THE DEARS (London Islington Assembly Hall, 07/12/24)

I was 21 and in my very first week of full-time paid employment when I first saw grandoise Canadian indie-rock outfit The Dears and they were awesome. I also perforated an eardrum and was in agony all night long. I'm now 39, watching the same band perform their brilliant second album "No Cities Left" in full with a 15-piece ensemble, and it was EVEN MORE awesome. ("Never Destroy Us" = all-time banger!). I'm in agony once more though, on account of being very, very old.