D-A-D @ Copenhell 2022
By the people, for the people!
This is a special one for me in a couple of ways:
- Having grown up in Denmark, our national hard rock pride D-A-D (abbreviated from "Disneyland After Dark" so as to dodge a lawsuit) was my introduction to the genre, and ultimately my gateway into metal. As such, I've seen them more times than any other band, tonight being my 27th. I'm a fan on a tattoo-basis.
- Last time I saw them, however, was six years ago. Before moving abroad; before becoming self-employed. Before that Trump wackjob; before COVID; before everything was part of some moronic conspiracy theory. I mean, we're talking a different world and a different me.
- Not the least of all, tonight's setlist has been voted on by the fans. Apart from obviously hoping for as many of my own picks as possible, I have little to no idea what to expect.
For better or worse, we've collectively chosen a somewhat well-known setlist path steering clear of too many deep cuts. For worse, because we miss a lot of forgotten gems. But for better, because we get that unmistakable, heart-warming classic party that only D-A-D delivers, and that just keeps on being awesome no matter how many times you attend it.
35-year old "Isn't That Wild" from the band's cowpunk beginnings kickstarts said party with a rabid attitude that leaves the crowd in a frenzy, and myself in relieved ecstasy. The band are their raw, unmistakable selves, and that same raw attitude remains throughout a "Rim of Hell" – one of my picks! – that's rarely, if ever, heard heavier than tonight.
The big surprises are few, though. "Written In Water" – another one of my picks! – is probably the biggest and best one as far as I'm concerned since I haven't heard the damn thing live since my first D-A-D show when I was 15. But it's also nice to hear the title song from the band's latest long-player, "A Prayer For the Loud" (2019), proving that in spite of a coupla creative mishaps during the '00s, the band can still write songs as badass as ever.
This goes on a technical as well as a creative level. While I've heard ever-lovable vocalist Jesper Binzer have single off-days, his voice tonight is as confident and powerful as on his best gigs. Same thing goes for the lead guitar of his brother, Jacob Binzer, which, as always, is especially prevalent in the masterfully beautiful "Grow or Pay".
Likewise, snappy-dressed drummer Laust Sonne shows off his borderline-jazzy, counter-rhythmic improv skills on especially the evergreen "I Won't Cut My Hair". And say what you want about silver-spandex-clad 2-string bassist Stig Pedersen, but the man knows how to rock a solid Cliff Williams-style tugboat. And his various wacky custom bass guitars in the shapes of smartphones, olives, rockets and maltese crosses are a true stroke of dumb rock'n'roll genius.
D-A-D is yet another Danish group who almost got their big international break, but had to settle for world fame inside Denmark. And I don't care what anyone says: In terms of Danish quality products, they're right up there with LEGO and Carlsberg.
The oldest inclusion, the title track from the 1986 Disneyland After Dark debut full-length, "Call of the Wild", is perfectly moving nostalgia. And shit, even though I've heard it hundreds of times and butchered it on cheap guitars around one summer campfire after the other, the acoustic "Laugh 'n' a 1/2" still leaves me teary-eyed. This is my childhood coming back, right here.
As, for that matter, is "Girl Nation" and the main set's closers, the blistering hard rock double whammy of "Jihad" and "Bad Craziness". People, if you want hard rock party, this is it. And I'm still waiting for any Danish band to write an all-round better song than the latter. Probably not gonna happen this side of the apocalypse.
Whether anyone likes it or not, setlists are always up for debate. While I can easily understand why people picked the ones they did, I do not understand why they would choose otherwise fantastic songs like "Evil Twin" and the title track from the same album, "Everything Glows" ('02), over songs like "Are We alive Here?", "Rock'n'Rock Radar", "Ill Will", or virtually anything from the shamefully forgotten "Simpatico" album ('97).
But while I can't blame anyone for being a bit disappointed (although that seems unlikely in practice), I myself am much more than happy upon the conclusive, crowd-pleasing encore of "Sleeping My Day Away" and "It's After Dark", as predictable as they're indispensable. This is what homecoming feels like.
Like their heavy metal and hard rock peers in Pretty Maids and Skagarack respectively, and like their younger protegés in Dizzy Mizz Lizzy, D-A-D is yet another Danish group who almost got their big international break, but had to settle for limited international recognition in exchange for world fame inside little ol' Denmark.
And I don't care what anyone says: In terms of Danish quality products, they're right up there with LEGO and Carlsberg.
Rating: 5 out of 6
Genre: Hard rock
Venue: Copenhell, Helvíti Stage
Date: Fri., 17/6/2022
Setlist:
- Isn't That Wild
- Rim of Hell
- Evil Twin
- Written in Water
- Marlboro Man
- Call of the Wild
- A Prayer for the Loud
- Everything Glows
- Girl Nation
- Grow or Pay
- Helpyourselfish
- Reconstrucdead
- Laugh 'n' a ½
- I Won't Cut My Hair
- Jihad
- Bad Craziness
Encore: - Sleeping My Day Away
- It's After Dark