Raw riffs and relentless energy: Gurriers rock Whelan’s

Dublin-based post-punk quintet Gurriers played one of their biggest shows to date earlier this week to a sold-out crowd in Whelan’s as part of their ‘Come and See’ tour.

A tense, ominous atmosphere set from the start by way of crimson red lights eerily creeping through a mist of smoke.

Strutting to the stage to the sound of ‘I Love You Baby’ by Frankie Valli, Whelans erupted as frontman Dan Hoff gave it ‘the big one’ gesturing to the crowd to raise the volume before guitarist Ben O’Neill and drummer Pierce O’Callaghan started with an electrifying lead into their track ‘Nausea’.

Interaction with the crowd didn’t stop there, with Ben O’Neill losing his guitar to the swarm of fanatics in the pit. Bassist Charlie McCarthy parted the sea of bodies and entered the pit for a solo on ‘Des Goblin’, before going for a quick crowd surf.

Video: Owain Comerford

The band certainly epitomise a bricolage of styles both musically and fashionably. The kilt-donning, eye-shadowed bassist in Charlie McCarthy stylistically gave shades of an American Idiot-era Billy Joe Armstrong.

The trend of heavy, post-punk tunes was halted by way of the band’s melodic, shoegaze tune ‘Prayers’, along with the unreleased ‘Dissolve’.

Following the gig, the band announced via social media that they will be opening for notorious Irish rap group Kneecap for their Fairview Park gig next June.