ADULT DVD + LTTL MORT – CHALK, BRIGHTON 27.10.26
The Great Escape isn’t an easy set for any band. Surrounded by lanyards and stoic industry faces, it’s hard to get anyone to move, no matter how frenetic your performance is. Adult DVD may be one of the only bands to succeed at this: “I think I said just because you have a lanyard doesn’t mean you can’t dance”, frontman Harry Hanson told Music Is To Blame of their onstage comments during the early-day set.
Back in Brighton less than six months later, the six-piece faced a less po-faced room for their fourth show of the year. This time at Chalk.
Opening up is the mysterious Lttl Mort. Made up of Opus Kink member Jazz Pope and balaclava-clad drummer Nate Wicks, the red lighting bathing the stage conjures unfortunate images of emo Twenty One Pilots. Fortunately, this expectation is shattered instantly as distorted synth booms out of the speakers for a seamlessly flowing set, brimming with demonically distorted vocals and acid-house syncopation. Drawing inspiration from The Chemical Brothers and sounding like Underworld after a stint in the psych ward with The Birthday Party, Mort’s set is grimy, disturbing and suited for a bad trip in a basement club. It is sinister and infectious, but a perfectly pounding precursor to our headliner.
Lttl Mort:
Jazz Pope – synths, vocals
Nate Wicks – drums
As an ironic palate cleanser, Fergie’s ‘London Bridge’ soundtracks Adult DVD’s arrival. Echoed album opener ‘Do As I Please’ kicks things off, a comparatively subdued number. The arpeggiated bounce of ‘Coffin Dodger’ brings a crowd to a boil, inciting circle pits that never truly fade for the rest of the set.
“Better start moving now Brighton”, frontman Hanson teases, after the comical growl of ‘Doomsday Prepper.’ The glittering, syncopated synth of ‘Dogs In The Sun’ earns the coveted singalong of its darting synth line as the room flings themselves at each other.
By the time the stuttering drive of ‘Cowboy On Aisle Three’ gallops out, the room is shaking, and the energy is relentless. Adult DVD remain fantastically absurd lyricists, but tonight’s focus is on their maximalist, EQ-pushing sound: it stops being a place to think and becomes a place to do. Despite the rowdiness, a pause between songs sees a fan hold a key in the air. Shouts of “Who’s lost this” quickly turn into a circle of worship, a slow descent into simply shouting “KEY” – a moment as absurd as any of their lyrics.
Relaxing slightly for the excuses-excuses anthem ‘Jesus Christ Supercar’ and the rambling ‘World’s Best Boss’, the maniacal post-apocalyptic ‘All I Need’ crescendos into a head-spinning cacophony; a heavy doofing sensory overload of synths. Intent on a big finish, Hanson states, “It’s all downstream from here, Brighton…”
A steady rise in volume lets the sharply frantic synths of ‘Real Tree Lee’ gradually saw their way through. With deadpan dancefloor delirium, a sinkhole of a circle pit seemingly sucks half of Chalk’s capacity into it. The gargantuan Underworld acid-house stomper ‘Rolling Face’ brings crowd-surfers into the mix: floated over the barrier like sacrifices to the band, as the repeated chant of “comfort, sound, pleasure, peace” swells into a head-exploding eruption.
“This is it, Brighton”, Hanson announces for their final two tracks. ‘Do Something’ sees him free himself from the mic stand to skulk around the stage, as beeps and hi-hats bounce around the air around him. In typical fashion, the dial-tone-introduced ‘Bill Murray’ closes proceedings: Hanson stands with his arms behind his back for the slow-burning detonator, like the Lord looking down upon his creation. An all-killer, no-filler one-hour set, the Adult DVD live experience continues to confirm itself as one of the tightest shows of 2026, and as tangible proof people still want to party.
Adult DVD:
Harry Hanson – lead vocals, synths
Greg Lonsdale – synths, vocals
Danny Blackburn – guitar, synths
Jake Williams – synths
Jonathan Newell – drums
George Manson – bass
Adult DVD setlist:
‘Do As I Please’ (from 2026 ‘Adult DVD’ album)
‘Coffin Dodger’ (from 2026 ‘Adult DVD’ album)
‘Doomsday Prepper’ (from 2024 ‘Next Day Shipping’ EP)
‘Dogs In The Sun’ (from 2024 ‘Next Day Shipping’ EP)
‘Cold Caller’ (from 2026 ‘Adult DVD’ album)
‘Cowboy On Aisle Three’ (from 2026 ‘Adult DVD’ album)
‘Jesus Christ Supercar’ (from 2026 ‘Adult DVD’ album)
‘World’s Best Boss’ (from 2026 ‘Adult DVD’ album)
‘All I Need’ (from 2026 ‘Adult DVD’ album)
‘Real Tree Lee’ (from 2026 ‘Adult DVD’ album)
‘Rolling Face’ (from 2026 ‘Adult DVD’ album)
‘Do Something’ (from 2024 ‘Next Day Shipping’ EP)
‘Bill Murray’ (a 2022 single)
