On 19th October 2026, Crookes Social Club became in danger of needing new floorboards as Irish band Gurriers took to the stage for an exhilarating show. Having gained momentum over the last couple of years, Gurriers have just released their second album Nobody’s Coming To Save You. A blend of post-punk and rock, their music features abrasive guitars and aggressive vocals which are half-sung, half-shouted. Consequently, it’s no surprise that the atmosphere was charged enough to warrant a night of wild movement, slam-dancing and non-stop moshing.
Radio 6 dads showed up in full force, making the audience a blend of a variety of ages, with teenagers flocking towards the barricade in trepidation for the gig. Gurriers were preceded by Tramhaus. Their lead singer set the tone for the night by displaying a never ending supply of energy in spite of the immobility of half of the audience who were more focused on getting pints in than dancing. Gurriers came on to a surge of applause and began with their title track, which immediately got the crowd frenzied with excitement. They went on to play a mix of songs from both their new album and their 2024 album Come And See, with stand-out performances of fan favourites ‘Des Goblin’, ‘Approachable’ and ‘Nothing Happens Twice’. Each song was accompanied by a flashing show of lights from behind the band and a wave of movement as the throng of fans oscillated back and forth for mosh pit after mosh pit, alongside some audience members crowd surfing while being cheered on by the band.
The band is incohesive when it comes to aesthetics. The jeans and T-shirts more commonly worn by other members of the band were sharply contrasted by bassist Charlie’s dramatic eye make-up, skirts and shoulder pads, mirroring the dissonance and span of genres prominent within their music. Gurriers’ songs are unambiguous in their political messaging and confrontation of societal anxieties, which they spoke about between songs, using their platform to reach a wide demographic.
Lead singer Dan Hoff made sure to build tension for ‘Drones’ by conducting the audience. Getting them to split wide open as the song crescendoed, he then dove in and got crushed at the centre of a mosh pit, while incredibly still continuing to sing. The concert concluded with ‘Crybaby’, the last song on the album, leaving a reflective tone on the night. Having gone with a friend who had never listened to the band before and witnessing her instant conversion to becoming a fan, I am confident that it’s impossible to not have an invigoratingly visceral reaction to seeing Gurriers perform live.
