Live Review: Just Mustard - Brixton Electric, London 29/04/2026
Dundalk shoegazers Just Mustard are as mesmerising as ever, playing a sold-out show at London’s Electric Brixton on Wednesday night.
Showcasing their unique sound - a fusion of ethereal, haunting vocals, dark, warped guitars, distorted synths and unfaltering drums - Just Mustard put on a truly captivating performance at a sold-out Electric Brixton on Wednesday night. The Irish five-piece have been on tour following the release of their third album, WE WERE JUST HERE, at the end of last year, and they have been on a consistent ride to the top. Having built up a cult following after the release of their debut album, Wednesday, in 2018, and furthering their success with second album Heart Under in 2022, their live show only cemented their unwavering talent.
Support included Dublin-based artist Cruel Sister and Limerick’s finest THEATRE. Cruel Sister, aka Faith Nico, falls into a similar genre as Just Mustard. Her sound combines shoegaze and grunge together, with the occasional venture into the dreamy pop sphere. With echoing vocals and distorted guitars, Cruel Sister gives the crowd a glimpse of what’s to come throughout the rest of the evening.
Limerick-based band THEATRE are next in line to warm the crowd up, and by that point, Electric Brixton has properly filled up. THEATRE have been slowly building a name for themselves through their live performances, having supported the likes of Gurriers on tour last year. And, with multiple slots over the 2025 Festival period, the band already had a mass of people onside well before releasing their first single, which only came out in April. The crowd seems entirely mesmerised by the five-piece, whose set is equal parts haunting and intoxicating. Their sound is precise - a consistent percussion, heavy, intricate guitars and distinct, ethereal vocals. It’s hard to put THEATRE into one genre, a fusion of alt-rock, indie, post-punk. Witnessing THEATRE live makes it easy to understand how they gained their following before ever releasing any music. When a crowd are singing your praises long after you’ve left the stage, you know you’re doing something right.
There was a buzz throughout the venue as the crowd waited for Dundalk shoegazers, Just Mustard, to take to the stage. The band came out in a haze of purple light, kicking off their set with track ENDLESS DEATHLESS, a clash of drums, siren-like guitars, and vocalist Katie Ball’s haunting, childlike vocals, the crowd already swaying on their feet, in a trance. They flow effortlessly between tracks, heading straight into SILVER, which has a bit more of a flurry to it, while OUT OF HEAVEN is more distorted still. Wailing guitars, heavy distortion and an extra level of depth created by the addition of David Noonan’s vocals.
There’s a heavy, ominous energy during I Am You, it’s eerie, impregnable, all thunderous noise and droning hums, Ball’s vocals ghost-like, maddening. Elevated further by the well-thought-out lighting that accompanies each of their tracks. The band are lit up in a haze of red and pink during crowd favourite Deaf, from their debut album Wednesday. The easily recognisable opening pluck of Rob Clarke’s bass earning a cheer from their captivated audience. The pulsating bass, grunge-like guitars, and Ball’s ethereal vocals have the crowd in a trance, with the song reaching its climax through Noonan’s powerful wails. Frank is another powerful display of talent from the band, the tension-building thrum of the bass, pulsating drums, maddening guitars and piercing, hypnotising vocals “I watch TV to fall asleep / and I can fly in my dreams.”
Just Mustard continue to flow seamlessly through their setlist, the wailing guitars, palpitating crash of drums and whisper-like vocals of Pigs leads directly into POLLYANNA, the first single from their latest album WE WERE JUST HERE. The opening alarm-like distortion immediately has the crowd swaying, picking up speed with the hammering of the drums. POLLYANNA live feels otherworldly, a track offering a form of escapism for Just Mustard’s audience.
The band close out their set with title track WE WERE JUST HERE, which, while still containing the familiar industrial sound of Just Mustard, the jagged guitars and electronic-like beat give it a lighter, dreamier air. The stage is a mix of green and purple swirling lights, and Ball’s voice creates a sense of euphoria within the venue. It’s followed by the heavy, bone-rattling Seed from Heart Under, which is darker, more menacing, Just Mustard at their finest.
It is no wonder that their gig was sold out, with Just Mustard being as mesmerising and captivating as ever live. With a US tour and a number of festival gigs ahead of them this summer, including Latitude and End Of The Road, they are definitely a band worth making an effort to go and see. Their distinct sound will be ringing in your ears for days after, in the best way possible.
Words by Angela English
Photography by Harry Wassell
