D-A-D was back at Copenhell with a very special show. Well, it was a very special show back in 2014 as well, where they came in on a cancellation and played a special No Fuel Left For The Pilgrims set. This year, however, the spot was all their own, and the set was, well, kinda special again, as we’ll come to learn…

“Ladies and gentlemen, one shouldn’t run away from one’s responsibility, and this year you were responsible for the setlist! We are surprised, happy, and grateful, and this will be one hell of a party!”
- Jesper Binzer (vocals/guitar)

Yes, for this year, fans of the band had been able to vote for the setlist on the band’s website. Simple setup, the songs with the most votes would be played. What an amazing concept, and what a way to give something to the fans - and what the hell, fans? C’mon, you can do better than that! I’m not arguing that bad songs were picked, but with a very few exceptions, this was as close to a standard setlist you could get. I was really hoping for some deep cuts here, things we hadn’t heard in years, or even better, songs we haven’t heard at all. Instead, we got pretty much the live staples that we hear every year.
That this is nice for the band is a given, as it both shows them that they’re doing something right in writing their setlists in general, and most songs were songs that must be written in their DNA by now, given how well they must know them. Oh well, the standard songs are still great songs, so there we go.

Coming quite freshly off their special gig in Vega, it was no surprise to hear the band open with that carnival sounding song. What we didn’t get there though, that was quite the eye catcher here, was their spanking new stage setup, with a large merry-go-round with the drumkit placed in the middle. Rumours had been stirring about this, but it was quite something to see it in person. The back wall was of course dressed in a similar fashion, with colour scheme and style being repeated.
The set itself began with Isn’t That Wild, and the fast rocker was exactly what Copenhell craved from the band. The pressure was on, and the sound was not only excellent, but uncharacteristically heavy, which again fit very well with the setting.
I suppose the band had, as another one of their hit songs go, slept their day away, because now in the nighttime, their energy seemed to be at an all-time high. In a way, they were up to their usual tricks, but there was just more of it, with a higher intensity, and it fit the show and the band well to be in that spot.

There was, not surprisingly, several jam sessions from Laust Sonne and prolonged guitar noodles from Jacob Binzer, which was all well, because they never ruled the show, if you get me. They had a long gig, and still managed a very respectable setlist, so all was good.
It helped that they’d made some of the jams visually innovative, as the merry-go-round would be pushed front and centre, and as the standing musicians got on, it began to rotate. Now that’s a fun and different idea, fitting D-A-D to a T.
In the crowd, we saw the fun and games mirrored back, as the large crowd was having a blast, crowdsurfing, cheering, and singing. Yeah, it may be obvious that a beloved band like D-A-D would have their fans sing along to the songs, but it’s still always a treat to experience. Especially notable songs for this was Grow Or Pay, Laugh ‘N’ A ½, Sleeping My Day Away (which also saw our favourite segment with Stig Pedersen and his fireworks helmet), and the grand finale It’s After Dark, the last of which was played with everyone again standing in the merry-go-round, rotating into the night.

D-A-D delivered everything we could possibly have hoped for from their side, giving us a perfect end of the Copenhell Friday. This was a very special show indeed, and if you by chance would be too drunk to remember it, D-A-D had provided special shirts with, instead of tour dates, they had the setlist printed on the back.

Setlist:

Isn’t That Wild
Rim Of Hell
Evil Twin
Written In Water
Marlboro Man
Call Of The Wild
A Prayer For The Loud
Everything Glows
Girl Nation
Grow Or Pay
Helpyourselfish
Reconstrucdead
Laugh ‘N’ A ½
I Won’t Cut My Hair
Jihad
Bad Craziness
Sleeping My Day Away
It’s After Dark