When a band comes off stage and into the crowd to pull everyone to the front of the room before playing their first song, you should know you’re in for an interesting night. This is exactly how THUMPER grabbed our attention, with frontman Oisín Leahy Furlong personally escorting the crowd from where they lingered at the bar to mere steps from the stage. Taking up the entirety of the space with their three guitarists, two drummers and a bassist, the Dublin-based sextet made it clear from the get-go that they were here to make an impression.
This high energy was established by Dutch support act Banji who opened the show with their own take on funky riffs and distorted vocals. While leaning more heavily into the psychedelic than the punk, this was a great choice of support, with the quartet easing us into the night with a fun and playful attitude.
As soon as THUMPER began playing though, the room was met by a wall of noise that continued for the entirety of the set. From start to finish the band maintained high energy and supplied a constant dose of chaotic psych-punk. Using the number of members to their advantage, their heavily layered sound brought dimension and complexity to what could have otherwise been confused noise. While their sound may be messy at times, there is a certain finesse to it and the layers acts to build each
One of the most impressive parts of the performance was the ability for the band to keep the audience on their toes. Moving from raw punk to smoother harmonies, the band interlaced their usual heavy reverb and distortion with moments of calm. Quite literally the calm before the storm. These juxtapositions are something that can be seen throughout the band’s discography, with poppy psychedelic hooks being seamlessly blended with heavy punk noise. Live or on record, this is a band that is certainly hard to narrow down.
The basement of Sidney & Matilda provided an intimate venue for the night and, despite the sparse crowd, the band were able to make the most of the space both acoustically and physically. Various band members used the venue to parade around. Often, you would turn around to find a guitarist behind you who hadn’t been there last you checked, only for them to disappear a moment later. Not only did this energise the audience but meant that you were truly immersed in their gritty sound, with each energetic reverberation ricocheting through your body. It was without doubt that the band knew how to capture the attention of a crowd, regardless of its size.
Bringing their unique sound and raucous energy to Sheffield, THUMPER ensured that no one left the night with their spirits low or their eardrums intact. If you’re a fan of noisy, chaotic punk or if you want to move to some disturbed, pop riffs and pounding drums, this is definitely a band for you to look out for.
Rating: 4/5
