February 14th, 2025. For some people, today is about celebrating Valentine’s Day and spending time with your partner, but for the 200 or so individuals filling out the Pink Room at Manchester’s YES bar for Dune Rats’ headline show, tonight is about beer, weed, and the sweet, distorted sound of Australian garage punk.
Starting off the show are Brighton based duo Snake Eyes, and they immediately have the crowd hooked. Having only formed in 2020, the band have an impressive number of absolute hits to their name. ‘no one is truly cool’, off their most recent EP ‘health’, was an instant crowd pleaser, and everyone who had shown up early to catch the band became instant fans. Snake Eyes will be appearing at a couple of shows on You Me At Six’s farewell tour, so be sure to catch them at these upcoming gigs!
Dune Rats start their set with what is easily their most iconic song: ‘Scott Green’, not giving the crowd even a second to process them getting on stage before frontman Danny Beus begins the scratchy vocals of “At a party, who’s Scott Green?” (Get it??), sending the already hyped up crowd absolutely crazy. After finishing 'Scott Green', the band immediately rip into 'Be Like You', off their latest album. It's a fun, bouncy track that really sets the mood for the rest of the night.
This is the band’s first time back in the UK since the release of their latest album; ‘If It Sucks, Turn It Up’ (which does just about anything BUT suck). Having last been here on a short run of shows supporting Don Broco, as well as playing 2000 Trees festival last summer. It’s exciting to see Dunies on their own headline tour, and the unique energy they get to bring along to that.
A track notably missing from the setlist is their cover of The Angels' 1977 song, ‘Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again?’. Originally recorded for Triple J’s Like A Version, it’s become an essential part of their discography, and it's a shame not to get to hear the cover this time around. But the band more than make up for it with the rest of the set. Their latest single, a collaboration with FIDLAR, 'Dead, Rich or In Jail', is a exciting return to their heavier sound, and a wonderful addition to their new setlist.
Finishing off with two classics, 'Dalai Lama' and ‘Bullshit’, the crowd's energy has reached it's absolute peak. We have crowd surfers making their way onstage and diving right back into the crowd, and just about everyone in the small attic can be heard screaming along to "Dalai Lama, big banana, marijuana!". It must have sounded very strange to the bar-goers downstairs. Dune Rats utterly rattled the YES Pink Room, and we can only hope to see the Aussie trio back in the UK as soon as possible.
Words and Photos: Izzy Scott
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