Sydney trio DMA’s to perform debut album in full, including songs never played live, at an intimate hometown show
by Paul Cashmere
DMA’S will return to where it all began with a one-off Sydney performance marking the 10th anniversary of their debut album Hills End. The hometown celebration will take place at The Metro Theatre on Friday, 27 March 2026, offering fans a rare opportunity to hear the album performed in full alongside a curated selection of career-spanning favourites.
Released on 26 February 2016, Hills End was the record that announced DMA’S as a major new force in Australian guitar music. Built on chiming riffs, emotional directness and melodic hooks that travelled easily from suburban Sydney to international stages, the album laid the foundation for everything that followed. Ten years on, its impact remains central to the band’s identity and to the modern Australian rock canon.
For this special show, DMA’S will revisit Hills End from start to finish, including tracks that have never previously been played live. The performance is designed as a complete immersion into the album, reconnecting audiences with the songs that first defined the band’s sound while acknowledging how far they have travelled since.
The anniversary is also being marked with the release of the Hills End 10 Year Anniversary LP, featuring the original album alongside previously unreleased original demos. The collection offers a deeper look into the formative period of the band, capturing the raw ideas that eventually evolved into one of the most important Australian debut albums of the past decade.
DMA’S formed in Sydney in 2012, bringing together vocalist Tommy O’Dell, guitarist Matt Mason and guitarist Johnny Took. Originally operating under the name Dirty Ma’s before shortening it, the band quickly gained attention through early singles and their self-titled EP released in 2014. Their breakthrough came with Hills End, which peaked inside the ARIA Albums Chart Top 10 and established their reputation for emotionally resonant, guitar-driven songs with a distinctly international outlook.
Tracks from the album such as Delete, Lay Down, Too Soon and Step Up The Morphine became cornerstones of the band’s live sets and early career. The record also helped position DMA’S as part of a broader resurgence of melodic guitar music, drawing influence from Britpop, classic Australian songwriting and alternative rock traditions without losing a contemporary edge.
Following Hills End, DMA’S continued their upward trajectory with For Now in 2018, The Glow in 2020 and HOW MANY DREAMS? in 2023. Each release debuted inside the ARIA Albums Chart Top 10, with the latter three strengthening the band’s international profile, particularly in the UK and Europe. Along the way, the band amassed multiple ARIA nominations and won ARIA Best Group in 2023.
Their live reputation has grown in parallel with their recorded output. DMA’S have toured extensively across Australia, the UK and Europe, played major international festivals including Coachella, Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds and delivered high-profile performances such as the AFL Grand Final. Their music has also crossed into popular culture through film, television and advertising placements.
A significant moment in the band’s broader story came through their reinterpretation of Believe, which topped the Triple J Hottest 100 of Like A Version in 2023 and reinforced their ability to reframe familiar material through their own musical lens. That balance between reverence for influences and a strong internal identity has remained a defining feature of DMA’S across their decade-long career.
This exclusive Sydney show promises to be one of the most personal performances the band has staged in recent years. By returning to Hills End in an intimate venue, DMA’S are offering fans a chance to reconnect with the songs that launched their journey, presented with the perspective and confidence earned over ten years of relentless touring and recording.
Presale registration for the show is now open, with limited tickets expected to move quickly given the one-off nature of the event.
DMA’S Sydney 2026
Friday 27 March 2026, Sydney, Metro Theatre
General public tickets on sale 10am AEDT Thursday 5 February 2026.
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