ShareInhaler performing their Open Wide World Tour at Rock City Nottingham on Tuesday 11th February 2025.
Review by Kevin Cooper
Inhaler are ready to take their place amongst the top of the modern indie rock scene, with their captivating stage presence and huge work ethic and with the release of their third studio album, Open Wide, they now have a discography that is only getting better.
The band fronted by vocalist and guitarist Elijah Hewson, with bassist Robert Keating, guitarist Josh Jenkinson and drummer Ryan McMahon were augmented live by keyboard player Louis Lambert and at Rock City on Tuesday, the Dublin quartet showed no sign of Intimidation as they commanded the stage with confidence and coolness that enthralled the capacity crowd.
They opened with the old familiar My Honest Face which instantly had the crowd jumping and shouting the lyrics right back at them. They followed up with new songs, the thrashing Eddie In The Darkness and a glitzy A Question Of You which was as familiar to the crowd as the oldies Totally with its catchy bass and Hewson’s buttery voice and When It Breaks from the band’s debut album, It Won’t Always Be Like This.
Who’s Your Money On? (Plastic House) haunted the audience with the front man’s piercing soulful vocals against refined guitar riffs and heavy drumbeats which had the crowd singing the chorus in pure ecstasy. Little Things and the demandingly raw X-Ray are potentially the groups most rock bitten tunes to date, so it makes sense that they got a storming reception.
The childhood friends launched into the melodically smooth Just To Keep You Satisfied before ending the main set with the modern indie classic Cheer Up Baby. For the encore they delivered an unequivocally euphoric Open Wide and the sentimental rock anthem It Won’t Always Be Like This before Your House brought the night to a spirited end.
Based on Tuesday night’s reaction from a fairly young crowd, it is apparent that live shows are where Inhaler tunes truly come to thrive and surely it won’t be long before an Arena tour beckons.
