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Live music is back: DMA'S to play shows at The Factory
Sydney guitar-pop trio DMA'S will be the first major act to take tentative steps back to playing live shows this month, as the music industry charts its way through the coronavirus crisis.
The group will play six shows over three nights at the Factory Theatre in Marrickville from July 30 to August 1 to promote their upcoming album The Glow – their first live shows in over four months, after the government announced social distancing measures in March.
The DMA'S will play their first live shows in months in July. Credit: Wolter Peeters
The venue can usually hold around 550 people, but due to social distancing requirements it will be restricted to just under 150 guests.
The band is playing two shows on each of the three nights to accommodate as many fans as possible. Keeping in line with government restrictions, those fans will be seated and the venue will be cleaned between each show to ensure the risk of coronavirus transmission is limited.
"It's strange times," the group's lead singer Tommy O'Dell said."It's been a bit of an interesting time for everyone, for musicians and artists who much of their whole life was about performing live. For that to get taken away from us took quite a bit of adjusting."
"It is what it is. We are happy to just be able to play again, and that venues are open for us to be able to play at. Sometimes the intimate gigs can be even better, the energy can be even stronger."
The shows will serve as an unofficial litmus test for the live music industry, which has been completely shuttered since social distancing measures were introduced earlier in the year. Major touring is off the cards while border closures remain in place and even one-off events like DMA's shows at Factory Theatre will remain a rarity until restrictions are lifted to a point where shows are financially viable.
DMA'S shows are part of the promotion for The Glow, so promoters will be prepared to take some financial risk to allow fans to hear the music live.
The group had to delay the release of the album, which was originally due out on April 24, and postpone a number of festival appearances and international touring dates. Even the upcoming shows very nearly came unstuck.
The group's guitarist Johnny Took has been living in Melbourne since they returned from London earlier this year, and a decision to travel to Sydney two weeks ago meant he narrowly avoided being shut out due to Tuesday night's border closures.
"It's crazy, you just don't know what is around [the] corner these days," O'Dell said.
With community transmission of the coronavirus down to a minimal level in NSW, DMA'S promoters Frontier Touring and Secret Sounds are forging ahead with plans for the live show. A fan pre-sale begins on Wednesday before the general public can access tickets when The Glow is released on Friday.
DMA'S play the Factory Theatre in Marrickville from July 30-August 1, at 6.30pm and 9.30pm. More information is available at dmasdmas.com.