DIIV – Button Factory – Live Review – 1/09/25
by Killian Laher

A swift return to Ireland by US band DIIV, who packed out the Button Factory on a Monday night.  First up were Limerick band Theatre, who played a short but impressive set.  At times reminiscent of the Cure, but heavier, they made a tremendous noise with a female singer wailing (in a good way) over an assault of guitars.  Definitely one to watch.

With a set interspersed with quirky clips on the screen, DIIV opened with the heavy balm of In Amber and Brown Paper Bag.  Reaching further into their back catalogue, Under the Sun lifted the gauziness as the band began to swing, causing the first real outbreak of dancing.  Although the conspiracy-theory themed vignettes were in danger of stalling the band’s momentum, Soul-net and Frog In Boiling Water provided glorious noise.

If it’s stagecraft or onstage ‘banter’ you were looking for, you’ve come to the wrong place.  Zachary Cole cut something of a reluctant frontman, standing off to the side.  But this band is not about that; their set was highly polished and really, just about the music.  A hypnotic, stretched-out Take Your Time was deliriously received while Taker’s heavy riffs hit you in the gut as the band loosened up with some glorious guitar work.

After a quick Papa John’s ad (!), the band up to now had clearly only been warming up, as they powered through Between Tides and a cracking version of Blankenship.  The latter saw vigorous moshing in the audience.  Their set was flawless until the encore, preceded by their Exxon Mobil ad, when they slightly botched Raining On Your Pillow and restarted it.  However, Horsehead was nothing short of guitar nirvana, and the band finished with a jubilant Doused.

Although it was a set low on surprises, the band are clearly very tight and make a highly enjoyable racket.  As an experience, between the bombardment of images on screen and the ecstatic barrage of guitars, it’s an impressive one.