Live Review | Bleech 9:3 @ YES, Manchester

Dublin newcomers Bleech 9:3 make a name for themselves in Manchester, offering a precise, dark and raw performance

Limerick-based Theatre opened the night, shoegazey guitars and swirling vocals carrying their two newly released singles ‘The Fall’ and ‘You Are’ through the Pink Room. Their sound is brooding, haunting and refreshingly well-constructed. Smooth vocals from lead Maeve O’Shea climbed to a close of concise guitar arpeggios and a demanding drum presence that warmed the crowd for Bleech 9:3.

Walking on to ‘Danny Boy’ the unofficial anthem of Ireland, Bleech 9:3 commanded the room immediately. With a recent EP release through Polydor and sold-out tours behind them, it’s unlikely they’ll grace a 150-person crowd for much longer.

From start to finish, lead singer Barry (Baz) Quinlan was magnetising, a wild outpour of emotion underpinned by developed musicality. Sonically, the sludgy metal riffs that characterise their releases are reminiscent of 90s Seattle grunge (Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam), championed by lead guitarist Sam Duffy from the opening bars of ‘Jacky’.

Precise riffs dominate the live set; clear heads are required to catch every turn before the next arrives. On the other side of the stage, a stealth groove locks the drums and bass into something uniformly complex and controlled.

Eyes black and unrelenting, Baz drove the crowd through the heavier stretch of the set with ‘No Surprise’ and ‘Cannonball’, both lifted from their Self-titled EP. The crowd response was teetering on animalistic through constant moshing and shared awe at the set unfolding before them.

The band presents a vast dichotomy lyrically. From words distraught with addiction and darkness, they can shift the set towards tender, more withdrawn ballads like ‘Best Day’. Vulnerability is the common thread and it translates.

Closing with ‘Ceiling’, Sam’s whispered vocals fizzed through the crowd. Paired with Baz’s vocals, it’s powerful without ever tipping into indulgence. Championed recently by bands such as Wunderhorse, uncomfortable stage performances are back. Crowds want dissonance, frantic passion, the raw intensity of 90s grunge. Bleech 9:3 deliver this with control and consideration. 

Listen to ‘Bleech 9:3’ here: