Friday 3 March 2023

1,264 INHALER, Feet, Overpass, Bristol O2 Academy, Saturday 25th February 2023

 


This one represented a real “make or break” gig for highly promising newcomers Inhaler; having delivered a splendid and varied indie-rock debut set in 2021’s “It Won’t Always Be Like This” and a couple of promising if not fully realised sets last year, we were expecting a step up from young Eli Hewson and his cohorts, with their sophomore album “Cuts And Bruises” and particularly the subsequent (and quickly sold-out) tour. Initial listens to the album revealed no such progression, however; more of the same mix of catchy Killers-esque indie-pop, arena-friendly hooks and guitar riffery, and occasionally blissed out grooves, albeit polished up to a more commercial sheen. Too early in this nascent band’s career to lose faith? Surely not, but it was however notable that it took a little persuading for Logan to join us for this one, and I myself was hoping for a big performance to make sense of the new material (which to be honest, often happens “live”)…

 An early departure saw us hit Bristol at 5.30 for an intended drink in the Hatchet with old friend Martin; however they wouldn’t serve Logan (not even a cola!) so we hit a Park Street coffee shop instead, for an entertaining catch up and reminisce about our 80’s goth days! Joined the largest O2 Priority queue evah (eat your heart out, Cavetown) at 6.30, which nonetheless started moving about ¼ to 7 and pitched us up a couple of rows from the barriers, house right. Chatted with some folks (mums and daughters, mainly; Inhaler truly have a generational – and overwhelmingly female! – audience) before openers Overpass took the stage at an early 7.15. Easing in with a couple of Summery if gossamer Britpoppy numbers, initially calling to mind the likes of Supernaturals or Dodgy, their 3rd number “Take It Or Leave It” cranked it up a notch with a roaring rocky beat and hooky chorus not dissimilar to tonight’s headliners. The robust guitar work and slightly drawling vocal of “3 A.M.”, and the darker, harder-edged closer “Other Side Of Midnight” were other notable numbers in a promising opening set. Certainly better than main support Feet, who kicked off at 8 with a couple of okayish if tinny sounding, herky-jerky 70’s NYC new wave numbers, but then descended into a morass of angular bluesy nonsense and Happy Mondays-ish sneery languidness. Again, not my cup of tea, and their frontman once again was clearly his own biggest fan, which irked me somewhat…

 By this time, however, the place was proper old school rammed, and for the second weekend in succession, I found myself awkwardly adrift in a sea of excitable young females. In fact Logan (who’d dumped his diabetes bag with me by then, declaring his intention to hit the mosh), was drifting away from me in said sea, like Wilson the basketball in “Castaway”… Inhaler themselves kept us waiting until just after 9, but took the stage to a rapturous reception, Eli suited and booted for the occasion and clearly meaning business. The final date on their tour, this, and it clearly seemed that they’d saved the best for last, as opener “These Are The Days” was absolutely superb, the ascending opening riff and quite irresistible soaring hook a feature of easily their best new number, then the subsequent “My Honest Face” was skyscraping, strafing and utterly incendiary. Doubts blown away instantly; that’s how to start a gig!

 


Thankfully, performance levels were maintained tonight, as Inhaler delivered comfortably the best performance I’d seen from them, looking now much more like the proper finished product than a work-in-progress. Ironic then that this showing was the one which reminded me most of Eli’s old man’s band; “So Far So Good” was prime combative “War”-era U2 with an impassioned vocal from Eli, and “Just To Keep You Satisfied” nodded towards “The Joshua Tree”’s stretched, widescreen Americana. No matter, “Valentine”’s insistent, potent beat and plaintive hook recalled Death Cab For Cutie’s “We Laugh Indoors”, “Dublin In Ecstacy”’s occasional leaden pall on record turned into a widescreen and epic elegy, and “Love Will Get You There” was irresistible and almost Motown girl group groovy, the otherwise fairly taciturn Eli remarking of its’ reception, “Bristol, you know how to party”! Plenty of oldies as highlights as well, such as the ringing chimes of “When It Breaks” and the lustily sung-along sneery hook of “My King Will Be Kind”, before the first-pumping “Cheer Up Baby” brought another hour-long set to a close. Yes, again a short one, but in this instance I’ll take an hour at this performance level, over a longer and more variable set anytime!

 A couple of encores concluded with a tremendous “It Won’t Always Be Like This”, before some heartfelt thanks from Eli on departure. Superb stuff, capped with a list from a friendly roadie, before a breather outside and drive home via the kebab van for a couple of tired yet happy and vindicated Inhaler fans. If this was indeed “make or break”, then Inhaler well and truly made it tonight, no doubt!


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