The Black Angels & The Dandy Warhols

It was a typically grey and dreary evening in Bristol, but the atmosphere inside the O2 Academy was electric, as fans gathered for a co-headlining show featuring The Dandy...
The Black Angels & The Dandy Warhols : Live
The Black Angels & The Dandy Warhols : Live

It was a typically grey and dreary evening in Bristol on Monday, October 6th, 2024, but the atmosphere inside the O2 Academy was electric, as fans gathered for a co-headlining show featuring The Dandy Warhols and The Black Angels. Both bands, well-loved for their distinct takes on psychedelic rock, were closing out their U.K. tour. The anticipation was palpable in the venue, as a dedicated crowd, from longtime fans to younger faces, eagerly awaited what would be a powerful night of music.

Miranda Lee Richards opened the evening with a set that was both warm and ethereal, her voice floating effortlessly over a backdrop of gentle, shimmering melodies. Her music, often described as folk-tinged and introspective, provided a beautiful contrast to the heavier, more intense sounds that would follow. Her performance set the perfect tone for the night, creating a dreamy, almost hypnotic atmosphere that invited the audience to fully immerse themselves in the evening’s experience.

The Dandy Warhols
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As the stage lights dimmed, The Dandy Warhols made their entrance, walking out to Klaus Nomi’s “Keys of Life”, which blasted through the PA system, signalling the start of their set. The backdrop behind the band featured a display of various imagery, fitting perfectly with the band’s quirky, laid-back vibe. The screen flickered with kaleidoscopic patterns and retro visuals, adding an extra dimension to their performance.

They opened with “Good Morning”, the first track from their 1997 album …The Dandy Warhols Come Down. The slow, languid beat washed over the crowd, drawing them into the band’s signature psychedelic sound. Early into the show, a heartwarming moment unfolded when Zia McCabe, the band’s charismatic keyboardist, spotted a group of French girls near the front of the stage. The girls, holding up a cardboard sign with a heartfelt message for the band, caught McCabe’s attention. Without hesitation, she climbed down from the stage after the first song to hug them. The French fans were ecstatic, blowing kisses and cheering as McCabe climbed back on stage with a wide grin, returning to her place behind the keyboards. It was a moment that underscored the deep connection The Dandy Warhols have with their fans – a reminder that even after decades on the road, they still find ways to make each show feel personal.

The band then launched into “Ride”, another track from …The Dandy Warhols Come Down, its looping guitar riff and steady drumbeat creating an intoxicating atmosphere. The setlist featured tracks from various points in the band’s 30-year career, blending their older classics with material from their more recent albums. “Plan A”, from their 2003 record Welcome to the Monkey House, followed, with its infectious, pulsating rhythm pulling the crowd deeper into their musical journey.

Despite being known for their laid-back demeanour, The Dandy Warhols’ performance was tight and focused. Frontman Courtney Taylor-Taylor, though reserved in his interactions with the crowd, did take a moment to acknowledge that this was the last stop of the tour. His wry smile and short expressions of gratitude were enough to show the band’s appreciation for their fans’ support. Taylor-Taylor’s vocals were strong throughout, whether crooning through older tracks like “STYGGO” or delivering newer material from this year’s release, Rockmaker (QRO review).

Highlights from Rockmaker included “Summer of Hate”, a track that perfectly balances the band’s love for fuzzy, distorted guitars with catchy melodies. Equally compelling was “I’d Like to Help You With Your Problem”, a song that, despite lacking the presence of Slash’s iconic guitar solo from the album version, still managed to capture the crowd’s attention with its groove-driven sound. Both tracks demonstrated that the band, even after all these years, still knows how to create new music that resonates with their audience.

Courtney Taylor-Taylor

Of course, no Dandy Warhols show would be complete without their biggest hit, “Bohemian Like You”, from 2000’s Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia. As soon as the familiar opening riff rang out, the energy in the room surged. Fans danced, clapped, and sang along, their excitement palpable. This song, more than any other in the set, brought the crowd together, and the band fed off the energy, delivering a standout performance that had the entire venue moving.

As the Dandy Warhols wrapped up their set with “Godless”, another highlight from Thirteen Tales, the band departed with an air of satisfied finality. Taylor-Taylor, in his usual understated way, bid the crowd farewell with a simple, “I’m going to get drunk,” before they left the stage to cheers and applause.

During the short break, I overheard two latecomers to the gig who arrived just after the song “Bohemian Like You” had ended, clearly crestfallen as they realised that they’d missed the Dandy Warhols’ most famous anthem, having mistakenly thought the band would play second.

The Dandy Warhols
The Black Angels

The atmosphere inside the O2 Academy took a darker, more intense turn as The Black Angels prepared to take the stage. Bristol’s own Massive Attack’s “Angel” played over the speakers as the band walked out, shrouded in shadow and backlit by a much moodier, more sinister set of visuals. Psychedelic swirls of light and danced across the screen behind them, felt ominous and foreboding.

Opening with “History of the Future” from 2022’s Wilderness of Mirrors, The Black Angels wasted no time in enveloping the audience in their signature sound – a deep, pulsating blend of reverb-heavy more psychedelic garage rock guitars, droning bass, and Alex Maas’s haunting vocals. The crowd, slightly smaller than during The Dandy Warhols’ set, was nonetheless deeply engaged, swaying in time with the music as the band built layer upon layer of dark, atmospheric sound.

The Black Angels

“Young Men Dead”, a standout track from their 2006 debut Passover, had the crowd fully immersed in The Black Angels’ sonic landscape, its driving bassline and hypnotic guitar riffs creating a sense of intensity that rippled through the venue. Other highlights included “The Sniper at the Gates of Heaven” with Alex Maas leaning over his microphone, tambourine in hand, while guitarist Christian Bland ripped into the kind of heavy, fuzzed-out riff that defines the band’s sound. The up tempo “Empires Falling” showcased the band’s ability to blend heavy, vibrating rhythms with moments of soaring, almost ethereal beauty, but always with a strong message delivered within the lyrics.

The night reached its peak during a memorable encore, when The Dandy Warhols, along with Miranda Lee Richards, joined The Black Angels on stage for a cover of The Velvet Underground’s “Sister Ray”. The groups hugged warmly and jammed away celebrating the end of their European tour together and it felt like the perfect ending to an evening steeped in the rich history of psychedelic rock, with all the artists coming together to honour one of the genre’s most iconic acts.

As the final notes echoed through the O2 Academy, fans left the venue with a sense of satisfaction, knowing they had witnessed something special as the two lead singers and McCabe took their time to leave the stage still chatting warmly with each other, before a final wave to the crowd. It was more than just a concert – it was a celebration of two bands, each with their own unique take on the genre, coming together to create an unforgettable night of music and connection.

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