Reviewed on 16th July 2011.

Dinosaur Pile-up

Live at Brudenell Social Club on Wednesday, 13th July 2011

Post-grunge trio Dinosaur Pile-up played a brief homecoming show at the Brudenell Social Club. They began with a question and answer session as they elucidated on their band name. They were asked "If they had to organise a gig in Leeds who would you invite to play?" No surprise they mentioned audience members Castrovalva and Pulled Apart by Horses. They talked of their recent tour in America and Mexico and how the band came to be in 2007. All the instruments, amps and speakers were laid out below the stage to make a doubly-intimate gig.

They kicked things off with "Barce-Loner", a thunderous start to a riotous set. The track is a great opener with its quaky drum-roll and stomping guitar-riff. They advanced into head-banger "Opposites Attract" and "Growing Pains" singles "My Rock 'n' Roll" and "Mona Lisa". The three-piece played a couple of new tracks that hopefully will feature on their second album. "Should" has been blessing their live performance for a few months and they played it once again tonight. The chorus is a gripping grunge-reverie as Matt Bigland's voice enraptures. "Daydream" is also an enthralling number as the lead repeats "Daydream your still on my mind" over a churning guitar.

The triplet ripped through vociferous "Birds & Planes" with a very impressive performance from drummer Mike Sheils. The track is in abundance of backing-vocals and hefty bass from Harry Johns. "Traynor" is a hard-hitting affair with crashing cymbals and a jolting guitar-riff. Deep-seated vocals like "Traynor does exactly whatever Traynor wants" are frequent.

Despite not much movement from the crowd the gig still seemed highly energetic. Dinosaur Pile-up put so much effort into their performances and they deserve a larger turnout for their shows. They finished with "All Around the World" as Matt placed his microphone stand amongst the crowd. As the song came to a close there was a number of people circling the microphone, arm-in-arm singing "So let's go, so let's go all around the world" with the bassist and lead-singer joining the frenzy. That lyric gesticulates which direction this band is going. They are genuinely a nice bunch of guys and a live, radical, grunge-rock sound to match.