Gurriers

Almost a year to the day since we last covered the Irish post-punk outfit, Gurriers returned bigger than ever. Following the incredibly successful run of their debut album Come and See, the band released their second record Nobody’s Coming To Save You at the end of September, a clear progression in their sound. One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is just how fantastic their live shows are, and with more than 1,000 packed into the Institute, there wasn’t a single person there who didn’t have a good time.

Rotterdam’s Tramhaus brought their live-wire post-punk to open proceedings, and it’s no wonder the Dutch revere them for their live shows. They delivered an electric set, made all the more brilliant by frontman Lukas Jansen and his showman antics. Even for those of us who’d never seen or heard of the band before, they shared enough of what makes Gurriers so great to be a perfect choice of opener.

Right from the off, as the band opened with the title track off their new release, there was a sense of the darker, grungier and edgier sound the record is built on. Lead vocalist Dan Hoff played to the crowd’s energy as he always has, heading down to the barrier to embrace those lucky enough to be at the front. The set was drawn  largely from Nobody’s Coming To Save You, with a few standouts that work incredibly well live. ‘Today Is Not Enough’ is defined by its ringing guitars and Hoff’s spoken-word delivery, while ‘Pins’ recalls fellow Irish band Fontaines D.C. Hoff’s vocals on ‘Pins’ in particular was full of confidence and quality, where the infectious chorus makes it one of the band’s best.

Despite the heavy focus on the new album, plenty of older fan favorites found their way into the set. The standalone single ‘Erasure’, which featured on the EA FC26 soundtrack (formerly known as the FIFA video game), benefitted hugely from the live setting. Where the studio mix feels washed out and messy at times, the live mix was brilliantly engineered to bring out the best of the five-piece. Many of the strongest tracks from their debut also made an appearance, including ‘Dipping Out’, which Hoff confessed the band rarely play. Throughout, from the slower tracks that had people up on shoulders to the heavy-hitters that set off mosh pits and crowd surfers, the crowd energy was unrivalled. So much so that a hole opened up in the floor of the Institute’s main room, and  the show had to stop while security put a perimeter of barriers around it. 

When the band returned after this short break, the set pushed on with their first ever song, ‘Approachable’, arguably one of their best. A politically charged song about the decay of society, it was a poignant reminder of how powerful music can be in reflecting the messages and opinions so many people share, made all the more effective by Hoff’s striking lyricism. As the set drew to a close with the two last tracks on their new album, ‘I Wish I Was’ and ‘Crybaby’, the band left both a physical and spiritual imprint on a venue that has seen thousands of acts walk through its doors over the last 30 years. It’s a testament to just how good Gurriers are, and a reminder that they’re only going to keep growing.