The Beat Surrender

I’ll start by apologising, because if you’re looking for a clear account of what Dirty Pretty Things are like live, your best bet is going to see them for yourselves (and with a completely sold-out tour, it’s going to be extremely hard).

The only excuse I have is that it was the FA Cup semi-final, and the evening got underway a little earlier than I, being a complete shandy pants, can handle. A couple of pints, a shared jug of Pimms (the sun was out!) and a good result later, I was feeling very relaxed and ready to get into the gig and do my share of flyering.

And this night showed me just what an advantage flyering can be, as not only did we get into this sold-out gig for nowt, but we also got to jump the incredibly long queue – sorry kids! This was a gig I was really looking forward to because there’s been much talk of DPT (nearly as much as those northern monkeys). I’d also read a negative review of a gig they played in London and heard a personal account which went along similar lines. But there has been much more positive talk about the music, and at the end of the day that’s what it’s all about.

My eagerness to see them was heightened by the fact that they were playing at The Anson Rooms. And, what a great venue this is! As a punter it’s got real plus points, offering a clear space which allows you to see the band from wherever you stand and a bar that you can actually get served at – something which maybe wasn’t to our advantage, as we managed to miss the support.

But we did eventually look at our watches and realise that DPT were sure to be on soon, so off we went to find a decent spot within the highly expectant crowd. As soon as Barat and the boys took to the stage there were smiles and cheers all round, kicking off with a rocking ‘Deadwood’ the bouncing began!

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