Sunday night finds your Humble Reviewer and Photographer Woman (for that is who she now is, acquiring been promoted from her previously rank of Editor Girl) standing worriedly at the entrance to Belfast’s Limelight, making an attempt to discover a helpful member of Enola Homosexual or Gurriers who will come downstairs and vouch for us, so we can get our camera package by the doorway.
We’d caught up with Belfast’s Lauren Hannan AKA YinYang not long ago as section of a invoice with Product Goods at Darwen’s Sunbird Data, so experienced a rather fantastic thought what to anticipate from tonight’s’ opener. She’s one more artiste who wrested Anything good out of lockdown, taking time to study the engineering that powers her electrical power-driven solo sets.
Seamlessly mixing hip-hop beats with industrial appears and intense, highly effective lyrics, you’d swear that YinYang was powering her lights setup of vertical neon tubes all by herself, while spitting out her tracks at the exact same time. Shipping-intelligent, she bounces up and down with the very same ferocious strength as fellow wordsmith Meryl Streek, (despite the fact that his motion is far more back again and forth than up and down, to be fair).
Opening her established with 2022’s, “Happy Money”, she entreats us to, “Keep me pleased, choose my money” as the group, many of whom have not even realised she’s taken to the phase, rush to get the very best spots up front against the crash barrier.
This is a soiled, rigorous seem, coupled with startling lighting that flicks concerning green, blue, purple and overall darkness in speedy succession. Although YinYang is a totally Diy operation, she’s spreading her wings in the track record as well, collaborating with other artistes some of whom I cannot mention still, and some of whom I can, the latter most notably in the variety of Garden with 2023’s ECDYSIS.
She hardly pauses to attract breath in between songs and it is pleasing to see users of Enola Homosexual and Gurriers entrance and centre offering shouts of encouragement along with the predominantly youthful group who have manufactured the exertion to be in this article on time to see her. The bonds among Belfast and Dublin-based mostly acts have never been more powerful and Belfast’s current output is ferocious – we had been lucky more than enough to see Chalk in Manchester on the Friday ahead of we flew in excess of and they’re one more act you really should see, must the possibility present by itself.
Voices and sounds sampled from heaven only is aware of wherever (but none of whom you’d choose a fight with) of underpin the set as YinYang throws herself all over energetically in the semi darkness and treats us to the complete variety of her output, from 2020’s, “Black Mamba” as a result of 2021’s, “Skitz”, and the anger and outrage of, “Dumped me in the Smoking cigarettes Area” (“And I didn’t even get a probability to complete my Guinness ahead of you did it… I hardly ever gave up on you and you spat me out very fcukin fast – no, I don’t want to be pals!”) Just impolite.
Tonight’s short set closes with the powerdrive of ECDYSIS, explained as becoming, “About having into some thing that you know has the probable to induce you damage, and when it inevitably does, you have to choose you up, shed your skin of it and (ideally) expand wiser for the subsequent time”. With its plaintive accusation of, “You had been in no way truly there, ended up ya?”, it clearly resonates with several of tonight’s audience.
Her operate carried out, Lauren/YinYang leaves the phase to substantial rounds of applause. Offstage, the former is as charming an personal as you could hope to meet (and you can do that on the 3rd of Could at London’s Shacklewell Arms – Lawn are also on the invoice and it’s no cost in, much too – what’s not to like?), but you confident as heck would not mess with her change moi.
YinYang played: Pleased Revenue, Black Mamba, Poison Darts/Boyish Charms, Ghost, All I At any time Did Wrong, Not Negative for a Woman, Skitz, Dumped Me in the Smoking Location and ECDYSIS.
It feels like without end since we crossed paths with Gurriers (despite the fact that it’s much less than a year, at gigs supporting the mighty Mary Wallopers at Manchester’s Ritz and the Leeds Irish Centre previous Might) and because then, they’ve gone through a improve in lineup, with bass person Emmet White leaving to focus on his vocation with Yard, to be changed by Charlie McCarthy, who has stood in for Emmet on a amount of situations formerly, so previously understood his way about when he joined.
Ben O’Neill on guitar continues to break up his energies amongst Gurriers and Property while frontman Dan Hoff, Mark McCormack on guitar and Pierce Callaghan on drums want to stick to just the 1 band, thank you pretty considerably.
Gurriers ended up a person of the a lot of Irish acts who recently travelled to Austin, Texas to choose aspect in the yearly SXSW festival, only to find out that some of the celebration sponsors weren’t what you’d refer to as ideologically sound. As a end result, they all withdrew from the competition, with all the inconvenience and money effect that their decision concerned, preferring to engage in at venues that weren’t affiliated with SXSW, and successful much respect into the deal.
Dan cheerily announces, “How’s it heading – we’re Gurriers – get pleasure from – arrive a little bit closer if you want!”, in advance of the trademark siren of “Nausea” threatens to tear the roof off – no sluggish make up for these fellas. Studying from left to correct, Mark is already threatening to choke his guitar to demise although future to him, Charlie looks like he’s been there all his lifestyle. Dan grips his mic with all his may well as he spits his vocals out to an appreciative crowd who punch the air in acceptance.
