My first gig of the year was Inhaler at Leeds O2, and it was one I wasn’t willing to miss.
Fighting off jet-lag, recovering from a 14-hour plane journey and determined to attend the show, I freshened up in record time and drove to Leeds. I managed to get into the arena really quickly. As someone who definitely prefers seeing shows whilst standing as opposed to seated, I felt a sense of relief knowing I was on the balcony for the evening and would be able to sit down after a hectic week.
Whilst music streaming platforms have definitely exposed me to a huge number of artists I may have otherwise never discovered, seeing my Spotify Wrapped for 2024, I felt an element of disappointment seeing the same 5 artists and a mix of songs that I thought I’d been listening on repeat for too long. So, one of my new year’s resolutions was to listen to more music and specifically to listen to at least one new album every week. As a result, I’ve started 2025 unintentionally reaching for a sound that reminds me of being at a festival – I’ve swapped my usual hip-hop, R&B-heavy playlists and reconnected with the sound of my youth: heavy guitar riffs and fast-paced drums replacing instrumental, more relaxed and melodious music.
The support acts drew in large crowds and the music in between sets was great. Even before Inhaler started on stage, the whole room had been singing along and dancing to a great mix of music. Coincidentally, I was sitting next to a guy who had also gone to see the band on his own, and immediately got talking about music and bonding over solo-venturing to a gig and being seated next to each other. We both hadn’t listened to the support acts before, but spoke about how impressed we each were.
It’s refreshing to have found a new band I like by actually going out and discovering them myself, connecting with people over music, and finding a new band my Spotify algorithm had yet to get me hooked to. Rock music arguably hasn’t had the same hold in current music- listening trends that it’s had in the past century or even the latter half of the 2000s, but being amongst the crowd Inhaler had drawn in – boys in leather jackets and students in Sambas filled the room – it really is interesting to see the bands that are revitalising Gen-Z rock.
Ireland’s contribution to the Indie reawakening I am currently undergoing is unparalleled. Having supported Arctic Monkeys, my favourite band, in 2023, I’ve been listening to Inhaler for some time. What better day to go see a band than the night of their eagerly anticipated new album Open Wide, which I listened to on a plane, and loved it.
Continuing the band’s notorious festival sound, every song sounded like it could’ve been its own single. They started their tour in sold-out Leeds, and I was wrong about being seated and relaxing. Everyone was up singing along, dancing and beer-splashing right the way into the balconies, with a crowd who maintained their energy throughout the entire evening.
Inhaler kicked the night off with My Honest Face, immediately starting with a banger that the crowd were instantly familiar with, followed by a brief dive into their new album. Performing their new tracks Eddie in the Darkness and A Question of You next, Inhaler went from strength to strength. Other songs they played from their new album included Little Things, Xray and Billy (Yeah Yeah Yeah).
Inhaler effortlessly paced through their hour and a half long set. With the occasional nod to crowd and shout-outs throughout the set, they played seamlessly, really attributing to the amazing bands coming out of Ireland right now.
Their 11-day UK and Ireland tour finishes on the 30th May in St Anne’s Park in Dublin, but the band have a hefty number of upcoming shows around the world and at various different festivals, too. They’ve also just covered one of my current favourite songs, Lola Young’s Messy in the Live Lounge, which I spoke about with the guy next to me – it’s definitely worth the listen if you’ve not heard it.
The band ended their encore with crowd favourite It Won’t Always Be Like This as well as Open Wide and
Your House from the new album.
The Inhaler show left me feeling grateful for live music and I’m really glad to have reignited the love I’ve had with a genre of music that’s hugely impacted my life. Adding Irish boys and Indie music to my list of 2025 ins!
Photography by Lewis Evans / @lewsvans
