Dead Pony are a Glaswegian band that formed in 2015; originally named ‘Crystal’, they rebranded to ‘Dead Pony’ in 2020. Their sound is best described as Paramore-come-Nirvana, combining to create a call-back to the early 2000s grunge-rock scene. 

 

Right at the top of the O2 Institute in Digbeth, we were treated to a night of Scottish excellence with their two supports Soapbox and Gallus. Both loud and proud rock ensembles, their two frontmen – Tom Rowan and Barry Dolan respectively – were forces of nature, and suitably amplified the crowd ready for Dead Pony.

 

Dead Pony had incredible synergy musically and otherwise

Speaking of, Dead Pony took the stage with ‘IGNORE THIS’, the title track of their 2024 album of the same name. This was quickly followed by ‘MK Nothing’ and ‘Bullet Farm’ – ‘Bullet Farm’ was how I was introduced to Dead Pony; a bouncy, hard-hitting rock track with piercing air raid sirens eclipsing parts of the song. 

 

Dead Pony had incredible synergy musically and otherwise. Vocalist Anna Shields had such welcoming crowd work, inviting members of the crowd on stage to dance. She fostered an inclusive, electric atmosphere amongst the audience despite the heavy mosh pit at the front. Guitarist Blair Crichton and bassist Liam Adams had such cohesive synergy; Crichton’s burning solos were expertly supported by Adams’ punchy bass licks. Drummer Euan Lyons was an absolute weapon behind the cymbals, and brought the whole ensemble together. 

 

She fostered an inclusive, electric atmosphere amongst the audience despite the heavy mosh pit

Dead Pony then treated us to a huge run from their debut album Ignore This, with back-to-back ‘Bad Girlfriend’, ‘X-Rated’, ‘RAINBOWS’, and ‘Zero’. Ending off the second part of the show was ‘23, Never me’, one of the band’s first singles back in 2020. ‘23, Never Me’ never stops ascending; each different part of the song builds upon the last into an explosive crescendo. 

 

The highlight of the show far and away was the return of Rowan and Dolan to the stage to perform the most Scottish Limp Bizkit cover you’re ever likely to hear. Break Stuff was the song of choice, and the show went feral for the entire duration they were on stage. Rowan and Dolan are powerful stage presences individually, and combined with Dead Pony, it was a powerhouse combo. 

 

The highlight of the show far and away was the return of Rowan and Dolan to the stage to perform the most Scottish Limp Bizkit cover you’re ever likely to hear

The three vocalists riffed off each other so naturally; they did justice to Limp Bizkit. Rowan and Dolan were standing on the sound system at the stage front, eventually moving to stand on the barriers right in the crowd’s face. It was such a powerful moment, and Dead Pony’s decision to bring them back on for a song was definitely a success. After their departure, the show closed out with a trio of ‘COBRA’, ‘Break Stuff’, and ‘MANA’.

 

Dead Pony are the epitome of Scottish hard rock, and they’ve slowly but surely been growing into their own. Their run of shows at the end of this year have only seen them become tighter as a live unit, and I was grateful the Birmingham show was at the end of that run to see them at the height of their capabilities and comfortability. If people are looking for an introduction to Scotland’s expansive music scene, Dead Pony are a good place to start. 

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