LIVE REVIEW: NewDad @ Manchester Academy 2

At the heart of Manchester’s student bubble, the hustle and bustle of the Saturday night goers-out became a battery, generating an electrical buzz in the air that quickly infected those who were awaiting the coming NewDad gig, the doors to which were to open imminently. The sun which had long set was unneeded to battle the late-Autumn chill, an exciting warmth befalling the busy and chattering queue, who were gradually amassing outside the venue of the sold out show. 

Photo Credit: Harry Proctor

As we began filing in, the energy only grew, the already spacious venue slowly filling with smiling and animated fans, eager for the night ahead. Not long after the doors had opened, Cork-based Cardinals played a short, but spirited set, their nonchalance and composure grounding their undeniably cool look. Their addition of an accordionist to the classic band lineup gave them a distinctive novelty enjoyed by all. 

By the time their set had ended, the venue had grown packed, a sea of oscillating heads navigating slipstreams to and from the bar in a quick effort to secure a beverage and return to their spot before NewDad took the stage, an air of anticipation felt by everyone. Eventually, they did, met with the deafening cheers of just under a thousand people, the venue’s capacity. Throughout the set, the crowd were highly responsive, supportively interacting with Julie Dawson’s thankful remarks regarding what she called their “biggest headline ever”. 

Photo Credit: Harry Proctor

Clearly a milestone gig for the band, NewDad took no prisoners in terms of the quality of their set. Opening with ‘Entertainer’, they played for just over an hour, seamlessly interweaving their groovier head-boppers with the slower, atmospheric swaying tunes that can be found in their fantastic catalogue. Dawson’s ethereal vocals gracefully soared with the band’s instrumentals, forging a vibe of nostalgia that had the crowd dancing one second, and resting a head on a lover’s shoulder the next. “Is everyone sufficiently sad?” Dawson joked at the end of one tune, before breaking into a more upbeat song that kept spirits high. 

The crowd kept the same energy from the beginning of the set to the end, never disappointing. They passionately sang the lyrics back to the band, which Dawson called “the most magical feeling in the world”. Other highlights of the set included ‘Sickly Sweet’, the tone of guitarist Sean O’Dowd’s Shoegaze-esque guitar riff reverberating through the venue. At one point, the band left the stage, a synth drone giving us hope the show wasn’t over. A few seconds passed, but the crowd remained unmoving, eager for more. 

NewDad returned to the stage to an eruption of applause, the entire band grinning appreciatively. They played two more songs, ending powerfully on ‘Roobosh’, the first single from their September sophomore album ‘Altar’. The Rock-y track kept the energy at its zenith for the finale of the set, before they departed from the stage, leaving the crowd charged, a buzz that carried itself out of the venue, as we poured into the Manchester streets. 

NewDad’s next stop was Sheffield, the following night, as they continue their tour across the UK and Ireland. Next year, they already have dates planned in the US and Canada, as well as kicking the Summer off with a set at Barcelona’s Primavera Sound. It is a busy time for a band deserving of success. 

The crowd dispersed to different adventures, some heading home, others making the trek into town to continue the good time. Wherever the crowd ended up, they all took with them a small piece of electricity the music had infused within us.