The new year of music has finally kicked into high gear tonight, as EVOL and DIY Magazine collide to bring Dream Wife back to Liverpool after their set at Liverpool Music Week this past October.

We unfortunately arrived at the venue later than we usually do, missing AGP‘s set. He’s growing his new act following his LMW set, so we’re intrigued to hear how he was.

However, we caught the tail-end Haarm‘s set. The newbies on the block have already started off a very impressive career, with their LMW set (a theme for tonight) turned heads with their already flawless pop sound, and now they’re set to support Bloc Party next month, madness.

They sounded pretty much the exact same as they did when they played the Arts Club. It seems like the act, who have risen extremely fast, may have perfected their material to performance level, leaving no room for instant emotion, something I enjoy myself. However, there were no flaws tonight and there’s no doubt they will be big.

Her’s were up next, my first time catching a band I’ve heard so much about, and I wish I’d seen them sooner. Quite an impressive and fun duo creating a multi-dimensional set with their tropical indie-pop softly intertwined with inverted jazz.

Jokes galore with the band, obviously out there playing for fun and making some unique, often beautiful sounds along the way. They’re a keen band, musically pushing unhindered pop with a new format. Definitely an act I wish to see again.

Tonight’s headliners appear, the Brighton/Icelandic punks Dream Wife, in Liverpool for the second time courtesy of DIY (and now EVOL).

They very quickly kicked into high gear, with “FUU”, their recent single and a calling-card in their set, last time they were here they used it to end the show, now they start with it. The Buyers is the perfect place, Alice screaming her call “fuck you up!” in a tight room where you can see the brick walls.

They jammed it into their new gimmick fascination, properly titled “Bad Bitches”. They’ve definitely grown via confidence since we saw them last, now even-less afraid to pick their target, calling out all their “bad bitches” in the audience.

The angry-fun band dive through a forty minute set, definitely what we wanted, and proved they’re one of the best acts around. Ending on “Hey Heartbreaker” and quickly disbanding the stage to the merch stand (which got packed), there’s definitely room for Dream Wife in our world, and in there’s room for more Dream Wife shows here any time.

It won’t be long before we can envision Dream Wife blasting their sounds on a local stage like the Invisible Wind Factory, heck, I’d give it a year, or even if EVOL were to bring them back for any soon dates, such as the well anticipated FestEVOL Gardens event, we’d be very grateful.

Words by Jack Cinnamond, photography by Jess Jayne Sharpe