The Final DIOYY Gig: 12 December 2015, Electric Ballroom, Camden

“You know, this is the second time you’ve taken me to a band’s last concert” complains my friend Mike as we wait for Does It Offend You, Yeah? to start their gig. He’s right, of course. A year ago I dragged him out to see the last Klaxons gig and like tonight his first introduction to the band was with my invitation. In a very big way, I don’t want to be here either, just as I didn’t want to be at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire last November. It is one thing to like a band, to download one or two of their tracks. It is another thing entirely to fall completely head over heels with a band, to play them to death on your iPod and count sleeps until their latest release. Or to dread their final gig like it is the End of Days.

Yet here we are at Camden’s Electric Ballroom because I wouldn’t miss this gig for the world. We’ve arrived late, completely missing the two support acts in favour of a fajita at Camden Market and we grab a quick drink before taking our place in the audience.

DIOYY burst onto the stage with customary aplomb to the intro from”Wrestler”. They dive straight into a shaky performance of “With A Heavy Heart (I Regret To Inform You”. James Rushent keeps dancing about the stage and forgetting to sing into his microphone and I can’t hear the customary bassline and guitars. I’m beginning to worry and I remark to Mike that it would have been nice if James had turned up sober and it is possibly the least charitable thing I’ve ever said about the band I’ve worshipped for 8 years.

Then as if he is reading our minds, James admits that he is a little out of practice after a couple of years down at the pub. The band then launches into a triumphant rendition of “Being Bad Feels Pretty Good” and any doubts I might have had, traitor that I am, are long forgotten.

Then we are in for a treat as the band play us their brand new track “Let’s Go”.

Wait, what?

Aren’t they supposed to be breaking up? No wait, they did break up, shortly after the release of their second album and this is meant to be their final live performance ever. So why are they playing new tracks? It sounds like I’m complaining but I’m really not complaining.

I guess I’m hopeful and that I hope that this isn’t the last we’ve heard of the little quintet from Reading. Which reminds me? Has anyone else noticed a Chloe-sized hole on stage?

Back to the gig. I’ve decided that I really, really like “Let’s Go” and would very much like the band to bring out a new album but I don’t get much time to think about that because James then announces that next up is the first song they ever released and the roar from the crowd is deafening. “Battle Royale” is epic and during the synthesizer solo everybody’s hands are up in the air as we grasp at the memories the band has given us. I’m thinking of Exit Festival, 2010 but in that moment I know that this will be the moment I think back to in future every time I hear this track.

A barnstorming version of “We Are The Dead” follows, to which Mike notes that you can’t help but dance to this band. And by dance, he means jumps up and down like a mad man. He is not alone. “Doomed Now” follows and then there is another live debut of new track “Stormy Weather”.

By now, I’m beginning to strongly suspect that this is in fact not the band’s final gig but an elaborate ruse to get us out to support them and announce that they’re making music again. Would I be offended if this were the case? Of course not.

The next part of the show is peppered with some of my favourite tracks including “Attack of the 60ft Lesbian Octopus”, “Weird Science” and “Dawn of the Dead”. Well, to be honest, most of the tracks DIOYY has ever released have been favourites of mine but I still maintain that these were my favourite favourites.

Next up is “Wondering” and the band are joined on stage by guest rapper Trip and James Rushent’s stunning younger sister Amy. I stand transfixed watching the stage and thinking to myself that we need to see more of this talented young woman – she needs to form a band of her own!

“Survival of the Thickest”, “Let’s Make Out” and “John Hurt” follow and by now James is warning the audience that their time has run out. “No”, I want to scream, “not yet! Don’t let this be the end”. But time is indeed running out and DIOYY have a 10pm curfew.

The band launch into raucous versions of “Yeah!” and “The Monkeys Are Coming” and suddenly they are gone.

Well, the crowd is not having that and in the time-honoured tradition of audiences around the world, a foot-stomping demand of “more!” is soon heard.

