography. I’m passionate about supporting grassroots music venues, with notable experience at venues like Thekla, where I’ve had the privilege of capturing both bands and club nights for over 6 years.
Available for: Gigs & Headshots
First Gig Shot: All Saints at the O2 Academy Brixton, 2016
Dream Gig: Paul McCartney, AC/DC, The Rolling Stones
www.davidjeffery-hughesphotography.uk
Instagram: @david_jh_photography