DMA’S: NX Newcastle - 7th February 2026
- Stephen Cobb
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
It’s been a consistent narrative online recently that 2026 is the new 2016, and this has only been emphasised further by Australian legends DMA’s touring the 10-year anniversary of their debut album ‘Hills End’. We were fortunate enough to get the second show on the tour fall right on our doorstep at the NX Newcastle. Before even arriving to the venue there was a clear buzz around the city for this show, with people arms around shoulders of strangers singing DMA’s 2020 smash hit, ‘Silver’ in a rock ‘n’ roll themed bar a stones throw from the venue.
We arrived at the venue just before doors opening to get in and see what the initial atmosphere was like prior to any bands taking the stage. Not long after getting in, the room started to fill out, from both floor and the multitude of balcony levels that NX offers. A really fun and unique venue layout which can offer crowds a variety of places to view the shows from.
Opening the show was Australian duo ‘Salarymen’, who are accompanying DMA’s on this whole Hills End 10-year anniversary tour. In complete transparency I had no expectations going into Salarymen’s set, as they’re not a band I was familiar with prior to this tour, but I can safely say that after just one song I was nothing short of impressed. The duo of Renee de la Motte and Thomas Eagleton bring a new and fresh, but somehow very nostalgic sound to their music. Their set was what I would argue a perfect opener for DMAs on this Hills End tour, a fantastic booking as they got the crowd warmed up and moving, starting to transfer that buzz into atmosphere and it really showed! They even ended their set with the iconic ‘D-D-DMAS!’ chant that could be heard bouncing around the venue long after they had left the stage.
From the house lights going out signalling the start of the headline set and the band taking the stage to a thunderclap of cheers, there was no time to waste jumping straight into it with the high energy track 1 on Hills End, ‘Timeless’. This set the tone of the evening very quickly and very effectively. It’s rare you get to see people on shoulders for the first song in a set, but the Newcastle DMA’s fans were quick to give back the energy that the band were pushing out into the room with this setlist opener.
The energy did not stop or disappoint when the band rolled straight into their second song on the setlist, and song 2 on the album, ‘Lay Down’. This also was also confirmed by the absolute legend of a frontman that is Tommy O’Dell announcing that they’d be playing the album, Hill’s End in order. I can safely say I’ve never seen a crowd so ready to rumble 1 song into a set but the North East DMA’s fans were giving it 110% and then some! I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people on shoulders and screaming over the barricade so early on in a set, truly something beautiful.
Truly something beautiful is the only way I can put into words how seeing DMAs perform ‘Hills End’ in full, from start to finish, in order. There were some phenomenal moments during the set with some fan, and personal, favourites such as ‘Delete’, which is my personal favourite from the album so was a very special moment for me to experience live not only myself, but with 1500 DMAs fans in a sold out NX singing every single word back to the band.
As well as fan favourites, playing the album in full meant the return of some old songs that haven’t seen the light of day for a few years. ‘So We Know’ and ‘Melbourne’ both gracing the setlist once again for the first time since 2017 and 2019 respectively. These songs may have been older and not played for over half a decade, but this did not stop the fans, or band for that matter, belting every single word!
It was beyond clear that DMA’s felt the love from the north east fans, proclaiming that they ‘Love coming up north!” There was a true electricity in the room from start to finish with fans creating pits, getting on each other’s shoulders and hugging strangers. This was reflected on stage with the bands over animated and frankly just fantastic guitarist, Johnny Took, doing leaps and bounds across the stage with his guitar.
I say from start to finish, and I mean it. I’m personally not a huge fan of encores when bands leave the stage and come back, but it felt special and necessary this time. Finishing the ‘Hills End’ section of the setlist with the final track, track 12, ‘Play It Out’ was magical but little did everyone know how much more magical it was about to get.
The encore was 6 of DMA’s more popular songs outside of the “Hills End’ album and it kept the energy going and felt like a really nice thank you from the band for supporting the 10-year anniversary of their debut album by playing some extra songs that the fans would want to hear. This encore took the form of For Now, Olympia, Silver, Tape Deck Sick, Hello Girlfriend (which in true DMA’s fashion, got a HUGE extended outro) and Feels Like 37.
It's hard to put my emotions and thoughts about this show into words, it was, as I said, truly something beautiful. I can just hope that the reception the band got in Newcastle keeps them coming back for years to come.
Article and Photography by Stephen Cobb