DMA'S presale codes

DMA'S came up from Sydney with a love of 90s Britpop hooks and jangly guitars, and Hills End is the record that introduced that mix.

Ten years, same heartbeat

Ten years on, this run centers that debut era while nodding to later gloss from For Now and The Glow, so the arc feels both scrappy and refined. Expect a front-to-back lean on Hills End, with high odds for Lay Down, Delete, Step Up The Morphine, and In the Moment. The room tends to be a mix of day-one fans in faded 2016 tees and newer listeners who met the band through dance-leaning remixes, trading verses with easy, full-voice singalongs. Lesser-known: early Hills End demos were stitched together in a small Newtown apartment, and the band kept some of those rough vocal takes for the final feel.

Songs that built the bond

Another quirk you might notice is the quick switch from full electric to an acoustic trio mid-set, which lets Tommy draw the crowd into a hush before the next surge. Note: everything about set pacing and staging here comes from pattern-watching, not a published plan.

The DMA'S Crowd, From Terrace Chants to Tender Hums

Around a DMA'S show, you see retro track jackets, well-worn sneakers, and a lot of soft caps, but the mood stays friendly and low-key.

Terrace energy, living-room manners

People swap favorite deep cuts from Hills End and point out tiny guitar lines they love, then fall quiet when the acoustic comes out. There is usually a quick clap pickup before a big chorus lands, and a short D-M-A-S chant pops up between songs rather than long speeches. Merch trends lean toward clean designs of the Hills End cover, plus simple black hoodies and tote bags that survive more than one season.

Songs first, everything else after

Pre and post-show, the talk is about melody, not celebrity, with fans comparing first times they heard Delete and which closer has the best release. The culture feels rooted in care for songs and friends, so the night reads as a shared catalog check-in more than a fashion parade.

How DMA'S Build Lift from Simple Parts

Tommy O'Dell sings with a rounded, steady tone, pushing just enough grit at the top to keep the stories grounded.

Built to lift, not to dazzle

Johnny Took holds the rhythm lines in bright open chords while Matt Mason colors the edges with chorus and delay, so the guitars feel wide without getting messy. The touring drummer and bassist keep a straight spine, often locking into a tight four-on-the-floor during codas to lift the tempo without rushing the verses. Live, they like to start sparse and add layers, which is why Delete can arrive as a near-whisper and end with a full-band bloom. Lay Down often stretches with an extra bar or two in the outro so the lead guitar can ride a simple octave motif that the crowd can mirror.

Small choices, big feel

A small but telling habit: the band favors capoed shapes up the neck to keep the sparkle while dropping the vocal strain, which preserves tone late in the set. Lights are typically cool whites and soft strobes from behind, framing silhouettes rather than stealing attention from the songs.

If You Like DMA'S, You Might Roam Here Too

Fans of Liam Gallagher tend to click with DMA'S because both trade in big, no-frills choruses and a clenched, sing-it-out stance.

Overlap in the pit and on playlists

Catfish and the Bottlemen share the driving indie pulse and crowd-wide shouts, especially on the more up-tempo DMA'S cuts. If your taste leans jangly and bright, The Kooks offer the same chiming guitars and easy-sway rhythms that make the softer corners of Hills End land. For fans who favor haze and texture, Ride brings the shimmering wash and delay-scoped lines that DMA'S lean into on extended outros.

Hooks first, noise second

Across these acts, the overlap sits in melody-first writing and shows that move from tender to sky-aimed without losing the human scale.