The Dollyrots & Don’t Panic – Aatma, Manchester – 26th April 2025
28th April 2025I headed down to Manchester to a little event space in the Northern Quarter.
At first, I couldn’t find the venue and had circled it twice as I had not been to this one before, and its location was down a little side alleyway.
I had already purchased a VIP & regular ticket for this event, as I was eager to see headliners The Dollyrots.
It had been 10+ years since I last saw them when they were touring the UK with Bowling For Soup, back when I was writing for a different publication.
The venue was small, with sticky floors (probably the stickiest ones I’ve had to walk on to date!). Boy, oh boy, did it get hot in there really fast.
The VIP acoustic sets by Don’t Panic & The Dollyrots were intimate.
The air in this dimly lit venue crackled with anticipation, like a haven of hushed reverence.
Both bands sat in front of the stage for the VIP acoustic set with a couple of acoustic guitars.
Gone was the thumping bass and distorted riffs, replaced by the raw vulnerability of their melodies and the exposed emotion in their vocals. Each strum of the guitar, each carefully placed note, resonated deeply in the small space, creating an intimate connection between the band and their captivated audience.
The songs took on new life, their narratives unfolding with a newfound clarity that was both haunting and beautiful. It was a reminder that, beneath the layers of amplified sound, at their core, was simply a group of musicians sharing their stories through music, now laid bare for all to experience.
I stepped out to get some air after the band’s VIP sets and came back in for Don’t Panic hitting the stage.
This was my first time seeing Don’t Panic, who are a pop punk band who hail from Pennsylvania, and I was eager to see what these guys had in store for me.
They burst onto the stage full of vibrant energy that is instantly infectious.
They get everyone in the audience bouncing along to their songs.
Ted Felicetti has godlike vocals that effortlessly shift between the melodies and catchy hooks. With lyrics that are a relatable blend of teenage hook-ups, deadbeat dads, heartbreak and rebellion.
The band produces a lot of upbeat riffs, with fast-paced driving drums, explosive guitar work, and a very enjoyable yet insane set brought to us by these high-spirited punk rockers.
The crowds seemed to enjoy their cover of Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Time After Time’, to which the band was joined on stage by The Dollyrots’ very own Kelly Ogden for this fantastic little number.
I will be watching these guys again next time they are in Manchester.
https://www.facebook.com/DontPanicOfficial
When The Dollyrots hit the stage, the crowds erupted in thunderous applause, welcoming these guys back to the stage here in the UK.It’s been a hot while since I’ve seen this band, a husband-and-wife duo, When I arrive Kelly is curled up on the sofa at the back of the venue asleep during soundcheck, but once awake and after having a chat with them before the show, it’s safe to say they are still the same down-to-earth, beautiful people I met all those years ago at the academy.
Kelly and I spoke about motherhood and being in the music business, how touring and gigging – motherhood just goes in the blink of an eye, and before you know it, your kids are in high school.
We also both agreed on the fact that kids are the next set of little rockers and how hard it is on children not being allowed in certain venues due to age restrictions. It’s kind of sucky for kids in this day and age not being able to go out and support local music.
The majority of venues now are 16+, meaning little kids have to miss out on smaller events away from the bigger arenas, meaning families who have younger fans in the mix are limited to what they can take their kids out to see.
Anyway, back to the gig at hand.
If you haven’t been to see The Dollyrots live, I highly recommend it!
They banter on stage with each other; their performances are fun, filled with high energy, with Kelly Ogden on vocals and bass and husband Luis Cabezas on guitars and vocals.
I still giggle at them walking out to the Looney Tunes theme, and later in the show, Kelly manages to lasso Luis with her bass cable.
They played some of their newer songs, such as Nightowl, and some of their older classics, such as Satellite, Brand New Key, and Twist Me to the Left.
