Ending the UK leg of the Blindness World Tour at Bristol’s newly rebranded Electric Bristol (formerly SWX), The Murder Capital, Dublin’s rising post-punk, alt-rock powerhouse, delivered a performance that showed why their reputation continues to grow.
Forming in 2018, the band caught the ears of the masses with their brooding, emotionally charged take on punk. Their gritty, experimental sound, layered with powerful lyrics and drawing elements from classic punk while seamlessly incorporating the catchy hooks and melodies of late-90s and early-2000s alt-rock, twists into their own particular style—something especially evident on their latest album, Blindness.
Now three albums deep, it’s this newest release that feels like a major turning point. As someone new to their music, I started with Blindness and worked backwards through their discography. While all three records are impressively crafted, Blindness hit a particular spot for me and, of course, left me with no other option than to go check them out live.
The band takes the stage in near-total darkness, apart from the occasional flash of white strobe lights. Only the silhouettes of the five members emerge—James McGovern on vocals, Gabriel Paschal Blake on bass, Diarmuid Brennan on drums, and Damien Tuit and Cathal Roper both on guitar, keyboards, and electronics.
Before a single note is played, McGovern seizes control of the room, motioning the crowd to split down the middle. As the opening track, “The Fall,” kicks in, the atmosphere shifts instantly. Within twenty seconds, the room erupts into chaos. Yet this initial burst was not the whole tone of the show, as the band’s evolving catalogue has so much more to offer, and the 18-song setlist was perfect to display just that evolution.
What truly stood out was not only the band’s continuous energy, swagger, and connection with the crowd throughout the hour-and-a-half performance but also the band’s ability to replicate the strange, weird, and wonderful guitar effects and eerie synth textures from their recordings.
A personal highlight for me was during the performance of “Love of Country,” in which the crowd were brought to complete silence. This track beautifully highlighted the raw emotion, power, and control in James McGovern’s vocals, as well as again replicating that stunning guitar tone.
Another standout moment was when the band performed Parts 1 and 2 of “Slowdance,” a track so immersive—with its creepy, psychedelic beginning to its epic build-up and crescendo—it truly is impossible to listen to this song and not close your eyes and sway away into the clouds.
But of course, they played a lot more than that. The set included “Feeling Fades” and “More Is Less” from the band’s acclaimed first album, When I Have Fears, along with crowd favourites from the universally acclaimed second album, Gigi’s Recovery, such as “The Stars Will Leave Their Stage” and “Ethel.” As this is the Blindness World Tour, we were, of course, treated to “Death of a Giant,” “Moonshot,” and “The Fall,” ending the set with a song that I genuinely have to listen to twice every time I listen to that album: the amazingly dirty and so catchy “Words Lost Meaning.”
I hugely enjoyed this show; the albums will continue to be on repeat and definitely up there on my gigs of the year list. Europe and the States have a hell of a treat coming their way.
I am a self taught Photographer and an aspiring reviewer.
I have been in and out of bands for the past 15 years and some, so thought it only makes sense to stay in the scene that has been the most important aspect of my life since I can remember, live music.
Available for:
I am available for small gigs, larger concerts, recording sessions and festivals.
First attended gig:
The first proper gig that went to that I can actually remember was Muse supported by a then lesser known Elbow and I think the main reason I remember that is because it was the first big concert that I was allowed to go to with just my friends. Obviously Muse were fantastic by the way.
First gig shot:
Im pretty sure the first gig I shot was for a friends band at a local social club with some sort of £30 Argos camera. You can only imagine the fantastic quality of the shots.
Dream gig:
My dream gig to shoot would most definitely be either Tool, not just because they are amazing but their stage and lighting is magnificent. Or I would love to shoot another one of my favourite bands which is Explosions In The Sky and that’s just because they are incredible.
