2025 LIVE RECAP: Dirty Nice @ District, Liverpool

As we head into the final months of 2025, we're looking back on some of our favourite live moments from the year...

Wednesday the first of October was an uncharacteristically warm night for the start of Dirty Nice’s tour. Fitting, really, given they brought their warm Indie-Pop glow to District, playing to an eclectic crowd.

The evening opened with two local acts. First up were Snatch, who kicked things off with a burst of loud, Grungy Hard Rock. Guitars snarled and screeched, solos came thick and fast, and the singer’s vocals cut through with real power and range. They played like they wanted to be heard on the other side of town. Good stuff.

Roscoe Street followed, changing the pace entirely. A six-piece armed with saxophone and keys, they had the crowd dancing with their Soulful, Funky numbers, slipping into Ska-tinged grooves that felt impossible not to move to. They wrapped up too soon, leaving the room wishing for just one more track.

Then came the main event. Dirty Nice dipped into their latest album ‘Planet Weekend’ while pulling out fan favourites. They opened with a song that felt like a time warp straight to 90s America, pure Blink-182 vibes. Later came ‘Another Life,’ a hazy, Pop-leaning summer tune with a whistled chorus so catchy you almost wish the song looped forever.

Between tracks the frontman chatted with the crowd, even asking if anyone believed in aliens, before launching into ‘If I Was Abducted by Aliens,’ lyrics as tongue-in-cheek as the question.

And yes, there was also a dancing cat. Or at least a person in a cat mask, grooving all night long. We were warned, deadpan, not to touch the cat under any circumstances. Mascot? Fever dream? Who knows.

Dirty Nice played for over an hour, upbeat and cartoon-bright, clearly enjoying themselves. An intimate crowd, a strange cat, and a band making joyful noise, tour openers don’t get much better.