Following the release of their debut album ‘It Won’t Always Be Like This’ earlier this year, Inhaler headlined Rock City this week as part of their 11-date UK tour.
After playing Nottingham’s Rescue Rooms last time they were in the city in February 2020, the band took it one step further by performing to a sold-out crowd at neighbouring venue Rock City, which holds a capacity of 2,000 people.
The night began with the first support act Dylan Fraser, a Scottish singer-songwriter who started his music career during the first lockdown.
After the release of his debut EP ‘The Storm’ last year, Dylan gained support from big names including Sam Smith, Sir Elton John and Zane Lowe, and has since gone on to release his second EP ‘The World Isn’t Big When You Know How It Works’.
After Dylan’s performance, he quickly became one of my favourite support acts I have ever had the opportunity to see, with his music being instantly added to my playlists!
Songs ‘The Storm’ and ‘Losing Sleep’ were definitely my highlights of the night, with Dylan’s songwriting ability captivating the crowd immediately.
Shortly after, British duo Wet Leg took to the stage as the second support act of the night.
Although the duo only have two official releases – singles ‘Chaise Longue’ and ‘Wet Dream’ – Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers have grown quite the fanbase.
The huge wave of fandom for their work has already seen them gain the credits of supporting Declan McKenna and Jungle this year.
This was my second time seeing Wet Leg, after also seeing them support Declan in August this year, and once again they put on a fun and unique performance accompanied by their band.
As the lights dimmed, it was time for Inhaler themselves.
Drummer Ryan McMahon was the first to walk onto the stage, shortly followed by guitarists Josh Jenkinson and Robert Keating, and finally lead singer Elijah Hewson.
Opening with their album title track It Won’t Always Be Like This, the energy amongst the crowd was instantly apparent with screams and chants aplenty.
Mosh pits instantly opened up, with the entire crowd jumping in unison as they reached the first chorus.
The setlist mainly consisted of songs from their debut and most recent album, however older tracks including ‘Falling in’ and ‘Ice Cream Sundae’ were also played at the beginning of the set.
This was especially significant for long-term fans of the band, with the songs being just as well received.
It was clear to see that the band thrived off of the audience’s energy, with Hewson even entering the crowd to perform the final chorus of ‘We Have To Move On’.
Inhaler closed the night with two of their biggest singles ‘Cheer Up Baby’ and ‘My Honest Face’.
This created two particularly memorable moments as the opening guitar riffs sent the crowd wild, elevating the show even further.
Even though it was refreshing to see groovier and more relaxing tracks such as ‘Slide Out The Window’ break up their set – since this particularly showed off the band’s musical capabilities – the indie-rock anthems were most definitely the stand-outs.
Although I believe that Inhaler particularly thrive when performing within these smaller intimate venues, it’s apparent that with their ever-growing fanbase, their next tour may see them performing much bigger venues throughout the country.
Overall, Inhaler’s performance at the iconic Rock City venue was an assurance of their position in the current indie-rock scene, with the radiating energy from the fans throughout the show making the gig as amazing as it was.
All images courtesy of Hannah Adams