Dinosaur Pile-Up are Back and Better Than Ever
Dinosaur Pile-Up closed out their mini UK tour on Saturday night with a sold-out show at Camden’s Electric Ballroom. It wasn’t just another gig. It was a comeback, a release, a celebration of survival and a moment of gratitude to the fans who stuck around.
Before the doors even opened, the atmosphere was already buzzing, thanks in part to a Kerrang! pop-up Q&A with frontman Matt Bigland just down the road — a candid, emotional event that set the tone for what was to come. Inside Electric Ballroom, the night kicked off right on schedule at 7:30pm, with support from Snake Eyes and The Xcerts, both delivering distinct sets. Snake Eyes came out swinging — fast, raw and igniting with their solid sound. The Xcerts followed with something altogether different: a more melodic, emotionally rich performance that offered a moment to breathe and reflect without ever slowing the momentum. Together, the two openers warmed up the crowd for a night that was heading somewhere powerful.
The set kicked off with force, opening on one of Dinosaur Pile-Up’s newest singles, ‘Bout To Lose It’, released back in March. The sound was punching through Electric Ballroom’s walls with a mix of excitement and catharsis. ‘I’ve Felt Better’ and ‘Sick of Being Down’, both from the new album we reviewed in August, stood out as major highlights as well. These weren’t just new tracks slotted into a nostalgic set — they felt like the heart of the night, and the crowd knew every word. ‘Sick of Being Down’ hit especially hard, its lyrics landed with emotion that felt earned, not performative. The audience shouted it back, word-perfect, like they’d been holding it in for years.
Still, this wasn’t a set designed to leave the past behind. The room erupted when ‘Celebrity Mansions’ dropped, and a mosh pit kicked off so fast that a few drinks flew straight up and vanished into the stage lights. ‘11:11’, ‘Stupid Heavy Metal Broken Hearted Loser Punk’ and ‘Round the Bend’ gave fans plenty to scream about, each one landing like a punch of pure nostalgia. The encore opened with ‘Thrash Metal Cassette’, reigniting the chaos. There was a real sense of generosity in the setlist. It wasn’t just about what the band wanted to play, but also what the fans needed to hear.
And then there was ‘Big Dogs’. The anticipation for it had been building all night — literally. Between sets and even mid-song, you could hear pockets of the crowd barking, half-joking, half-desperate, waiting for it to drop. It became this primal, hilarious chant echoing around the venue. So when the band finally tore into it, second to last, the place erupted. Chaos. Total release. Drinks in the air, circle pits opening without warning and those barks turning into screams as everyone lost it. The night closed with ‘Back Foot’, as expected — a final, explosive send-off.
The band didn’t hide away after the show either. They were out front, chatting with fans, laughing and signing records — not from obligation, but from a genuine place. For a band that’s been through hell and back, and for fans who waited not knowing what the future held, the night felt like a line drawn in the sand: not “we’re back,” but “we’re still here.”
Dinosaur Pile-Up’s Electric Ballroom set was messy, heavy, heartfelt and real. This wasn’t just a tour closer. It was a rebirth. And if ‘Big Dogs’ was the bark everyone came for, then the rest of the set was the bite that proved they’ve still got every reason to growl.
