Dehd bring a taste of sun to a dreary Leeds night. 

Charles Bukowski’s graveled voice blares out of the Brudenell’s PA system. The poet’s Laughing Heart has become something of a mantra for Dehd, a band whose ambition has only ever been to have fun while making their brand of straight backed, whip cracked sugar coated punk. “You can’t beat death but you can beat death in life” goes Bukowski’s poem, a mantra to living life while you have breath in your lungs. 

From the very first note guitarist Jake Balla bounds around the stage like a child who’s been cooped up inside for too long and is finally happy to stretch his limbs and take his fluorescent green guitar dancing as he hop, skips and jumps around the stage. 

Dehd are playing the first night of a European run of dates in support of their new album ‘Poetry’ a sumptuous minimalist record full of with camp, catchy slacker rock harmonies. “Thank y’all for coming out, some of these songs we’ve never played to anyone before.” confirms Balla who brings most of the energy tonight as singer and bassist Emily Kempf nurses an illness and Eric McGrady plays his standing drum kit with totemic poise. 

Despite her illness Kempf’s voice is a gorgeous nostalgiac americana that makes it feel like the audience should be drinking strawberry milkshakes from long glasses rather than warm beer from plastic recyclable cups.Kempf’s voice is so crisp and clear it sounds like the air it echos in has been purified.

Dehd hurtle through their set at a breakneck pace with little time for audience interaction or breaks between songs. ‘Lucky’ from breakthrough album ‘Water’ is greeted with arms raised to the air, ‘Bad Love’ and ‘Flying’ have the crowd swaying from the first notes. ‘Mood Ring’ and ‘Hard to Love’ are sure to be new favourites and as the trio close out their main set with ‘Dog Days’, the opening song from their new album it becomes apparent the crowd have taken on Bukowski’s cue. Hips shake, bodies pogo and mullets bounce around as Dehd bring life and a bolt of light to a drab Monday night.