Live Report: Just Mustard, The Workman's Club

Straight off the back of their debut album Wednesday cracking the shortlist for the RTÉ Choice Music Prize 2018, Dundalk five-piece Just Mustard delivered a thrilling set to a packed Workman's Club crowd.

Despite their experimental heavy shoegaze sound - think Beach House meets My Bloody Valentine - Just Mustard draw from the playbook of the great grunge bands which came before. Similar to Nirvana or the Pixies, they blend the quiet and loud, the slow and fast to create dynamic, exciting music.

Tracks like opener 'Tainted', 'Deaf' and 'Curtains' begin calm. They lull you in with mid-tempo melodies and rhythms - exquisitely crafted from droning guitars and lead singer Katie Ball's delicate otherworldly vocals. Right when the listener is in a state of hypnosis, however, Just Mustard erupt violently into a cacophony of shouting, screeching riffs and enough reverb to make your teeth rattle and your brain melt.

Live, the five-piece hit even harder than on record. The intimate Workman's Club venue - where fans are literally just yards from the bands performing - served to add a real immediacy to the gig. In the flesh, Just Mustard's use of distortion felt all the more textured. On songs such as 'Tennis' and 'Pigs' audiences were left in awe at their skill in finding mesmerising grooves out of seemingly chaotic sounds.

Following a great 2018 for the band, Just Mustard's Workman's Club show cements them as ones to watch for the year ahead. Those uninitiated to the five-piece's charms though may want to bring ear plugs for further live gigs. It will get loud.