Music
18 Oct 24

Live Report: Wunderhorse electrify fans at Vicar Street gig

Wunderhorse at Vicar Street. Photo credit: Maya Solanki

Although relatively new as a band, having formed in 2020, English band Wunderhorse are no amateurs – and they're not here to play....

From the moment Wunderhorse walked on stage and took their places at Vicar Street on Wednesday, their fans' enthusiastic energy was tangible – as they cheered in anticipation of what would quickly establish itself as an unforgettable gig.

Illuminated by a red backdrop and their signature devil-esque logo, the band stopped off in Dublin for one night before continuing their tour, lighting up Vicar Street and its raucous moshers.

Sporting black sunglasses throughout the set, frontman and songwriter Jacob Slater looked coolly into the crowd between tracks.

Without needing any convincing, the crowd were sold from the first shattering guitar solo, as Wunderhorse delivered blistering anthems from their acclaimed two albums, 2022's Cub and 2024's Midas. Arms reached into the air and phone screens recorded the performance, as the dark and broody chords of ‘Butterfly’ ignited the venue, accompanied by a purple background which perfectly echoed the track’s seductive riff.

The band kept the talking to a minimum, letting the music speak for itself, with Slater addressing the audience only once to say: “Thanks for coming out Dublin, we appreciate you...”

From the opening strum of its iconic guitar riff, the crowd was transfixed as the band launched into ‘Leader Of The Pack’. Slater’s raw vocals and mock-laugh into the microphone reverberated around the room as a searing guitar solo cut through the anthem.

Beginning with a cool drum beat, guitarist Harry Tristan Fowler teased his way into the group’s eighth track of the night, ‘Girl Behind The Glass’. Changing colour again, the band were lit up by a white background – providing a sharp contrast to the song’s deep and dark theme.

‘Rain’ began when bass player Peter Woodin joined Jamie Staples’ drum platform, before the drummer launched into a thundering solo. While Slater sang: “do you feel the rain?”, it’s safe to say the crowd did, or rather the reign – as Wunderhorse captivated the entire venue, who sang along to every word.

After pausing quickly to switch guitars, the band performed ‘Purple’, alongside incandescent lights. The threat of a mosh pit finally gave way, as another electrifying guitar solo descended upon Vicar Street. Slater sat introspectively beside the drum kit momentarily, while the music temporarily quietened down, only for each member to gradually rejoin with Fowler’s guitar acting as the maintaining heartbeat of the track and the audience zealously singing “she dreams purple...”

As the gig reached the one-hour mark, the band left the stage, with the lights going off and the end in sight. In typical Irish fashion, the crowd burst into chants of “olé, olé olé olé”, beckoning Wunderhorse to return for an encore. After some whistles and shouts of “one more tune!”, the group reclaimed the stage for their final two songs of the evening.

With the heavy grunge guitar fuzz of ‘July’, Wunderhorse went out with a heavy bang. Music’s capacity to make us feel weightless and alive was palpable, as one audience member crowd-surfed for the duration of the track.

Overall, Wunderhorse were bold, loud, and broody, their energy bouncing off the walls of Vicar Street long after the gig's conclusion – with utterings of “wasn’t that brilliant?” overheard as the audience filed out of the venue, and descended onto the streets of Dublin.