Dead Objectives / UHR – The Peer Hat, Manchester, UK, 24th April 2022

Today is a double celebration for Manchester’s Dead Objectives, first their long awaited double A side single, Wolves Amongst The Flock / Ilfare State, that was first announced last June, and has been held up due to vinyl pressing issues we are all too familiar with, is finally available and pre-orders have been shipped to their patient fanbase. The second is that today is their powerhouse drummer Badja’s birthday. So with a double celebration on the cards we’re off to the basement of The Peer Hat to catch Dead Objectives for the first time since the H.I.T.S 25 Festival that took place in lieu of the Rebellion Festival last Summer. It’s also worth noting that the far right were defeated in the French elections today, so with that triple hit of good news we head down into basement.

First up is local band UHR, a band we should have caught when they stepped in as a last minute replacement for support for The Chats last month, sadly their early start and the inevitable reunions that have been a feature of all of my recent gigs meant we caught the dying chords of their final song and got to watch them walk off stage. Distorted fuzzy bass driven post punk that takes it lead equally from influential post punks such as The Fall and Gang Of Four and the current wave of post punk that had emerged as the world slowly disintegrates around us, catching UHR tonight is a reminder that sometimes good things do come to those who wait.

The Punk Site has a long history with Dead Objectives, From way before their debut full length, Human Symptom, when I first saw them at a homeless charity gig in a dystopian and neglected area of Manchester and they shared their veggie pizza with a starving and sober reviewer, you don’t forget things like that. From there we followed their first album, lockdown, line up changes and finally we have heard first recordings with their new line up, that is officialy launched today, one and has been a long time coming. 

Like every gig we’ve covered recently this feels like an extended reunion as we meet faces that shouldn’t be in the distant past, and thankfully no longer are. Tonight sees Dead Objectives launching their new manifesto, whereas their debut full length had a darker feel than many it was still powered by a full on punk fury, now they have fully embraced the dark, something that brings a new feel to their sound and sees then heading down a shadowy path with the Forshaw brothers, Sam and Tim, front and centre with Sally bringing an understated cool and the force of nature that is the birthday girl powering them along. Their adoption of the dark side is confirmed as dry ice kicks in for that authentic gothic feel, along with an inability to actually see the band, and it can’t have been accidental that The Sisters Of Mercy were playing at this point. 

Opening with Ilfare State from their freshly released double a side they feel more focussed, but for my all my talk of a gothic influence there is still a brutal punk undercurrent embedded in their DNA as well as the spirit of the furious side of the late 80’s and 90’s alternative scene. Their set covers their back catalogue, from the straight up political punk of Who Profits From War and Holy War through to their latest release and beyond. If you were in any doubt about Dead Objectives authenticity then tonight, and their latest single, should put those to bed. Politics are front and centre, and as someone once wrote, if you think punk rock doesn’t mix with politics then you’re wrong. 

Tonight felt like a welcome extension to last week’s Manchester Punk Festival, DIY to the core their set continues with Imagine A World having the feel and passion of a raw New Model Army, this is swiftly followed by the swirling eco anthem The Environment that takes their political gothic punk to its logical conclusion with its subtler verses giving way to a savage chorus. Equality Not Included flashes by in a savage blur, before Priest Blessed Bullet ups the ante and takes us back into the anarchic roots. A heartfelt thank you from the birthday girl precedes Stations Of The Sane from their upcoming sophomore album, which might well just be my new favourite song by Dead Objectives, it combines punk, alternative and gothic elements perfectly and hints at great things to come. 

Against The Grain takes us back to their debut album before we get the flipside of their long awaited new single, Wolves Amongst The Flock, that is introduced as “this one’s about the tories”, before closing with A. I. that’s sees everything disappear in a final burst of dry Ice. A superb show that indicates there is an ironically bright future for this Manchester DIY quartet. Only one thing bothered me all night, and if someone can explain to me why an oversized psychedelic lampshade occupied the stage to the left the band I’d be grateful. Tonight confirms just how good it is to be back out seeing live music and amongst friendly faces again, and has raised expectations for Dead Objectives new full length when it’s released later this year.

Wolves Amongst The Flock / Ilfare State is now available digitally via Bandcamp and on vinyl via Dead Objectives

Photography by Gary M Hough of Shot From Both Sides