Florida duo The Dollyrots bring their punk rock charm to a packed Aatma in Manchester
photo by livebylittleamy
26 April, Manchester UK
Anytime Florida’s The Dollyrots return to the UK, the red carpet is always rolled out because let’s face it, they are punk royalty and deserving of the love they receive. Formed in 2001 by married couple Kelly Odgen & Luis Cabezas, they have built their own path in music for over two decades with upbeat catchy pop-punk sound as well as their charismatic charm. With a wealth of experience behind them and a well-known energetic live show, tonight was sure to be a spectacle. Tucked away deep inside the Northern Quarter, Aatma will the host of tonights show providing what is a very intimate setting.
First, we turn our attention to tonight’s support, kicking things off was Manchester’s very own When Suddenly – or so it should have been. Due to personal issues, the band sadly had to withdraw from the slot, however up stepped bassist Daniel Cotton to keep the bands spirit going performing an impromptu acoustic slot on his own and absolutely smashing it. Throwing in a nice mix of what his band has to offer as well as a sneak preview of a new song. You can also catch the band live again in Manchester as they take to the stage in 33 Oldham Street on the 13th of June part of the Emo Takeover.
Up next we are in for a treat from Pennsylvanian pop punk icons Don’t Panic. Despite their touring break from 2009-2019, the quartet have come back firing from all angels that’s seen them hit the road with the likes of Bowling for Soup, Less Than Jake and Alien Ant Farm. Their live shows are known for their fun filled pop punk anthems and fun-loving energy and tonight was no different. Walking on stage one by one with gleaming smiles eager to get Manchester moving. Kicking off with 2021’s ‘Dark Horse’ before diving straight into ‘Regret Is a Terrible Roommate’ – two back-to-back stellar songs showcasing exactly what this band are all about. A few songs in, “how you doing Glas… I mean Manchester” shouts vocalist Ted Felicetti having been in Glasgow the night before, followed by a few chuckles from the crowd who took this in their stride.
photo by livebylittleamy
photo by livebylittleamy
The thing the stands out the most while watching this band is just how much they seem to love what they are doing; their energy is contagious and is spread throughout the room. Choosing a setlist especially as a support band must come with its challenges however tonight’s set was picked to perfection cover a wide range of bangers from their entire catalogue. Big names like ‘Consequence Be Dammed’, ‘Black Blue & White’ and the incredible ‘Final Thread’ all getting the crowd going. The surprise of the set was the drop of the bands recent cover of Cyndy Lauper’s iconic ‘Time After Time’ that brought out Dollyrots singer Kelly Odgen on stage to sing her parts that she done on the bands Under Cover, Vol 2' EP earlier this year – the song itself is a timeless classic but to hear it covered so flawlessly has added that extra special touch to this evenings show.
The band close off in style with their top hit ‘Fall of 99’ taken from their 2020 record See Through It All and in typical Don’t Panic fashion they require fan interaction for the intro of the song with a simple ‘woah oh’ singalong – looking out into the crowd, vocalist Ted Felicetti points to myself to lead the line in singing the intro as others follow suit. A set packed full of classic pop punk energy and the perfect way to warm us up for tonight’s main attraction.
photo by livebylittleamy
photo by livebylittleamy
It really is a treat to witness a band of this calibre in such a small and intimate venue and a treat is exactly what they would provide. Being a married couple, I feel it adds to the live experience watching this band as both Kelly and husband Luis just bounce off each other and their passion instantly ignites the second they walk on stage. The Dollyrots walk on stage to the Looney Tunes theme tune just built the excitement even more as they set things alight with fan favourite ‘My Best Friends Hot’, fans are instantly on side and in fine voice. The couple know exactly how to work a room, and the energy is already on such a high from the opening song.
Quite like their touring buddies in Don’t Panic, these guys bring the party to the room with their bubbly and infectious aura that spreads throughout the crowd. Their setlist was jam packed of some of the best they have to offer with big hitters like ‘Night Owl’ and ‘Feed Me, Pet Me’ before a song that pretty much sums up this band and crowd, ‘I Know How To Party’ – each song sung louder than the last from fans, it’s the type of night that you just step back and look around and appreciate seeing how united the band and their fans are and it’s very special to witness.
photo by livebylittleamy
photo by livebylittleamy
photo by livebylittleamy
This show has everything including an incredible cover of Melanie’s iconic 70’s single ‘Brand New Key’, a crossover that just works perfectly. When you look at how many classics tonight’s set is packed with, it could easily be a greatest hits tour with their catalogue that stretches over 20 years. Tonight would be a rare occasion when we were not given the treat of witnessing the duos kids on stage taking part of the fun like they usually do given the distance from the tour bus to the venue however Kelly did let us into a little backstory of how they went on a UK tour with icons Buzzcocks, Pete Shelly had booked them based on the fact they have no tattoos and still to this day remains the same.
The band continue to keep up the energy in the room as they head to the big finale - ‘Jackie Chan’ and ‘Dance Like a Maniac’ bring in some fine moves from a very active crowd before closing off a big night with their big hitter ‘Because I’m Awesome’, something that just fits the bill down to a T - this band, this crowd and especially this crowd was indeed awesome.
photo by livebylittleamy