Gig review: Therapy? at Rock City

It's a sellout; it sold out ages ago. The Northern Irish punk-rock band released Troublegum on 7th February 1994, and it has sold over a million copies worldwide, reaching number 5 in the UK charts, so the packed-out venue comes as no surprise.

What did surprise me was the age of the audience. I expected it to be full of people that were there 30 years ago, and that I would be the youngest there. I was pleasantly surprised to see this wasn’t the case, and that Therapy? have a wide-ranging fanbase. This didn’t stop the crowd surfing!

Deux Furieuses opened the evening. They are a two-piece post punk band. I personally love two pieces (Royal Blood, Big Special, etc.), and it seems to be a big thing at the moment. Their tune Bring Down The Government was a highlight, mixing post punk with heavy rock. They were really good, and when you listen to them, you'll instantly understand why they were supporting!

I first saw Therapy? at Bearded Theory as my mum dragged me from Future Islands. I went in with no expectations, but they blew me away. So I was so excited to see them at their own show! The backdrop was, of course, the Troublegum album cover, and Andy's Marshall cabs looked great with new pictures for the tour.

Therapy? first played Rock City on 20th March 1993, and returned on 1st March 1994 to tour Troublegum, as bassist Michael McKeegan was keen to tell us, asking who was there for those early gigs. Someone from the front threw a copy of a Rock City ticket (remember the old colourful square ones?) onto the stage, but it was from 1995, and he told them it was too new!

Singer and guitarist Andy Cairns thanked everyone for coming out and spending their hard-earned money to spend the night with Therapy?. He talked about the struggles a lot of people were currently facing and was genuinely touched that so many had come out to see the band. He then dedicated Brainsaw to everyone sleeping in a sleeping bag in a doorway. The "I’m in hell and I’m alone" part was given extra impact. 

The crowd didn't stop moshing! There was more energy for Therapy? than Wunderhorse, which is quite surprising. It was one of the safest pits I've been in – everyone was looking out for each other and picking each other up.

Later in the set, Andy talked about the great Brian Clough and dedicated a song to him. This, as you can imagine, was very well received. The 21-song set featured Troublegum in its entirety but not in order and also included eight others from the same era, including Totally Random Man, Opal Mantra, Nausea and Teethgrinder.

The encore was six songs long, during which Andy told us that it was drummer Neil Cooper's birthday and got us to shout an NSFW chant in his honour, asking him to play the drums. Neil happily obliged us with a drum solo, during which Andy and Michael left the stage so that the birthday boy could enjoy his moment on what was the closest to a hometown gig for him. The drum solo led nicely into Iron Man, which Andy then joined in with on guitar.

I was able to catch Neil after, and he told me, "Playing Rock City is always a special one for me. I grew up watching so many amazing bands there (Slayer, Public Enemy, Fugazi....), so to sit on that same stage is always special. As it's close to home, it's the place family and friends head to, which is always nice. This gig seemed special, though. I had a fantastic night."

The evening could only finish on one song. Of course it was Screamager and the delighted crowd jumped, sang, and danced along. Thirty years of Troublegum and Therapy? sounded as fresh and energetic as they did back then. Here's to more Therapy? gigs at Rock City.

Therapy? performed at Rock City on 9th November 2024.