There was a sense of chaos hanging over Manchester as the Dead Pony Eat My Dust! tour arrived, with each of the night’s three acts carving out their own unique atmosphere.
Opening the night was Tally Spear, who instantly set the tone perfectly for what was to come. Her mix of emotional song-writing and explosive stage presence had the crowd completely locked in from the very first song. There’s something about the way she performs that feels effortless, balancing vulnerable moments with huge bursts of energy without ever losing the room.
A huge part of the set focused on material from her new EP Bittersweet, and hearing these songs live really showed just how quickly she’s growing as an artist. Every track somehow seemed to top the last, with each song bringing something bigger emotionally or musically than the one before it. One of the standout moments came when she performed Bittersweet live for the very first time, and even on first listen it already felt like a future fan favourite. The reaction around the venue said everything.
Even when some sound difficulties briefly interrupted one song, she handled it brilliantly and never let the momentum drop. If anything, it showed exactly why so many people are starting to pay attention to her now. Hearing this new material live made it obvious that Tally Spear is only heading upwards, and this easily felt like the strongest performance I’ve seen from her so far.
Next up were Overgrown, the four-piece metal band who completely owned the stage the second they walked out. Their sound hit like a wall from the very first note, built around reverberating guitar lines, dark chordal progressions and massive dual vocal harmonies that gave every song even more weight live.
The chemistry between the band members was obvious throughout the entire set, and every track felt incredibly tight and perfectly executed. They managed to balance heaviness with atmosphere brilliantly, creating moments that felt crushing one second before opening into something far more melodic the next. The crowd fed off their energy immediately, with the intensity inside the venue building more and more with every song.
What stood out most was how confident they looked on stage. Nothing about the performance felt forced. Overgrown played with the kind of confidence you usually only see from bands much further into their careers, and they brought exactly the right level of chaos needed to bridge the gap before the headliners took over.
Then came the main event everyone had been waiting for... Dead Pony.
Honestly, this couldn’t have been a more perfect show from them. Even with a few fan favourites missing from the setlist, they proved exactly why the new material deserves its place, because every single new song hit just as hard as the older tracks. The crowd reaction alone showed how much people are already connecting with the new album and how strongly this new era of the band has landed.
From the very first beat, the atmosphere inside the venue was unreal. The crowd barely stopped moving all night and being caught right in amongst the chaos made the whole thing feel even more intense. I’ve seen Dead Pony quite a few times over the years, but I’ve genuinely never seen them command a stage the way they did here. Everything felt bigger, louder and far more confident than ever before.
Anna Shields proved once again why she’s the perfect front woman for this band. From the second she stepped onto the stage she completely demanded your attention, to the point where you genuinely felt like you couldn’t afford to look away for even a second in case you missed something. Every movement, every lyric and every interaction with the crowd felt controlled in the best possible way, while still keeping that raw chaos that makes Dead Pony shows so special.
At the same time, Blair Crichton spent the night screaming down the mic demanding more and more from the audience, constantly pushing for this to be the best Dead Pony show they’ve ever played. Somehow the crowd kept finding another level every single time. The pits were already completely wild for most of the set, but when Freak Like Me kicked in things somehow became even more mental, which honestly shouldn’t have been possible at that point in the night. The reaction to that song alone showed exactly why it has become such a fan favourite live.
Opening and closing the night with Eat My Dust was such a statement. It perfectly showed how strongly the new album has connected with fans and how much the band have stepped things up going into this era. Every member of the band looked completely locked in from start to finish, and the energy never dipped for a second.
By the time the final song ended, it genuinely felt like one of those shows people will still be talking about long afterwards. Dead Pony feel like a band standing right on the edge of something massive, and if this tour is anything to go by, they are only heading one way - straight to the top. Big things are definitely on the horizon for them.
Score: 10/10
One of the best live shows I’ve been to this year.
WORDS & IMAGERY BY JACK NORRIS @jackstagemedia
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Dead Pony @ Manchester Rebellion