Live Review + Gallery | Turnstile @ 3Arena, Dublin

Chea McArdle

Hi my name is Chea and I dove into the world of band photography midway through 2023. I was really involved in the amazing music scene at uni in Falmouth, making friends with lots of super talented people. After uni I really wanted to explore the vibrant music scene within Belfast and used this creative drive to begin my exploration into the local scene and further my photography.
Im hoping to continue my photography journey further and capture many more great moments with many wonderful people!

Turnstile’s explosive show at the 3Arena in Dublin was a feast for both the eyes and lens – a crowd-pleasing spectacle of pure exhilaration

From the moment the first note rang out, Baltimore hardcore group Turnstile had captured the crowd in the palm of their hands. A mass eruption of chaos claimed the arena whilst a ferocious sonic landscape of unrefuted punk energy pulsed through the crowd.

Before long, seas of mosh pits had opened up and waves of crowd-surfers took flight overhead. I was flung in every possible direction as vocalist Brendan Yates delivered raw impassioned vocals over the band’s cacophony of bright yet hard and heavy melodies.

Flashes of sweat, smiles, raised arms were contrasted with the stark yet brief silences between songs as the crowd collectively tried to regain their breath. In those fleeting moments, I steadied my point-and-shoot camera, tucked tightly to my chest, waiting for the rare gaps in the crowd’s parting sea to capture the band giving their all under the stage lights.

A true sense of community radiated through the 3Arena – sheer exhilaration was rife in the air as the band and audience were in perfect sync. The energy was electric as the chaos unfurled beneath the hot heavy air. A warm connection was formed, the crowd’s unbridled euphoria slowly drifting to a close as the band powered through the final songs of the setlist.

Turnstile really left their mark in the 3Arena; they had not only closed out a great show but one that was defined by the chaotic connection of a crowd that were mere strangers hours ago.