Dork’s Round The Houses rolls into Blackpool with Antony Szmierek leading the charge

Club floors and late-night euphoria run through The Itch’s veins, and for one of the very best new bands in the country, tonight it’s flowing at full beam. Performing as a duo, they lean into the electronic flourishes that have made their upcoming debut album ‘It’s The Hope That Kills You’ such an anticipated drop; the throbbing basslines of ‘Can’t Afford This’ rising and rising to pure Ibiza-sunset, hands-in-the-air levels, while the snapping punchlines of ‘Aux Romanticiser’ deliver again and again.

The Itch don’t just call you to move - every sound and banger dropped has a reflex response from the entirety of Bootleg Social, which is to move as one, even when stripping things back on the heart-warming ‘Drugdealer’. Dialling the disco ball up to new levels tonight, the closing ‘Space In The Cab’ sees them joined by Antony Szmierek himself to sing back the refrain, as a dance-punk supergroup moment makes its mark in Blackpool on a Friday night. The Itch lay their intentions clear: it’s time to get moving with them.

One and a half songs in tonight, Antony Szmierek stands perched overlooking the very sold-out Bootleg Social as ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Fallacy’ lights up the room with jumping bodies and screamed-back lyrics. “It’s going to be one of those nights, isn’t it Blackpool?” he smiles, and Antony’s proven right for a show that feels like a night that’ll be mentioned around town for a very long time. With a rich history with this venue, tonight is both a celebration of the journey so far and a toast to Antony’s most brilliant new era to come.

Commanding the crowd like a preacher from the off, he puts Blackpool through its paces with the likes of ‘Yoga Teacher’, ‘Take Me There’ and ‘Twist Forever’ being met with pogoing masses. He holds the entire room close, both an infectious superstar and a fellow music lover equally along for the ride and whatever lies ahead. ‘Angie’s Wedding’ is euphoric, and the fizzing immediacy of new single ‘The Heron’ - released only days before but already being sung back - sets the marker for his next chapter. One distinctly him but evolved to new, irresistible levels that reach larger, bigger and bolder than ever before. ‘Dave’s Angling Superstore’, another new track played tonight, dials it up even further for a pumping drum and bass ripper that’ll be doing damage in pits and at festivals in no time.

By the time ‘The Great Pyramid Of Stockport’ and ‘Rafters’ hit, there’s simply no stopping Antony Szmierek and the 300-strong backup in front of him. With fears or worries left firmly at the door, he’s an artist tapping into something undeniably human, as the pin-drop silence that comes with ‘Restless Leg Syndrome’ shows. Like every night, as he counts down to New Year with ‘The Words To Auld Lang Syne’ and the room turns to wish happy New Year to their friends, their lovers and even strangers, Antony Szmierek has Blackpool locked. On full form, Antony Szmierek’s name is up in the big lights where it belongs.