At the rear, Pierce somehow manages to search like he’s scarcely breaking a sweat, even though about on the appropriate Ben is equally as enthusiastic as Mark on this aspect – this is NOT heading to be a peaceful affair. Present-day single, “Des Goblin” is dedicated to, “Anybody from Castleblayney in Monaghan – I want to see yas fcukin move and dance, yeah?”, yells Dan, and in truth we do – it’d be terrible manners not to.
There’s an just about middle eastern air to the guitarwork on this one particular. 1 of my favourite lyrics so far tonight has to be, “No I never panic, it I have to have to listen to it – when the entire world is burning make sure to observe your tan line” – the tune slows to a in close proximity to end , lulling us into a bogus feeling of protection, in advance of picking up the rate yet again with every person on the stage vying to outdo just about every other moth in movement and quantity in a design pretty reminiscent of tonight’s headliners (primarily Charlie’s bass). Dan introduces,
“Dipping Out” and repeats his plea, “Let’s se yas fcukin’ dance now, yeah – what else can you do on a fcukin’ Sunday?”, and to be honest, he DOES have a stage. A few songs in and it’s apparent that Gurriers have arrive on in leaps and bounds since we very last observed them – there’s the two an amplified tightness and quiet self-assurance bordering on swagger about them, and they’re having their music in new instructions, which is most pleasing.
A single or two recommendations of an album in the offing are tactfully dropped just after the gig, and I for just one will be positioning my order as shortly as possuble. “Dipping out” is about folks heading to are living in other countries and bounces along on its intelligent, “No tax, no VAT, I enjoy livin’ in the UAE” chorus.
We sluggish the speed just a little for 2021’s, “Top of the Bill” with its mournful guitar intro, but Dan has just one additional check out with, “We’ll dance if you dance – you gonna dance?” – this time, he’s received us over as Gurriers start into 2023’s “Sign of the Times” with Charlie pumping out a bass line that Killing Joke wouldn’t flip their noses up at, together with lyrics of which Mr Coleman would have been proud: “What is the root of all madness – we idle watching our screens – when the frames develop into violence, the eyes hardly ever leave their seats”.
“Approachable” donates its name to Gurriers’ FB admirer web page, if you haven’t by now arrive across it at: is a large-octane romp that has the group echoing again the “I’m approachable, I’m approachable, at the very least I assume I am, at the very least my mates say I am!” chorus.
Tonight’s shoutnanegans are topped off by Dan thanking us for turning up, and hoping we enjoyed both them and YinYang, and though he announces that Enola Gay who are we’re all right here to see, it’s crystal clear from the selection of merch currently being worn by the group, that that’s not strictly real. Gurriers shut off tonight’s proceedings with the wall of audio that is” Appear and See” – the dreamy shoegaze-y intro leading us astray in advance of these 5 fine musicians pick out to just take us off in a further musical course, relatively than the compulsory crashing finale that we could have anticipated.
On the power of tonight’s efficiency, the foreseeable future shines vibrant for Gurriers and I’m happy I managed to capture them fairly early in their occupation, if only to witness how far they’ve arrive.
You can catch up with Gurriers at among others (in which DO they get their vitality from?) the Dot to Dot Pageant in Bristol on the 25th of Might and Nottingham on the 26th of May possibly of the 5th of May perhaps at Burgerweehuis in The Netherlands, Pageant Les 3 Elephants in Laval, France on the 31st of Could and the Very best Saved Magic formula Pageant on the 7th of June, if you are feeling a little bit more adventurous. We have just completed Belfast, so why on earth not?
Gurriers performed: Nausea, Des Goblin, Dipping Out, Leading of the Bill, Signal of the Moments, Approachable and Arrive and See
And so, to tonight’s headliners – as another of the honourable cohort who stuck firmly to their concepts about SXSW, Enola Gay are, we hope, also destined for greatness, if in fact it has not now arrived. 2023 observed them obtain significantly, with the release of the Casement EP, like the aforementioned Mount Palomar collaboration “Terra Firma”, a United kingdom tour, in addition appearances at Obtain and Chicago’s RIOT FEST, to title but a few. Frontman Fionn Reilly, guitarist Joe McVeigh, bass monster Adam Cooper and drummer (and on this event, the patron saint of Gig Photographers)
Luke Beirne acquire to the stage to a wave of applause and whoops, and even however they’ve taken their tunes all around the world, it is obvious that practically nothing comes shut to taking part in on your property turf in your house city.
Even from the opening bars of “Cortana”, you know tonight is going to be fierce, and I’m torn (as I generally am) between the desire to capture the night photographically, and the need to just throw myself into the crowd and immerse myself in tonight’s sonic onslaught. You really do not just pay attention to Enola Gay, you practical experience them. The sampled horror of Margaret Thatcher (question your moms and dads, young ones) spills out of the speakers as the precursor to “Salt”, from 2021’s, “Gransha” EP ( a vinyl model of which I’m expecting to fall by way of my letterbox any time soon. Well, actually, maybe not, simply because that would signify it would have been folded in fifty percent, but you get my drift).
