Night Out at Inhaler

Photo Credits: graces.glimpses

It’s a warm sunny evening in Cork. I’m stood in the courtyard of the Southgate, waiting excitedly for Inhaler, the Dublin four-piece consisting of Ryan McMahon on drums, Robert “Bobby Skeetz” Keating on Bass, Josh Jenkinson on lead guitar, Elijah Hewson on vocals and guitar and Lu Lambo accompanying on keyboard.

This time last year I was getting ready to see them play St. Anne’s Park, a long way away from the 700 capacity venue I’m standing in now. They are performing as part of the Heineken Greenlight Festival, an event hosted by Heineken to have larger artists play smaller venues, giving fans a chance to see them up close, and encourage more support for smaller acts and venues.

The crowd buzzes with excitement, dancing along to Oasis and Arctic Monkeys, sipping on their free drinks which were included with our tickets. As 8pm approaches everyone starts to quiet down, eagerly awaiting the band’s entrance. Everyone cheers as they take the stage, waving at the crowd and taking their places with their instruments. With no time to waste they begin their first song, "Dublin in Ecstasy". Green, white and orange lights shine out onto us as the blaring guitars and drums overpower the crowds screams. As Eli sings the crowd parrots every word, taking over at some points as he steps back to let the crowd sing.

Photo Credits: graces.glimpses

As the set continues, the crowd gets more and more energetic. This is the band's first show since their headline set at Dublin’s New Years Festival, and the crowd shows it. Fans call out to the band members during breaks between songs. One person even asks for a drumstick, and Ryan nods to them saying he will give them one at the end of the show. The band interacts with the crowd through the whole show, Bobby pointing out their new hairstyles and Eli saying ‘hope you guys are getting free beer’.

The band blazes through a set of fan favourite songs, bringing energy and passion to every track. A highlight song for me was "X-Ray", a track from their most recent album Open Wide. While it is a great studio release, it takes on a new life live. Every show they open this song with a different riff, this time the opening of "Don’t Sit Down Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair" by the Arctic Monkeys. The guitars rip through the speakers and the bass vibrates through the ground to the crowd, as Eli’s vocals soar over the crowd's screams.

Arguably, one of Inhaler’s best songs live is "It Won’t Always Be Like This", the title track from their debut album of the same name. When the first notes play the crowd goes wild, chanting along to the guitar and singing every word. This song is also great live, as it contains one of the most impressive parts of the show, Josh’s guitar solo. Eli points to him announcing, ’Josh Jenkinson everybody!’ The crowd erupts, humming and singing along to the tune while Josh effortlessly plays. It’s the start of the end of the set, but sets the tone for the last few songs. The energy in the crowd is electric, and carries through to the following songs.

Photo Credits: graces.glimpses

The closing song, "My Honest Face" is the perfect end to the night. All the energy built up through the set is put into this song, ending with an eruption of roaring guitars, powerful drums, smooth bass and soaring vocals. All of this comes crashing down into the last verse, the crowd screaming every word, jumping and dancing as the track reaches its crescendo. A perfect close to the show.

The band hand out picks, setlists and drumsticks to the crowd, wish everyone a good night and safe home, and wave us off as they leave the stage. Fans gather in pockets to show off their new prized possessions, talk about the show, and exchange instagram handles to keep in touch. As the crowd disperses, there is a great sense of community around me, and a lingering feeling of the electric energy that Inhaler creates at their shows.