Live: Dananananaykroyd @ Deaf Institute

Dananananaykroyd
Deaf Institute
31^st October
4 stars

For the final time, Glasgow’s six man pop-assault vehicle are roaming the land, playing 12 venues across the UK on their farewell tour. Having a reputation for energetic, no holds barred gigs, they squeezed themselves on to the claustrophobic stage at Deaf Institute, before abruptly launching into the mighty ‘E numbers’. Dananananaykroyd have never been a mainstream attraction, despite being fan favourites at festivals such as Reading and Leeds. Why? Perhaps that name has something to do with it, but I tend to think they provide an experience that can’t be fully realised unless it’s in a small, sweaty room full of obsessive fans. And with both fans and band geared up for the last Manchester gig ever, it made for a truly special evening.

Being in such an intimate venue, with the equivalent of a ticking time bomb onstage, it wasn’t long before frontmen Calum and John performed the first of many crowd dives, plunging themselves into a sea of embracing arms. With bizarre anecdotes, countless stage dives and the customary ‘wall of hugs’ (or the ‘wall of death’ as it was more aptly named on the night), never has a band engaged in such a physical, hands on way with its audience.

Amongst all the chaos there was a tinge of sadness, expressed affectionately by guitarist David Roy ‘I don’t want to start, cos’ I don’t want it to end’ as they came to the last song, ‘Some Dresses’. In their press statement they said ‘it makes sense to go out with a bang – which is exactly what this tour will be’ and as far as that goes they certainly delivered. Dananananakroyd’s devoted cult following are understandably disappointed, but there is the feeling that the split wasn’t a decision the band wanted to take.

Dananananaykroyd – Muscle Memory (live)

Dananananaykroyd and the Wall of Cuddles