It’s fair to say Dinosaur Pile-Up have got their swagger back. After a long, medically induced hiatus from the game, and following the release of their most recent studio album, ‘I’ve Felt Better’, the trio have hit the road again to play some shows. And what a night it was for our first experience of Manchester’s New Century Hall…

Kaleidoscopic ceiling lights and a Grade-II-listed, sprung dancefloor? That was some venue. And while we’d been left wondering why DPU hadn’t aptly graced Leeds with their presence again, we were pretty delighted to check out New Century. 

Three was maybe the magic number, seeing DPU; for those who’ve read my reviews of them before, you’ll know I’ve watched them live twice. Both times were back in 2022, so it felt like a homecoming when they emerged in stormy Manchester. They were stylish as per, crisp, tight and thunderous instrumentally, and so grateful to everyone for coming out. But we wouldn’t have missed it — not even for the trains enduring signalling problems. We won’t go into that, though; I was planning to keep this short and affectionately sweet. 

DPU killed it, in all honesty. Their curated setlist was impeccable; so much so, they’d obviously intended to deliver hit after hit. Lungs were roaring out vocals around us, arms were flailing in the air, and animalistic woofing broke out at every chance.

Naturally, they began with the ferocious new ‘’Bout To Lose It’, but then they managed to strike this epic balance of old bangers and recent drops, all interspersed. The title track ‘I’ve Felt Better’, ‘My Way’ and ‘Sick Of Being Down’ (which has been firmly lodged in my head all week) were offset with ‘Peninsula’, ‘Celebrity Mansions’ and ‘Thrash Metal Cassette’, among many others. Does it get better? Well, somehow, yes — it actually did. They even wheeled out their badass cover of Run—D.M.C.’s ‘It’s Tricky’. 

But for me, as the show went on and an hour had blitzed past at what felt like the speed of light, the train journey home was looming. Yet, they saved arguably some of their most flawless until last, post-encore. My absolute ultimate DPU classic — for the powerful memory it conjures of circle pits amid the sticky summer air, at Truck Festival 2022? ‘11:11’, obviously. It’s a beautiful monster of an anthem that I can’t help but let totally loose to, so I was in raptures when they played it. And they utterly nailed it — the sound was beyond huge. Wow. 

Those woofs I mentioned? The fans were crying out for ‘Big Dogs’ by this time, and I can assure you — DPU ate for free, and left no crumbs. This’ll be the new earworm in my head for the next few days, for sure. What a belter. Then the guys gifted us ‘Back Foot’ in all its raw, angsty glory, before thanking us once more and departing.

No (more) words. Ready to see them again now, please! Because singing along to all their insane tracks was just too fun.