Live Review

Does it Offend You, Yeah? – Heaven, London

• 18th Apr 2011

Descending on London’s ‘Heaven’ nightclub tonight are Reading based ‘Does it Offend You, Yeah!’ If you came to hear a riotous assault on the mass media, major record labels and, well, probably you, you’ve come to the right show.

Supported by Tripwires and Hounds, the club is pretty moist. The audience suitably riled up from the pre DIOYY aural assault by these two, it’s safe to say this is going to get messy.

Smashing onto stage with ‘Wrestler’ the audience launch into frenzied convulsions. What’s great to see here is the mixture of people in this room, DIOYY don’t subscribe to a ‘scene’ the fans here tell you that, greying older guys, excited young girls, even a mother, father & son at the front.

Crowds like this rub out the lines of perceived commercial viability, forging their own path & not subscribing to the ordinary guidelines and requirements of what the major labels define as ‘success’.

This is telling of the band’s history, Virgin Records released their debut album, 2008’s ‘You Have Know Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into’, the band resisting their ‘guidance’ very much, refusing to tailor their music to the Radio 1 masses. This in many cases can lead to fairly imminent failure, lets be honest, major labels are majors for a reason, you can’t discount that… But thank Christ on this occasion this band stuck to their guns, now releasing through a range of Independent labels across the world & re writing the rulebook.

Back to the show… the next highlight has to be the performance of ‘Battle Royale’, their first recording. The crowd go ballistic, myself (and the Mom & Dad behind me) included.

Lead track from the new album (Don’t say we didn’t warn you) ‘We Are The Dead’ goes down flawlessly, as at home in the set as the general crowd pleasing tracks like ‘Battle Royale’ and ‘We are Rockstars’

The whole set feels pretty short, the band blame this on the supports going on late… but a 10.30 curfew for this sort of act is never going to be ideal

The band spray Champagne over the crowd & launch into their final track (as part of the fairly obvious encore) ‘The Monkeys Are Coming’ … and it goes down a treat.

This show had so much energy, if you bottled it and drank it, you’d be a dribbling, shaking wreck for at least a full week following its consumption. If you haven’t seen them yet… you’re a mug.