It's Tuesday evening, it's damp, dark and windy. Yet still lined up half way around Tramshed are adoring fans of Irish rockers: Inhaler. There's been a lot of buzz surrounding that name for quite some time and curiosity got the better of me.
Opening the evening were Coventry outfit 'Feet'. The fivesome had no trouble riling up the crowd with their romping antics. In the short thirty minutes they were allocated, the rabble-rousers flitted between post-punk, britpop and indie. There's no definitive genre for this band! They strutted the stage as if it were their hundredth time at Tramshed, putting on a display of corybantic vocals, vigorous, distorted riffs and chest-rupturing beats. Fans flailed their arms in the air and screeched back lyrics to 'English Weather' and 'Hot Dog', totally immersing themselves in the band's performance and can-do attitude.
Inhaler, hailed one of the best bands of 2020, certainly lived up to the accolade on Tuesday night. The foursome sauntered on stage with an "Alright Cardiff" from frontman Elijah Hewson before they opened with 'When I'm With You' - a track yet to be released but it still warmed the crowd up nicely for their just-under-an-hour set.
From first glance they’re a group of youngsters but their sound is the antithesis of that. It's as if they've been on the 'scene' for years with their mastered, clean-cut grip. Amongst old and new were fan-favourites 'It Won't Always Be Like This' - a track imbued with 80s flair - and their latest single 'We Have To Move On' which kick-started their year with a bang! The boys were charmingly captivating and were certainly adept at capturing the crowd's attention. It was a set made to lure you into the future of Inhaler.
Despite a slight technical issue which resulted in Hewson putting down his guitar before the last two songs, they battled on finishing the evening with 'There's No Other Place' and 'My Honest Face'; a three minute concoction of buttery vocals and grunge tinted indie rock that leaves you craving more.
There's no doubt in my mind that Inhaler will be taking over the world very soon. If there's any band you need to catch, it's these. Now might be the last time you'll get close to them. Arenas are set in sight! It's only a matter of time.
📷 Lewis Evans (@lewsvans)
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