London in Ecstasy: Inhaler Gig Review
by Emily Toone
After repeatedly hearing 'Love Will Get You There' come up when I shuffled my playlist, a track I promptly added after hearing it on Radio 2 a few months ago, I finally elected to investigate Inhaler a bit more. A quick google search revealed that they were performing in London in a week’s time, with an unsurprisingly sold-out crowd. Thus, after sending an impulsive email, and a minor bit of pestering, I found myself waiting in line for Inhaler’s Shepherd’s Bush gig with two press passes in my hand. I was, in truth, stunned to be blessed with such an opportunity, particularly when I had all but dabbled in and out of their discography; but this newness is what made me all the more open to the adventure. And having gone with a friend who was more than clued up on the band, I knew we were in for a treat.
‘Well, this is fun, innit?’ declares Elijah Hewson, frontman, two songs into their set. Hewson, and indeed the rest of the band, are adorned in Alex Turner-esque robes, rather fitting as the Monkeys were included on the pre-show playlist. They opened with ‘These Are The Days’ which immediately got the audience on their feet, Hewson’s encouragement unnecessary, and it was safe to see why when taking the tension-building beat that advances through the first verse into account. They follow this with the very Depeche Mode ‘We Have to Move On’, but it is not until the standout ‘Who’s Your Money On? (Plastic House)’ that I became fully immersed. I fell in love with the psychedelic sound to the pedal steel guitar lick that circulates within the song. This, coupled with the hauntingly slow outro makes it a personal favourite of mine. It was in this slower outro that Hewson’s vocals stood out, where comparisons can be drawn to an almost boyish Julian Casablancas. There is no doubt he has a natural vocal talent which is unsurprising when taking his bloodline into account. It is clear, though, that the audience is not there to see “Bono’s son’s band”, they are there to see Inhaler. Call it generational difference if you like, but the singularity of Inhaler’s sound shows they are very much capable of cultivating their own following.
In a venue full of fans that know exactly which song is about to be played from the first two chords, ‘Dublin in Ecstasy’ received possibly the biggest reaction. Hewson’s connection with the crowd was impressive, and this came to a head in ‘Dublin in Ecstasy’ when he stood on the barricade serenading the front row. However, it was Josh Jenkinson, lead guitarist, who made the song as fascinating as it is by closing it with an impressive guitar solo. ‘My King Will be Kind’ is much slower and more melancholic but still roused a great energy with the line ‘I fucking hate that bitch!’, garnering a cathartic shout from almost everyone in the room. Robert Keating, on bass guitar, led the band into ‘Love Will Get You There’ – perhaps the most well-known song at the gig and definitely the one the crowd sung the loudest (myself included, it having been the aforementioned song on my playlist). The band’s pre-encore song of choice was ‘It Won’t Always Be Like This’ which seemed to directly address the audience in order to leave us with an ode of hope.
The wait was not too long, though, as Inhaler soon rejoined the stage with ‘If You’re Gonna Break My Heart’ which admittedly worked well as an intro, making their desire to play it at the beginning of the encore sensical. They followed this with ‘Just To Keep You Satisfied’, the opener on their latest album, which also worked well as an intro and therefore Ryan McMahon’s impassioned performance on drums was a necessary blessing. In fact, he candidly carried the tempo throughout the whole set and was clearly appreciated for doing so by his bandmates who made an effort to interact with him by constantly walking back and forth between their own post and the drum set. ‘My Honest Face’ rounded off the show and its strengths as a closer are clear. The climax of the song made it an obvious finale, with vehemence in vocals, guitar, bass and drums that were only amplified by the intense stage lighting that had been a commonality throughout the whole set.
It’s safe to say that I left the venue with a lot of reluctance and as a newly converted Inhaler fan. The gig had incorporated an equal mix of records from their debut and most recent album meaning that I was able to develop an accurate gauge on their sound and who they were as a band. Inhaler already has a steadfast roster of fans and the necessary foundations for what may very well be an abiding presence in the music industry. One thing is clear, though: you do not have to be an Inhaler fan to enjoy their concerts, but you will probably leave as one.