It's still something special when D-A-D play in the capital. But in the Forum Black Box on January 31, 2025, it didn't turn out to be the triumph many had hoped for. The band have otherwise toured solidly with their new album Speed of Darkness, and both the pyrotechnics and the crowd were ready.
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Disclaimer: Apropos Magazine received access or a review copy. As always, we share our own impressions — unfiltered.
Six stars
The warm-up was anything but tepid. Baest, the Aarhusian death metal band, took to the stage as the evening's rough fixture, kicking the door in with brutal energy. Frontman Simon Olsen brought out the smiles of even the most tanned D-A-D fans with his presentation: “We are Baest from Aarhus, and we are the hard part of the evening.” One of the highlights was when Jesper Binzer himself joined Baest on stage for “King of the Sun” — a duet that both surprised and worked.
When D-A-D walked on stage just past nine, the hall was immediately lit up. Opening with “God Prays to Man,” “Burning Star” and “Evil Twin” put on some weight, but it soon became clear that Binzer's vocals weren't in top form. Several tracks were delivered with a strained voice and technical problems dragging down the overall expression.
The new tracks — especially the title number “Speed of Darkness” — had difficulty winning the hall. The audience was more involved when the band went back into the catalog with songs like “Grow or Pay,” “Crazy Wings” and, of course, the emotive “Laugh 'n' a ½,” where the mood peaked.
Cobber struggled with some guitar crackers, but the band's interplay and routine nevertheless carried the evening roughly through. One sensed that they still enjoyed being on stage, but also that it was not one of those nights when everything came together in a higher unit.
The extras, featuring “Sleeping My Day Away” among others, delivered the goods. And as always, they finished off with “It's After Dark,” allowing the audience to go home with that classic twinkle in their eye and some kind of satisfaction in their bodies.
Reflection:
There's something beautiful about seeing a band like D-A-D stick with their stage format and fans -- even when the engine coughs a little in the cold. The Forum concert never really heated up, but it proved that 40 years of rock history can still create moments of magic — even if not every phrase is right in the closet.
