You’ll never see a Rosemont crowd as pumped up as this one. On the verge of selling out before showtime, The Rosemount was packed to the rafters for the opening night of D.A.D.’s 2025 Australian Tour. And after a fine set by the Volcanics, Perth’s own answer to the Stooges, it was time to raise a glass and wait for the triumphant return of Australia’s favourite Danish export.
Last time around Perth got to see the final date of the tour, but this time we got the opening salvo, in what will be an unmissable second visit in three years. The only disappointment on the night being that the merch, that almost everyone in the room was eager to raid their piggy banks for was lost in transit.
Taking the stage just after nine to a reception that feels like a conquering hero’s return, it’s straight into ‘Jihad’ and ‘Girl Nation’ (bumping ‘True Believer’ and ‘Burning Star’ from last visit’s set). Both seek to fire up an already fired up crowd.
Three songs in it’s time to test the new stuff with the wonderful’ Speed of Darkness’ the title track from the latest studio outing. They say the test of a great band is being able to keep a crowd’s attention and the wonderful thing about tonight’s set is that it is much changed from 2022 and the new songs go down a storm!
D-A-D is all about the Rock and Roll and it’s been quite some time, well three years then since Perth’s punters have seen a show like this. The band just knows how to Rock and how to Roll and from the very first chord everyone in the room is captivated. For a band that had been away so long before making that triumphant return back in 2022 it’s amazing to see them again so soon! Any doubts that it may have been too early are dispelled instantly.
You might assume that most in the crowd only has the landmark ‘No Fuel Left For The Pilgrims’ as a reference but you’d be so, so wrong. Even if that may have been the case last time, everyone here seems to know everything!
The masterstroke tonight, for me, is how much the set has changed – but then again this is band with such an impressive catalogue they could probably play here a week and change it up every night! So, whilst peppering the set with the familiar songs from ‘No Fuel’ and adding a heap of great new material from their latest, the exceptional ‘Speed of Darkness’ it’s the gems like ‘Soft Dogs’ and ‘Something Good’ that really get the hardcore excited.
The very best thing about a D-A-D show is that there is no let up and after that wonderful opening the crowd are already in the palm of Jesper’s hand. For a small stage there’s plenty going on, and whilst Jacob anchors the ship, with his trademark top hat, and straddling the pit at one point, Jesper engages us all, gets us singing and generally leads the fun. That leaves Stig to rev us up with his two-strings as he climbs the drum kit and throws his shapes! And what you say about Laust except that he’s a powerhouse drummer with his own unique style.
D-A-D is the living proof that you can engage an audience completely with just the quality of the material – and fan favourites ‘Point of View’ sounds magnificent tonight, as do they all, but it’s newer songs like ‘Ghost’ which gets its live debut tonight, that blow you away. Name another band writing material this good decades after their so-called peak?
And of course, ‘Keep That Mother Down’ is a monster of a song! And how could a show go by without the one-two punch of ‘Point of view’ and ‘Rim of Hell’? And caught in the moment it’s all coming to a close as the main set ends with a great run through ‘Everything Glows’ another survivor from last visit and the wonderful ‘Bad Craziness’ and deafening applause!
The trademark humour is still intact which is all part of the show, Jesper introduces one song (I’ll not spoil it by telling you which) with ‘You can’t dance to it, you can’t rock to it, it’s a bit of a disappointment really’
After a brief moment off stage we do of course get more – the acoustics come out as Jacob and Jesper return for ‘God Prays To Man’ which is sublime and the of course the moment we’ve all been waiting for…
‘Is anyone going to work tomorrow’ Jesper ventures, sadly we all are (both Perth shows have been on Tuesdays) and Jesper sympathised. That of course was the opening to ‘Sleeping the Day Away’ a song that has a complete life of it’s own tonight, and one that lifts the audience to new heights. Clocking in at well over fifteen minutes it’s so full of energy and life that you imagine it could cure al ills. The crowd participation is off the charts, every word, every chord, every bass note and every drum beat is absorbed and reflected back to the stage.
It may have been a school night in sleepy Perth but in everyone’s hearts it is a Friday as you scan the smiles on the faces of the band.
We close the night and the tour with Stig leading us through the traditional melancholy of ‘It’s After Dark’ before the final note rings out and D-A-D’s second tour of Australia in 35 years is over. I know they’ll be back this time! This is real Rock and Roll, real music and will probably seal lasting ties between Perth and Denmark leading to years of peace and you know, us all living happily ever after…
The thing about music is that it brings people together, makes you feel like you belong, but it’s deeper and richer than that of course. Tonight, Perth learned what the true spirit of Rock and Roll means, and we did it together with one of the greatest Hard Rocking bands to come out of the 80’s. A band that is still making music that is essential today. Like our editor said back in 2022 when they last visited, D.A.D. put on one of the best Hard Rock shows you’ll ever see.
If you only get out to see one show this month, this week or this year – the rest of Australia I’m talking to you here – this is the show you need to see.