And they don’t disappoint. As with the opening track of the evening, we soon hear the strains of the “Wrestler” intro and the fans are chanting along like their lives depend on it, like this moment and this crowd are all that will ever matter. I’m screaming along “because you have all made it to the dance, ‘cause believe me this is the dance!” and it kicks off. This is DIOYY at their very best and the crowd are loving it. They launch into “We Are Rockstars” to an equally appreciative reception before finally toning it right down for (what else) “Epic Last Song”.

And it is epic. It is an evening to remember and a reminder why I love this band so much. My head is telling me that it is over but my heart is praying for another album and many more concerts. Or just one more concert. Yes, I think as I file out of the venue, one more album and one more concert would do very nicely, thank you very much.

Does It Offend You, Yeah? setlist
December 12, 2015: Electric Ballroom

  Wrestler Speech Orchestral Intro
  With A Heavy Heart (I Regret to Inform You)
  Being Bad Feels Pretty Good
  Let's Go (Live debut)
  Battle Royale
  We Are the Dead
  Doomed Now
  Stormy Weather (Live debut)
  Attack Of The 60ft Lesbian Octopus
  Weird Science
  Dawn of the Dead
  Wondering
  Survival of the Thickest
  Let's Make Out
  John Hurt
  Yeah!
  The Monkeys Are Coming
 

Encore:
  Wrestler
  We Are Rockstars
  Epic Last Song

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DIOYY Reunite for One Last Gig, Yeah

I’ll never forget the dark day when Does It Offend You, Yeah? announced that they were disbanding. Months after the release of their iconic second album Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You the band announced that it was all over.

Well, there is good news for DIOYY fans: the band is reuniting for one last gig at the Electric Ballroom in Camden on 12 December 2015. Naturally I made sure to secure my own tickets before announcing this fact to the world but you’ll be happy to know that there are still DIOYY tickets available on the Electric Ballroom website.

If you don’t live in London and you’d like to go bother the band for a gig in your town, you can do it via Twitter @DIOYY or Facebook. While you’re there, beg them to release another album.

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Music Review: Does It Offend You, Yeah? – Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You

Artist: Does It Offend You, Yeah? Album: Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You Label: Cooking Vinyl  Release date: 14 March 2011 Genre: Dance-punk Rating: 5/5 stars

 

It has been a long wait for fans of British dance-punk band Does It Offend You, Yeah?  Their debut album You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into was released in March 2008 and after two years of touring, promoting and recording, fans had expected the follow-up album in mid-2010.  The band began dropping new material at concerts throughout 2010 and even gave away a free single in August 2010 but the release date for the new album got pushed out first to January then March 2011.  Well, the wait is finally over and Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You is due out on March 14 in the UK and March 15 in the United States.

Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You opens with “We Are the Dead” which was the free single given away in August 2010.  A sedate, indie opening gives way to a raucous, stomping anthem intended to resurrect the band and, indeed, wake the dead.  Lead vocalist James Rushent explains: “It’s about reincarnation and regeneration. Coming back from the dead. That’s why we picked it as our first free giveaway, to say we’re still alive.”  “We Are The Dead” is a massive track and certainly one of my favourites on the album. 

Next up is “John Hurt”, so named because it was originally intended that John Hurt appear on the track before a particularly useless ex-manager missed his window with the actor.  Initially taking a break from the mayhem of the previous track, “John Hurt” is a menacing and angry track that descends once again into pure chaos.  While playing this album to death over the past couple of days, it is this track that has been in my head when I have woken up each morning.  It is sheer brilliance and one can only hope that the band finally get together with John Hurt in the future and issue a remix.

The third track on the album “Pull Out My Insides” confounds me.  I’ve listened to it repeatedly but just can’t bring myself to care for it.  Ironically, it is the most accessible track on the album and the one most likely to do well on radio.  It is a bitter track that attacks the mainstream and speaks of the band’s struggle as they fought their record label for creative freedom and ultimately signed with independent labels like Cooking Vinyl and The End. 

