Inhaler, live at Mountford Hall, Liverpool.

As I make my way through town in this awful rain, I’m wondering if tonight’s headliners have brought their Irish weather with them to Mountford Hall this Saturday evening. It’s actually really nice being back to watch the bands on show tonight as I’ve not been here for a couple of years now thanks to Covid and all those crappy lockdowns. It’s a great venue and I’m looking forward to seeing what tonight’s acts have to offer.

Dylan Fraser: Credit Billy Vitch

 First up we have Dylan Fraser and his band. Dylan comes from Bathgate in Scotland and he immediately connects with the crowd here. His songs sounding electro and poppy, he has a great energy, bouncing about the stage, he reminds a bit of Lorde, (a male version of course), and he looks a bit like Ian Curtis as he hangs on to the mic stand. ‘Losing Sleep‘ is a standout song here and I enjoy Dylan’s set and I expect him to be headlining his own shows here very soon.

 Next up is Wet Leg, hailing from The Isle of Wight this band consists of two girls, they handle the guitars and vocals and they’re backed by three guys. Their first couple of songs have an ethereal feel about them then all of a sudden singer Rhian Teasdale tells us how she’s been practicing her loudest scream, then, sure enough, she lets us hear her super scream and the songs become a bit more rock/post-punk with Hester Chambers playing some lovely guitar parts. The girls seem to be enjoying themselves and they get a good reception from tonight’s revelers. Wet Leg have only put two singles out so far, but this quirky band seems destined for a long career and I’m expecting to catch these guys a few more times over the next couple of years. The standout song tonight from them was ‘Chaise Longue‘.

Wet Leg: Credit Billy Vitch

 Now the smoke machine pumps out whatever it is that smoke machines pump out, the lighting changes and the anticipation hangs in the air for the band that we’ve all come out and braved the weather for tonight. It seems like we wait an eternity but eventually, our Dublin 4-piece takes to the stage and gets a riotous reception from the 2000 strong audience, which is mainly full of teenage girls with a few lads dotted about for good measure. Inhaler have released nine strong singles so far and now have their first album out too,  ‘It Won’t Always Be Like This‘ and we get all those songs tonight in a very strong powerful set. The band have a very cool indie vibe with a poppy side to them too, I’d actually describe their sound as melodic pop/rock. The lads open with ‘It Won’t Always Be Like This’ and instantly I’m impressed by their strong stage presence, boyish good looks, and charm. These guys are certainly professional, and bassist Robert looks smart and dapper in his grey suit, Josh throws some cool shapes on guitar and Ryan is keeping a steady beat behind the kit. Singer/guitarist Elijah tells us that it’s nice to be back in his “hometown” and says that Liverpool does feel like a second home to the band now. Next up is ‘We Have To Move On and Eli jumps into the crowd lying on his back while still managing to play his guitar. This is a strong start from the band and the screams from the crowd are deafening at times, this must be “Inhaler-mania” right? Girls are on boyfriend’s shoulders, lads on mates shoulders too.

Inhaler: Credit Billy Vitch

Things calm down a bit with ‘Falling In‘ and ‘Slide Out The Window‘.Elijah’s vocals are strong throughout with every word being heard by the adoring fans. Things are hot and steamy now and fortunately, we get ‘Ice Cream Sundae’, not a real ice cream offering, but a fine pop song all the same. It’s Josh’s birthday today and Eli leads us all into a version of ‘Happy Birthday’ for him, and the audience duly obliges, it’s a nice moment. The lads finish up with ‘Cheer Up Baby‘, before bringing the house down with ‘My Honest Face‘, a beast of a song finishing a beast of a set. There is no encore, but I don’t think it’s needed tonight. Inhaler are a band who do things their own way, regardless of having some very famous friends and relatives. These fellas will be playing arenas and stadiums soon enough, so I’d recommend catching them very soon to experience their energy and power up close.

Inhaler: Credit Billy Vitch

 David Lancaster 09/10/2021.