Adam’s bass riff is so downright filthy, as he provides an additional one particular of these Block Rocking Beats (look, it is not MY fault if I bear in mind the 90s) you guaranteed as hell would not acquire it dwelling to meet your moms and dads, although Fionn spits his lyrics with the rapidity and power of a Gatling gun that you in all probability could have bought somewhere at SXSW if you’d looked tough ample. In the meantime, around on the ideal, you can see the glint in Dan’s eye that tells you that while he’s not planning on having his customary crowd surf JUST yet, it’s not likely to be prolonged in coming.
There’s a little something practically apocalyptic about an Enola Homosexual set, with a lot of of the tracks getting deeply unnerving, nay verging on the threatening, and I speculate how it’s achievable to wrench so much power from two guitars and a drum kit and a shout requirements to go to the male at the back, who’s chaotic keeping it all collectively, wrenching some fearsome appears from his kit and some snazzy hunting Roland electric powered drums way too. It is not extended ahead of Luke’s major disappears as he loses a different pair of lbs each and every four minutes – who demands Zumba?
As I search up from the digital camera, I hear a little something quite Chilly certainly that appears like the hellish offspring of the topic from Twin Peaks and Joy Division’s, “Day of the Lords” – just HOW have these guys managed to function their way so significantly into my subconscious, and who would have believed that handing a demo to Just Mustard back in 2019 would have spawned the liviathan we see ahead of us tonight?
We’re driven on a breakneck guided tour of Belfast-spawned anti-institution, anti-federal government and anti-sectarian fury, drawing on over four years’ truly worth of materials with much more latest tracks these types of as Figures, Cold and Malone blending seamlessly with the likes of Leeches, with its offended, “Fool me once, disgrace on you, fool me twice, just cannot get fooled again” chorus, with which the group join in joyously.
No Enola Gay established would be full without the inclusion of debut solitary “The Delivery of a Nation” and Joe is not able to rein in his enthusiasm any for a longer time as he places his guitar to 1 facet and leaps gleefully above the pit barrier to be borne aloft on a sea of eager arms that take him to the rear of the group and back all over again. Not eager to be outdone, Fionn as well helps make a foray into the crowd much too as the cries of, “More blacks, far more puppies, Additional Irish” threaten to choose the Limelight’s roof cleanse off.
“What the fcuk is heading on?!?” queries Fionn as they launch into the drum and bass diversion of “Terra Firma”, but isn’t lengthy ahead of he’s spitting venom in the type of PTS:DUP, which he introduces as becoming about, “The invisible fcuking borders that are put in concerning us by the ruling lessons, in order for us to fcuking loathe every single other… but it is not fcuking doing work no a lot more!”, to whoops of settlement. Group favourite “Scrappers”, focused by Fionn to,
”The Limelight bouncers, who are notoriously sound”, and the whole venue bellows, “On the door, lookin’ for a fight, I’m sorry son, tonight’s not the evening!”, as Joes’s guitar is provided the thrashing of its everyday living.
“For God & For Ulster” is launched as Enola Gay’s last tune, as Adam’s bass kilos a single not around and about, for all the entire world sounding like a summoning to the conclude of the environment In fairness, if the planet DID have to stop tonight, there would be several folk who would die content, having witnessed a gig that, while it may well nicely have additional men and women in attendance than the Pistols’ gig at the Lesser Free Trade Hall, will likely go down in musical folklore as 1 of the gigs that anyone in Belfast will claim they attended.
Of system, it is not the past tune – the honour of “One Far more Tune” goes to the scarce-contained chaos of “Knives Out”, right before sixty minutes of musical mayhem draw to a shut.
If you haven’t seasoned the pleasure of Enola Gay live, pricey reader, then I strongly urge you to do so as shortly as humanly achievable, as specified the amount of money of vitality they produce, there’s every chance that like a black gap, they’ll explode and choose 50 percent the universe with them, and then you will have missed them – yes, they actually ARE that superior – also check out their Fb lover web site, “Sofa Scrolling” at
“As the cries of “Free, totally free Palestine” ring out, the flag of that nation is unfurled and carried throughout the stage. It’s truthful to say that tonight has been a success on a range of ranges – for starters musically, with 3 wonderful acts offering us their all, but next, (a)politically uniting Belfast and Dublin to present a prevalent front to their individual governments and record while supporting those people considerably way who no for a longer period have a voice with which to shout, and so need to rely on some others to shout on their behalf. You cannot question for considerably a lot more out a gig than that – so I won’t.
Enola Homosexual performed: Cortana, Salt, Couch Browsing, Headphones, Figures, Cold, Malone, Leeches, The Birth of a Nation, Terra Firma, PTS:DUP, Scrappers, For God & For Ulster and Knives Out.
Photos BY ALISON MORRIS
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