La Dispute

Oct 17

2 min read

La Dispute, Special Features and Symmetrical Dogs live at Astor Theatre, Perth | 16 October 2026

La Dispute had fans gathering from all over Perth at the Astor Theatre for their opening show of their Australia and New Zealand tour for their album, ‘No One Was Driving The Car’.

When I arrived at the Astor, the excitement was palpable with people lining the streets, eagerly awaiting entrance. Once inside, the energy continued with the merch line stretching impressively down the aisle between seats toward the standing area. Even though it's typical at the Astor, the length of the line still amazes me. Before the opening acts even took the stage, the venue was already buzzing and nearly full, which is always fantastic to see audiences showing up in force for the smaller artists, not just the headliner.

Perth locals Symmetrical Dogs were up first, who had kind of an indie rock sound which I really enjoyed. During the set, some of the band members swapped between instruments, most notably, the bass player who also played the cello. I think this made their set really stand out as it's an instrument you wouldn't normally see within the genre and it worked really well with the tracks that it was used in. The lead singer had awesome stage presence, which the crowd really responded to.

The second artist on stage was Brisbane's Special Features, and they absolutely electrified the crowd. Their stage presence was dynamic, with band members showcasing their versatility by swapping instruments throughout the performance. It was amazing to see the main vocalist jump on bass while the bass player took over the guitar—such a testament to their incredible talent. One of the standout moments was when the vocalist, armed with a camcorder, left the stage and handed it to a fan, capturing the audience's perspective during a song. It was an unforgettable, interactive experience that really drew everyone in. With their heavier sound, Special Features perfectly set the stage for La Dispute, building on the energy from Symmetrical Dogs and getting the crowd pumped for the main act.

When La Dispute finally hit the stage, the crowd went absolutely wild, moshing and belting out their tracks with pure energy. The lead singer was a whirlwind of activity, darting around the stage and even squatting down to connect with us at eye level- truly engaging with the audience. Their setlist was a thrilling mix of both new and classic tracks, with many from their touring album ‘No One Was Driving The Car’. La Dispute were phenomenal, with their songs sounding even more electrifying live than on the album. My favorite, ‘King Park’, was an unforgettable experience with the crowd singing along—it was insane. Throughout their set, the lead singer was incredibly engaging, sharing insights about the songs and discussing current affairs, which was fantastic to see and was met with enthusiasm by the audience. As the set neared its end, I was thrilled when they announced they wouldn’t be doing an encore, opting instead to play their last few songs straight through before leaving the stage.