The album recovers with electronic romp “Yeah!” which sounds like a psychedelic B-movie theme and “The Monkeys Are Coming”, the first single on the album.  Both are loud, energetic tracks which will bring the roof down on their already crazy live gigs.  Despite their loudness, these tracks are eclipsed somewhat by the brilliance of the sensual, slow-burning track “Wrong Time Wrong Planet”.  This song is pure, aural bliss and has the sexiest bassline I’ve heard in a long time.  By the end of the track, you can’t help but agree that “we all should be living in outer space”.

“Wrestler” begins with a sample from wrestling movie Beyond the Mat featuring Paul Heyman as he delivers his galvanising speech which ends in “because believe me, this is the dance!”  “Wrestler” is a phenomenal track and I dare anyone to try listen to it without bouncing around and dancing to it.  This is Does It Offend You, Yeah? at their best, smashing all attempts to pigeon-hole them into any one genre and delivering cracking tunes.  My only complaint about this track?  It is far too short and I look forward to an extended 9-minute version of the track.

Not that you can be disappointed for too long as “Wrestler” melts into the next track “Wondering”.  The track has rapper Trip on guest vocals and features a sample of the Massive Attack track “Sly” featuring the stunning Nicolette Suwoton.  This track features some great lyrics including “I see dead people ‘cause I see shared needles” and “holy jihads, Batman, someone should do something” against the sample of Nicolette singing “wondering, is this there all there is? Since I was, since I began to be”.

It took me many, many listens to finally ‘get’ the penultimate track “The Knife”.  Like “Pull Out My Insides”, it is one of the more accessible, mainstream tracks on the album and seemed too indie rock for me at first (bearing in mind that I am usually a great fan of indie rock). It is at 2:32 minutes into the song that it erupts into something far less ordinary though and the song is redeemed by a multi-layered and energetic climax.  Likewise, the first time I listened to the final track, “Broken Arms”, I thought that the album had begun to unravel at that point.  Like the opening track, it opens with an acoustic, introspective feel and then it builds into the most powerful, incredible track.   Ultimately, “Broken Arms” is epic and it is a fitting end to the album.

Despite not liking “Pull Out My Insides”, I would still give this album five out of five stars as the rest of the songs were that good.  This is a strong second album that moves far beyond the fun and games of You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into and moves Does It Offend You, Yeah? into the realm of artists to be watched in the future.  I certainly don’t think it is too soon to proclaim this as my album of the year for 2011.

Buy Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You at Amazon.co.uk¦ Amazon.com¦ iTunes

Article written by me and first published as Music Review: Does It Offend You, Yeah? – Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You on Blogcritics.

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Music Video: DIOYY - The Monkeys Are Coming

Continuing with the warped and crazy videos, this is the first single from the new Does It Offend You, Yeah? album Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You which is out in March.  I can’t wait, of course.

I really like this song but I absolutely love “We Are The Dead” which they released last year.

 

Roll on 14 March 2011!

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New Does It Offend You, Yeah? album finally out in March

The wait is almost over.  The long anticipated second album from UK dance-punk act Does It Offend You, Yeah? (DIOYY) is finally available for pre-order on Amazon and iTunes.  DIOYY first burst onto the dance-punk and new rave scenes in 2008 with their debut album You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into.  They’ve been compared to bands like Justice and Klaxons but it their raucous live shows set them apart from other bands in the genre.  I had the pleasure of seeing the band at Exit Festival 2010 and they blew me away.  None of the locals that I had spoken to had heard of DIOYY before but after the gig, everyone was speaking about them.  Such is the live power of James Rushent on lead vocals and guitar; Rob Bloomfield on drums; Dan Coops on synthesizer; Matty Derham on guitar; and Chloe Duveaux on bass guitar that once you’ve seen them, you never quite forget them.

