WPGM Reviews: Gurriers Live At Scala (In Pictures)

“London, let’s f**king go.” That was the rallying cry from Gurriers frontman Dan Hoff on Thursday night. Returning to the capital for what was their biggest headline show to date, the Dublin five-piece proved once again that they are one of the most visceral acts breaking out of the post-punk scene right now.

With their ferocious energy, and an audience that seemed to be made entirely of limbs in motion, Gurriers took the Scala by the throat and never let go. Having just wrapped a run of shows supporting Inhaler and fresh off a fiery set at SXSW, Gurriers are back on the road with their ‘Come and See’ tour.

The venue was already near bursting at the seams before they’d even taken the stage – fans crammed into every corner of the floor and railings lined with eager faces on the balconies above, drinks raised, eyes fixed.

The five-piece band opened with “Close Call”, and within seconds, it was mayhem. The track’s siren guitars and pounding rhythms set off a chain reaction of chaos – a crowd turned organism, writhing and surging to every beat. There was no easing in, no warning.

“Nausea” followed in all its snarling glory, Dan Hoff’s delivery both venomous and anthemic as fists punched the air on his every word. “It’s a problem that they all have,” he roared, and the crowd yelled it back like gospel. By the time they launched into “Dipping Out”, the chorus was barely audible over the crowd’s voices.

Then came the curveballs: two new tracks, “Nothing Happens Twice” and “Erasure”, both thunderous and brutal. Nothing Happens Twice felt like a seismic event, if these tracks are a taste of what’s next, Gurriers are not just continuing – they’re evolving.

With “Prayers”, introduced as “a slow one” (relative only in Gurriers terms), Hoff’s spoken-word delivery floated over moody guitars as backlights bathed the band in an eerie white glow. The tempo picked up again with “Top of the Bill” and then, “Sign of the Times” pulled even the back-of-the-room lurkers into the fold – no one wanted to miss the madness now.

With “No More Photos”, the pit re-erupted, Hoff urging chaos with a grin. And then there was Approachable – the band’s anti-fascist barnburner and a call to arms. There was a feeling of unity in the room, of purpose, even amid the sweat-drenched, limb-thrashing free-for-all.

Bodies surfed, fans reached over balconies, and at one point, guitarist Mark MacCormack launched himself into the crowd mid-song, guitar in hand, not missing a single note. The final blow came with “Come and See” – the title track.

A crescendo of distortion, angst, and escapism. As the lights came up and Hoff declared, “We’ll be back – bigger, and better,” it didn’t feel like a throwaway line. It felt inevitable. Gurriers came to conquer, and at Scala, they absolutely did.

Words and photography by Stefania Mohottige

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