Inhaler live at St. Anne's Park

I’m feeling incredibly sentimental right now, overwhelmed with pride to be from Ireland. A small island that consistently produces talented, versatile artists. Inhaler’s biggest headline show to date at St Anne’s Park only cemented that pride. The sense of community and acceptance at the gig was overwhelming, and witnessing the band reach this milestone felt incredibly surreal.

Watching them play on that stage, it hit me just how far they’ve come from playing to a scattered few in The Grand Social to standing in front of 20,000 people. It’s the kind of full-circle moment that makes you tear up without even realising.

The atmosphere was unforgettable, Dublin flags draped over people’s shoulders, everyone buzzing in anticipation for “Dublin in Ecstasy”. Groups of friends embracing and dancing together as if they had been apart for years. Music brings people together, some of my closest lifelong friends have come into my life because of it.

The night kicked off with Scustin, a post-funk band from Bray. I hadn’t listened to their stuff before, but they completely won me over with their energy. They were fun, expressive, and played into Irish humour in the best way with songs like “I’m never flying with Ryanair again”. They were the perfect opener, getting the crowd going right from the start.

Next up were Gurriers, one of the most anticipated acts of the night. A post-punk band formed in Dublin, I was genuinely excited to see them live, and they didn’t disappoint. There’s something about their energy that reminded me of early Fontaines D.C. It was raw, loud, and gritty. When “top of the bill” came on, the crowd became explosive. The band tore around the stage with infectious confidence. It was a completely unfiltered, captivating experience.

When Blossoms came out, I tried very hard to remain composed (I failed). The Blossoms, formed in Stockport, have phenomenal stage presence. Lead singer Tom Ogden delivered an almost theatrical performance. Having seen them before, opening for Inhaler at the 3Arena, they have easily become one of my favourite bands. Everyone and their mother were dancing their hearts out. Fittingly, I brought my mum along, and throughout the set, she kept asking, “Sophie, when are they going to play Gary?”. They played familiar favourites such as ‘Charlemagne’ and ‘Your Girlfriend’. Blossoms were nothing short of exceptional.

The wait for Inhaler to come on felt tense, the good kind of tense. This was the band I had followed for years. It was my fifth time seeing them live, but somehow this felt different. The second they stepped on stage, I screamed along with the thousands packed into St. Anne’s Park. They kicked off with "Open Wide", the title track of their latest album.

Elijah Hewson during "Billy (Yeah,Yeah,Yeah)

There’s nothing like being at a gig where you know every word, shouting lyrics alongside your best friends. They played some of my all-time favourites, including “Totally” which made its way back into the setlist. One of the most powerful moments of the night came when they dedicated “My King Will Be Kind” to Palestine, using a song about incels as a sharp and unexpected message of solidarity. It felt like a bold statement, a defiant "fuck you" to anyone lacking empathy.

You could see it all over their faces, the awe, the love, the disbelief. They looked out into the crowd and saw not just fans, but people who had grown with them. That’s what an Inhaler concert feels like, it’s like home. No matter how big the venue gets, they somehow make it feel intimate. During “Dublin in Ecstasy,” they connected with the crowd like they were playing in a room of a hundred, not a park of twenty thousand. The lads gave it everything.

Inhaler has already achieved so much, and still, it feels like they’re only getting started. With three albums under their belt, Inhaler has established themselves in the global music scene. St Anne’s wasn’t just a concert, it was an experience that opened me up to new music and reminded me why I love it in the first place.  More than anything, it served as proof that with passion, persistence, and belief, people who dare to dream big really can make it.

Written by Sophie Lee.