It’s Friday night, the suns shining, and Birmingham is writhing with people setting themselves up for another active weekend. We head to Hockley, escaping the bustling herds of people in the centre. Scouting out the venue for tonight’s show, clusters of fans are already gathering outside the entrance. Having some time to kill before the show, we find ourselves popping into Hockley Social Club for a quick pre-gig drink, and of course, a delicious bite to eat (chicken wings from Kiki’s). Now sufficiently ready to mosh to our hearts content, we proceed to The Asylum for Dream State, Graphic Nature and Blood Dealer.
By the time we file into the venue, there’s no time to waste. The first support act, Blood Dealer, are making their way on stage. Like a shook-up bottle of pop, Blood Dealer brace the stage with excitement and bubbling energy. Grasping the audience with their heavily distorted sound and dynamic stage presence, Blood Dealer throw us into their performance full force. The 3-piece outfit interestingly morphs trap beats, metal riffs and pop punk vocals. The lead vocalist’s clean vocals are reminiscent of old-school Fall Out Boy, whilst the chunky riffs that reverberate through the venue act as a perfect contrast. Perhaps, due to personal genre preference, I took a slight disliking to the flickers of trap beats breaking through
Blood Dealer Photos Taken By: Sarah Maiden
However, having since listened to the recorded version of the band’s debut single ‘Designer Antichrist’, I have to say it does sound more effective on the recorded track.
Next up, we have Graphic Nature as the main support. Hitting the stage with brutal intensity, Graphic Nature radiates confidence- both well-deserved and captivating. Tearing through their set, with the crowd in an intoxicated state of compliance, Graphic Nature spurs the start of a mosh that only continues to grow in strength and size through the rest of the night. The outfit undoubtedly have an essence of charm on stage as they draw in their fans with relatable call outs making for a growing feeling of community. Graphic Nature expresses immense gratitude for the past week, not only spending time touring with Dream State, but also announcing the release of their new album, ‘Who are you when no one is watching?’, alongside a major UK tour in July.
Graphic Nature Photos taken by: Conrad
Having just enough time to grab a swift drink, before we know it, it’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Taking their positions on stage, Dream State are momentarily paused, taking in their crowd with beaming smiles and faces full of gratitude. From the second they start playing it’s as if a wave of euphoria washes over the venue. Rolling from track to track, masterfully orchestrating the mosh, Dream State have a knowing sense of control over the crowd. Reeling off performances of tracks from their latest EP ‘Still Dreaming’ there is a very real feeling of Dream State having reached a new point of climax in their career so far.
Dream State Photos Taken by: Conrad
Having faced huge success with their recent EP, it is no surprise that the outfit perform the EP’s tracks with such assurance and impact. Not only are we treated to new Dream State songs, but also to older tracks like ‘White Lies’ and favourites from the album ‘Primrose Path’ including: ‘Hand in Hand’ and ‘Made Up Smile’. Towards the end of their set, lead vocalist Jess finds herself in the crowd surrounded by worshipping fans. There is a huge feeling of catharsis as Jess sings and screams from deep in her soul, as fans connect with such ecstatic energy. As a long-time fan of the band, it was immensely rewarding and hugely emotional as Jess reached out and held my hand amidst entertaining heaps of mesmerised fans. With Birmingham as the last night of their UK tour, Dream State pulled their tour to a close with awe-inspiring energy and masterful professionalism.
You can now listen to Dream State’s latest EP ‘Still Dreaming’ on all major streaming platforms.
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