With their catchy tunes, story-like lyrics, and their energetic stage presence, Dream Nails managed to gain the attention from the audience within seconds. Lead singer Ishmael Kirby greeted the crowd by letting everyone know the band was very excited to be back in Rotterdam. Ishmael emphasised how important it is for the band to create a space that feels welcoming and safe to everyone regardless of their gender, sexuality, or race, and a safe space is exactly as what I’d describe this gig to have been. From moshpit to playing with beach balls, there was not a single moment in the crowd where I couldn’t find a smile on the faces of the members of the audience.
Midway through the set they played their song ‘Ballpit’, which they explained came about after a gig they played during their first tour that was one of those shows where the audience left after the support band left. Feeling discouraged, they ended up at an underground ball pit for adults and they had the best time throwing balls at each other. They ended up writing the song afterwards which is basically about doing something that you just want to do. The song was a fun choice to play live as they encouraged the crowd to chant “I need” and “I want” back at them.
It wouldn’t have been a punk show if there wasn’t a political statement made somewhere during the show. When it was time for drummer Lucy to have her moment to speak to the crowd, she mentioned how shit the results of the elections here in the Netherlands are “just like they are in the rest of the world”. She took this moment to once again emphasise how the band accepts people no matter who they love or where they come from. The statement was no surprise to anyone in the audience, as their storytelling lyrics speak loud and clear for themselves. She ended up twisting her speech into an encouraging moment as she hopes that their live performances help motivate at least one person in the audience to pick up an instrument themselves and maybe even start a band. To symbolise this, she ended up giving a pair of her drum sticks to a fan in the crowd.
Prior to the show, they posted on their Instagram story that they discovered that the venue they played at in Rotterdam is a boat, which they were a little bit nervous about because half of the band gets very seasick. However, thanks to the boat not moving at all, they ended up having a great time after all. Not a single trace of seasickness was found throughout the night and all 4 of them absolutely owned that stage. If punk music is your thing, and whether you are a queer person or an ally, I highly recommend giving Dream Nails a solid chance, as their gigs are a guaranteed fun night out.
