I recently had the immense privilege of catching Inhaler in Birmingham, on their newest tour in support of their emphatic third album Open Wide. Inhaler emerged onto the stage following great support sets from The Guest List and Gurriers.

The avid fans in attendance were taken by complete shock as the band opened the night with their hit song ‘My Honest Face’. But this risk paid off as opening with such a popular song meant that the crowd was electric from the off. The setlist was littered with tracks from the new record with ‘Eddie in the Darkness’ and the single ‘A Question of You’ coming next. The crowd were loving these new tracks despite the album getting released only three days before the show! This was my first time seeing the band so it was great to also hear songs from their debut album that I had not heard live before but was a big fan of. Fan favourite songs ‘Totally’ and ‘When it Breaks’ from the debut album were immense and the crowd was raucous throughout. The band are able to curate such a euphoric atmosphere at their shows and they sound incredible. 

For a group still so young they have really mastered the art of live performance. ‘X-Ray’ was a tune that I hadn’t really given much of a listen to from the new album but after hearing at the show it is now one of my favourites, the punchy chorus and rock infused guitar riffs were fantastic. Then it was back to the classics with ‘My King Will Be Kind’ and the immensely groovy track ‘Who’s Your Money On (Plastic House)’. Frontman Eli Hewson’s vocals shone throughout the show, in particular during ‘Dublin In Ecstasy” where hues of green, white and orange illuminated the stage as a nod to their homeland. At this point in the night the crowd really reached another level. All in attendance were enthralled throughout which is a testament to the bands immense musicality. 

The incredible performance continued and the band finally left the stage. The crowd pleaded for the band to return for ‘one more song’, but we were in fact treated to a three song encore. The title track ‘Open Wide’ was first and was probably my favourite moment of the show, adoring fans belting in unison with ‘their arms out open wide’. It felt truly special. The encore continued with the absolute banger ‘It Won’t Always Be Like This’ before ending the show with ‘Your House’. 

It is truly bewildering how the band have been able to master the art of live performance and put on emphatic gigs despite only being on their third album. The group continue to push the boundaries of their sound and cultivate new amazing music. The future is very bright for Inhaler and they continue to be one of the very best acts in the scene right now, their gigs are a must watch. It was a pleasure to see them do what they do best!

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