Gig review: Gurriers at Rough Trade

I first saw Irish post-punk band Gurriers on a whim. A former friend of mine had a ticket for their show at Rescue Rooms and said it would be up my alley. I ended up getting a ticket on the day and it absolutely blew me away. The crowd was in a daze of manic bliss-dancing and throwing themselves around like there was an IED hidden in the moshpit. So, because of this, when they announced a show at a smaller venue, Rough Trade, I was morbidly intrigued by how their bonkers live set would translate to such a tiny venue. 

Inside the crowd I was warm, wet and wild as people looked around and waited for Bedlam to break open. Breathing tight, eyes narrow, hearts beating like rabid dogs. Every second nervously marking the time before they took the stage felt like decades running past us. Eventually, after a short delay due to technical difficulties, they walked on.

What can be said about Gurriers that hasn’t already been said? The band are absolutely insane when they take the stage. Lead singer Dan Hoff must be the reincarnation of a Baptist preacher the way he chants and screams to the crowd, and the band perfectly match his manic energy. The instrumentals are scratchy but melodic, disjointed but beautiful simultaneously. They hold this balance, this knife's edge, with grace and poise - and seem so close to just breaking down without ever sounding unkempt or unprofessional. 

The opening song, the title track from their new album Nobody’s Coming to Save You, was a perfect introduction to the performance, as the repetition of the title really brought home the rebellion of the band. To see Gurriers live is to join a movement. Every track they played from the new album just cemented how good it is, filled cover to cover with amazing, frantic tracks with beauty sprinkled within for those who look for it.

Despite the nature of the show, they did find time to play a handful of tracks from their previous album Come and See, and this is really where the show picked up into pure chaos. Nausea and Des Goblin created pits that could’ve swallowed the crowd whole, with jumping, throwing, sweat, hair and bodies all moving around to every word Hoff spat out. 

The standout moment for me was when Drones just collapsed into itself. The performance lulled everyone into a false sense of security before bashing us up the head with noise and disorder. The pit lost itself in the music, convulsing and crazed. Despite also losing themselves in the music, Gurriers always seemed to be interacting with the crowd, working with them to keep the energy and the pure insanity to as high a degree as possible. The show eventually calmed down, going from a blistering, stitch inducing run to an introspective, reflecting jog. But everything that Gurriers did was an absolute masterclass in how to put on a show.

It is my opinion that Gurriers are not only one of the best bands to come out of the new scene in Ireland, but one of the best bands in the world at the moment, purely due to their live show. They are a group of some of the best instrumentalists and lyricists to come out of the Emerald Isle and are a bucket list band for anyone who enjoys performances. It does not matter whether or not you like indie, whether you like the Irish scene, or if you even like Gurriers - they are simply a band you cannot miss whenever they are in town. They put on a show that truly leaves you longing for another hour, and leaves you with your ears popped and your heart filled with pure adrenaline. I would tip my hat to the band, but it is so drenched in sweat from just standing in their presence that it is impossible to remove.

@gurriersband

Gurriers performed at Rough Trade Nottingham on 28 September 2026