La Dispute prove safety and inclusivity is possible and easy
Words/Photos: Chloe Michelle
★★★★☆
As the rain poured down over the streets of Cardiff, as it has for most of 2026 so far, Tramshed was packed to the brim with fans of La Dispute preparing to open up the circle pits and make security really earn their hourly wages.
Photo: Chloe Michelle
Kicking off the night was Manchester band, PIJN described as positively entwined with profound melancholy, which I think is the perfect description. No singer, no lyrics of any kind, just heavy post-rock instrumental vibes. Performing songs from their album, ‘From Low Beams of Hope’, the band started the night very chill and nowhere near chaotic as the crowd was prepared for with the main event. They were a ‘calm before the storm’ band which I think worked quite well with the line-up but others may disagree and prefer to have a lyricist involved.
The second support band opening for La Dispute, was Vs Self - described as ‘crybaby jazz/farwest emo.’ This band was definitely more my vibe and I’m assuming most of the crowds, lots more screaming but still not as chaotic as we were all prepared to experience. I was slightly disappointed in the lack of jazz element, I would’ve love more than a tambourine or just lots of tambourines! Their most recent single is called ‘Maim’, which I encourage everyone to check out - it is a total of 1 minute and 24 seconds long, so there’s no excuses to give them a shot!
Photo: Chloe Michelle
With the anticipation of La Dispute, the other creators in the photo pit put bets on how many crowd surfers we’d have. In the end we actually lost count - we weren’t too sure if such a young crowd would be brave enough but there was a good mixture of ages and once one started, it got the others geared up to surf!
Every time I’ve listened to La Dispute, all I can hear is Gene Belcher if he was a vocalist - if you know, you know.
This show was fully inclusive, which was incredible and more bands/artists should follow suit. Bathroom signs were amended to gender neutral, an LGBTQIA+ stall was set up in the foyer, and the lighting was static with no flash to accommodate those with photosensitivity. The crowd was relatively calm for the first couple of songs, with the occasional small circle pit. The band opened with ‘I Shaved My Head’, ‘Man With Hands and Ankles Bound’, and ‘The Most Beautiful Bitter Fruit.’ Vocalist Jordan Dreyer did not stop moving for the whole show. I could’ve sworn he was training for a marathon and racking up those FitBit steps on stage. The energy was unbelievable and translated to the crowd.
The crowd surfing started around song eight, ‘View From Our Bedroom Window.’ I don’t think the security were quite ready as they all rushed at once to the pit, but kudos to the team, they made sure everyone was safe and had fun throughout.
The band played a 16-song setlist with Jordan Dreyer joining the crowd bringing his stage energy to his fans. If you want to feel seen, heard and safe, a La Dispute show is exactly where you need to be.