Featured image and gallery: Sam Holmes

A sold-out Friday night headline show in sunny Manchester is just another show of force for Dead Pony as they tour the release of their newest EP ‘Eat My Dust’. The Glasgow-based nu-metal/pop-punk outfit have built a reputation for themselves as one of the most exciting new bands out of Scotland, known for hits like ’23, Never Me’ and ‘MK Nothing’. It’s safe to say Rebellion is packed shoulder-to-shoulder with loyal fans tonight as the crowd floods beyond the standing pit and fills every corner of the room.

First up on the bill is London-born Tally Spear; she describes her sound as alt pop rock, inspired by the likes of Alanis Morissette and Paramore. Spear immediately brings the energy with ‘Self Confessions’, a deeply personal track about her own insecurities and flaws painted on the canvas of an instantly catchy pop punk melody and punchy drums. Not one to let even a myriad of technical issues bring her down, Spear keeps the ever-growing crowd entertained and bouncing throughout her set, the perfect opener to set the tone for the night to come.

Next up, we have Dead Pony’s regular support for this tour, Overgrown. Hailing from the town of Berwick-Upon-Tweed, this ‘nu-grunge’ four-piece bring a darker musicality to the show, intertwining the heavy, emotional grit of grunge with the nostalgic, early-2000’s attitude of nu-metal.

Fronted by Callum Ter Morsche, Overgrown bring the energy down from bouncy alt-rock to a gritty and brutal melancholy, drawing clear inspiration from bands like Deftones and Chevelle.

A stand-out moment is their second release and second to last song ‘Breathe’, a dark track that describes suffocating and aching in a one-sided devotion to someone who doesn’t reciprocate the emotional labour, as we’re all encouraged to headbang and thrash to the chorus. A change of pace from our first support act but it’s loud and clear why Dead Pony chose to bring them along for this tour with their self-proclaimed ‘nu-grunge’ chops shining through.

Now it’s finally time for the main event, Dead Pony’s signature boxing-style introduction rings out over the top of a remix of Limp Bizkit’s ‘Break Stuff’ and Basement Jaxx’s ‘Where’s Your Head At?’. Bassist Liam Adams launches to the front of the stage first, his bellowing voice echoes around the room as he asks the crowd if we’re ready, and, based on the roar he gets in return, the question didn’t need to be asked. Followed suit by guitarist Blair Crichton and drummer Euan Lyons as they settle behind their instruments, before the vocalist and songwriting powerhouse that is Anna Shields swaggers on stage, receiving the loudest welcome so far. 

Breaking through the noise like a chainsaw and firing straight into titular track ‘Eat My Dust!’, Crichton’s guitar slams into gear and the room is alive in a split-second, waves of fans crash together as the room breaks into a seemingly never-ending mosh pit that only pauses for Shields to discuss the EP before it’s back to usual business for ‘Freak Like Me’, a bold and unapologetic song about being loud and proud of what makes us individual. 

As Dead Pony burn through their catalogue and the crowd continues to throw everything they’ve got into the mosh pit, we take a break from the EP for ‘RAINBOWS’, a beautiful song written as a message from Shields to her 13-year-old self about learning to love herself and becoming comfortable in her own skin. 

The set culminates in an encore of ‘IGNORE THIS’ and shutting the show down with a replay of ‘Eat My Dust!’, with Adams’ goading the mosh pits as he has done all night. 

As the dust settles, the music comes to a halt and the venue clears out, it’s clear that this sold-out Friday night is another notch on the belt of this unstoppable powerhouse of Scotland’s legendary rock scene. Dead Pony are only getting bigger and bolder as they continue forward into the future; it’s not 2000’s nostalgia anymore, this is nu-metal alive and thriving in the modern day.