Live Review: Inhaler - O2 Kentish Town Forum, London 31/10/2023
Inhaler were Elvis on Tuesday night – and a host of other rock icons – for the encore of their self-dubbed ‘Inhalerween’ at the Kentish Town Forum on October 31.
Frontman Eli Hewson came back out as Mr Presley, an apt costume for the first line of the last song, ‘My Honest Face’ – “I could be Elvis on a Tuesday night”.
It brought the curtain down on a fun evening from the Irish band, the first of three London dates in a week for Inhaler. Each show has a different support. Tonight, it’s Seb Lowe, walking out to ‘Thriller’ and straight into ‘Kill Him, He’s a Socialist’ and then ‘I Fell in Love with a Talking Head’. Seb’s vocals are delivered quickly, delivering political lyrics that are still intelligible, and all elevated by his backing back, especially the great violin work of Kate Couriel. He spoke briefly to introduce his band, and chastise the Tories, ending with ‘Terms and Conditions’. Inevitably one you’ll find on 2024 tip lists.
Inhaler played their main set straight, kicking off with ‘These Are The Days’. When they sing “I think we’re gonna be okay”, you would trust them with your heart.
Many post-punk bands are propelled by great drumming. Inhaler are no exception. Ryan McMahon was a crucial element of the band’s stagecraft, aiding an atmosphere to get the crowd jumping. Eli called Ryan a “beautiful man” at one point, and his work was especially prominent in ‘We Have To Move On’, a non-album track that feels integral to Inhaler’s story.
Otherwise, everything else was taken either from 2021’s ‘It Won’t Always Be Like This’ (when they also played the Forum), or February’s ‘Cuts & Bruises’. The former was represented by FIFA song ‘Totally’, where the crowd sang the cathartic refrain “Why does it hurt me so much?”, which led Eli to exclaim “Oh shit, you can sing”. He questioned if the audience could jump too, and they proved it in ‘Who’s Your Money On? (Plastic House)’.
There are 106 days between Halloween and February 14, but ‘Cuts & Bruises’ track ‘Valentine’ felt right at home in autumn too, while ‘Perfect Storm’ was a perfect accompaniment to the weather of the week.
The “oh-oh-oh” echoed through ‘Dublin in Ecstasy’ suggests their upcoming arena homecoming show will be something to be reckoned with, although with both albums recorded in London, Eli said: “It’s a place that means a lot to us. Thank you for being here from the start.”
The newer and the slightly older worked well together. ‘Love Will Get You There’ is a big party anthem, as is main set closer ‘It Won’t Always Be Like This’, which shone a spotlight on guitarist Josh Jenkinson.
The encore break felt like an eternity. Pop stars – the kind you’d usually find in arenas and can stadiums - can rely on dancers or video interludes to distract a fickle audience, but Inhaler relied solely on a tape of thunder music. Luckily it was worth the wait. “Happy Halloween, motherfuckers!”
Elvis was back in the building, for ‘Just To Keep You Satisfied’, the opening track from ‘Cuts & Bruises’. The King of Rock and Roll was backed by four other regal figures from the past - Freddie Mercury, Phil Lynott, David Bowie and Sid Vicious. A quintet of dead rock stars, but alive here and now on stage through the sights and sounds of Inhaler, and all the similar bands on the circuit now.
Finale ‘My Honest Face’ is one last blast for the band, one last opportunity for Inhaler and their fans to expel that Tuesday night energy, which they have done from the get-go. It shows a band on the top of their game, from the drummer at the back reaching far out into the audience.
The band said their farewells and left. The Halloween element wasn’t overplayed, but this worked to their advantage. It was probably too short a set in honesty, but Inhaler stuck to their best gift, drilling through their top songs and getting back out again. It should serve them well, this week and beyond.
Words by Samuel Draper
Photo credit: Lewis Evans
