GIG REVIEW: Inhaler @ 02 Academy Liverpool, 12/02/2020

12th February 2020

Energetic, musically powerful, engaging onstage; Inhaler certainly lived up to the favourable reputation they have already garnered for themselves (through the likes of the BBC and the NME) as they kicked off their first headlining tour last night. 

In fact, the pop-rock outfit’s frontman Elijah Hewson (son of U2’s lead singer Bono, something which becomes evident as soon as Hewson starts singing) had the predominantly twenty-something crowd in the palm of his hand from the outset, the band striding onstage and launching straight into an impassioned rendition of new track ‘When I’m With You’. 

The set continues with the band’s best track ‘It Won’t Always Be Like This’ – released as a single in March 2019 – and ends with the irresistibly catchy ‘My Honest Face’.

The tracks we hear in between are generally new ones, something perhaps to be expected considering the band have yet to release a full album. 

In terms of the music itself, the lyrical content of much of Inhaler’s material is deceptively inoffensive, but the relatively generic boy-meets-girl anecdotes are somehow made more meaningful by the band’s powerful, new wave-infused sound. 

The general lack of depth to the lyrics doesn’t seem to bother the audience either, many of whom sing along to every word they can and leap dutifully into the ever-expanding mosh pit.

The forty-five-minute set soon draws to an abrupt close; suddenly the five musicians are gone, the lights are up and the cheering quietens down.

But Inhaler are wise to not overstay their welcome. By leaving the frenzied crowd hanging, the band have their audience exactly where they should be – wanting more.

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Image credit to Inhaler (Official Twitter Account)