Don't Say We Didn't Warn You will be released on March 14, 2011 in the UK and March 15, 2011 in the US.  It was recorded in 2009 and 2010 and fans were originally expecting the album to be released in October 2010.  In August 2010, the release date was pushed back to January 2011 and in a bid to appease fans, the band offered their single “We Are The Dead” as a free download.  The second single, “The Monkeys Are Coming”, was released on January 23, 2011 and now, with a firm track listing for Don't Say We Didn't Warn You, it seems that we can finally stop holding our breath.

1. "We Are The Dead"
2. "John Hurt"
3. "Pull Out My Insides"
4. "Yeah"
5. "The Monkeys Are Coming"
6. "Wrong Time Wrong Planet"
7. "Wrestler"
8. "Wondering"
9. "The Knife"
10. "Broken Arms"

Together with the massive Australian band Pendulum, DIOYY are currently supporting Linkin Park on their nationwide tour of the United States.

Pre-order Don't Say We Didn't Warn You from Amazon.com ¦ Amazon.co.uk ¦ iTunes

Article first published as New Does It Offend You, Yeah? Album Finally Out in March on Blogcritics.

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Download: We Are The Dead – Does It Offend You, Yeah?

 

Does It Offend You, Yeah? are serious contenders for My Favourite Band^© at the moment and that is all down to their amazing set at Exit Festival this year.  I had always liked DIOYY but I absolutely love them after seeing that 3am set on the Saturday morning at Novi Sad.

They have released their first new single “We Are The Dead” today as a peace offering to their fans for taking so freaking long in releasing their new album Don't Say We Didn't Warn You.  I must admit that I was pretty offended when I learned that their new album was not in fact being released in October 2010 but had been pushed back to January 2011.  The release of this song today might just satisfy me until I see them in concert on 9 October 2010 at The Palace.

This is what the band had to say on the  Does It Offend You, Yeah? website today:

Hey! We've been writing an album for nearly two years, whilst trying to fit in touring as well. It's been a rollercoaster ride for us with ups and downs (as well as lefts and rights). We're just in the final processes of putting the album to bed, so as a treat to you guys who've supported us at clubs and festivals all over the world we're going to give this track + remix parts away for free.. (Shhh don't tell our label). All we've got to do now is wait on a few sample clearences and go to mastering.

…

This track is called We Are The Dead. It's been through more re-writes than the "Ghostbusters 3" script. We hope you like it, we'll post more details on our new album "Don't Say We Didn't Warn You" soon.

Thanks,

DIOYY / JAMESDANROBMATTCHLOE

I clearly remember them playing this song at Exit Festival.  I’d been awake for nearly 24 hours and was already bouncing around to every single song but when this song came on… well, I just went absolutely ballistic.  As did the whole crowd by the way and by the end of the weekend, everyone was talking about the now legendary DIOYY set.

 

 

We Are The Dead by Does It Offend You, Yeah?

You can download the new song my clicking on the down arrow (below “info”)above.

DIOYY are inviting people to remix the song so you can visit the Does It Offend You, Yeah? Soundcloud page to download 19 remix parts of the song.  I cannot wait to hear all of the remixes!!!

DIOYY, I’d just like to say that today I love you long time.

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Concert Preview: Does It Offend You, Yeah?

9 October 2010 @ The Palace

35 Station Road
Aldershot
GU11 1BA

7.30pm

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Sorted! I just bought tickets to see Does It Offend You, Yeah? on 9 October 2010 and I cannot wait!  The band are embarking on a massive eleven date tour of the United States in September with Kele (of Bloc Party fame) and then they return home just in time for the release of their new album Don't Say We Didn't Warn You in October.

DIOYY were awesome at Exit Festival and were certainly one of the highlights of the weekend for me and so I am expecting big things from this gig!  Click to read my review of Exit Festival 2010.

Buy tickets

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