American singer and DJ, The Dare took to the stage at Belgrave Music Hall last night on his "What's Wrong With New York?" tour, delivering an unforgettable performance that blurred the lines between electronic music, indie rock and new rave. With his signature uniform of a suit and tie and his Gucci sunglasses, The Dare is a recognisable silhouette on stage. Real name, Harrison Patrick Smith, the La born 28 year old has only recently made a splash across the pond with his viral hit ‘Girls’ and his collaboration with UK mega star Charli XCX on a remix of her song ‘Guess’ that also features Billie Eilish.
At only 350 cap, the intimacy of the gig is felt as Smith’s track stops only a few songs in and his awkward smile as he tries to sort it out is seen by all in the room. After a rocky start, Smith settles into his high energy set, stands outs include the restarted ‘I Destroyed the Disco and ‘Elevation’, a slower, more atmospheric track, showcased The Dare’s versatility, drawing the audience in with its haunting melodies and introspective lyrics.
A fan gifts him with a cigarette which he lights and smokes on stage, adding to his authentically indie sleaze aesthetic. Harrison embodies everything good we remember about early 2000s rave culture and fashion. With a bra thrown on stage for good measure, it seems rough and gritty and real live performances are back.
The Leeds crowd embraces Smith into its chaos as mosh pits form towards the end of his set. Harrison explains ‘this has never happened before’ and thanks the audience for its high and wild energy. He leaves and comes back for a three-song encore. Including fan favourite ‘All Night.’ And his most famous song ‘Girls’. One courageous crowd member decides to crowd surf during ‘All Night’ with Harrison reaching his hand out and pulling him onto stage with him. Unfortunately, despite Smith being fine with the stage invasion, the audience member was swiftly escorted off the stage.
In all, The Dare delivered an electrifying performance that firmly established him as a forward-thinking artist, blending the best of live performance with electronic innovation. Leeds showed up, and The Dare did not disappoint.
