There was a certain electric atmosphere in Foundry on this rainy and miserable Sunday evening. Hundreds of fans marched into the building with excited anticipation, trying to avoid the storm brewing outside. The night was opened by poised Cork City group The Cardinals, who entered the stage in a wash of orange light as a heavy, rumbling bass drew the room to silence.
It’s easy to see why they were chosen to support NewDad on tour – not just for their distinct Irish spirit and pride but for their raw sound that blends melancholic shoegaze vocals with explosive instrumentation that felt passionate yet thoughtful. Their song ‘Big Empty Heart’ epitomised those intense emotions, with Euan Manning’s evocative vocals carried by a swelling crescendo of sound. It was clear this was a band who took pride in storytelling, each song invoking a new feeling as their sincerity wove a vivid narrative through their set.
The distinct sound of The Cardinals centred largely around their accordion player, Finn Manning, whose playing echoed the spirit of American psychedelic folk group Neutral Milk Hotel. Manning guided their music toward something less grunge-driven and more ethereal, creating a beautiful duality within their sound.
We caught up with Euan Manning after the show and, when asked to sum up the night in one word, he said: “Biblical.”
After a short interval, the room once again came alive with whispers and chatter as the venue brimmed with anticipation. Julie Dawson entered the stage moments later to a cascade of applause, which was swiftly muted by her ethereal vocals. Moments later, the rest of the Galway band joined her, providing a backdrop that harmonised seamlessly with her voice.
Dawson, the figurehead of the group, was proudly dressed in an Atelier shirt – a nod to Sheffield’s own subcultural roots. She stood front and centre, beaming at the gathering of excited fans. The performance felt like a journey. Dawson’s refined vocals floated over grungy distortion and incandescent melodies, moving the crowd from trance-like stillness to sudden bursts of movement.
The connection between the performers was clear as they bounced off each other both sonically and physically, revealing a confident band with a powerful stage presence despite their relatively short touring history. Sean O’Dowd, the lead guitarist, brought a welcome burst of energy, spending much of the show headbanging and leaping across the stage. Marie Freiss on bass built on that energy, her onstage connection with Dawson highlighting just how tight-knit the band has become.
Throughout the show, a low mist hung over the stage, illuminated by an array of coloured lights. Each shift in lighting seemed to change the room’s mood, guiding the audience through moments of fun, nostalgia and melancholy.
An interesting dissonance lies in the genre itself. The term shoegaze usually suggests a crowd staring at the complex array of pedals at a guitarist’s feet, but NewDad flip that idea on its head, commanding the stage with a sound that holds the audience in a quiet, spellbound trance.
The ninth song of their set, ‘Everything I Wanted’, epitomised the darker side of their sound, with harrowing lyrics supported by melancholic melodies reminiscent of Robert Smith of The Cure. Yet the duality of the performance was most striking in Dawson’s persona, which stood in contrast to the music’s pathos. Between songs she smiled and thanked the crowd, and after ‘Everything I Wanted’ she disarmed the room with a simple, heartfelt: “I miss my mum.”
The encore cemented the magnitude of their performance. As the show neared its end, Dawson jumped down in front of the sea of fans to perform ‘Angels’ – a standout, intimate moment. Minutes later she returned to the stage to a wave of applause as the band announced their final song, ‘Roobosh’. It was a powerful closer. Dawson lifted her guitar above her head in Jimi Hendrix fashion, moments after screaming, “Yeahhhh!” – a moment hard to forget. Their fusion of punk, shoegaze and grunge concluded an emotional journey through the sound and spirit of NewDad.
As the night came to a close and the band walked off stage to an eruption of applause, it was impossible not to notice the shift in the room’s energy – from anticipation to a united feeling of appreciation. The night as a whole was a triumph, as two rising Irish bands proved that the new wave of music can be every bit as awe-inspiring as the sounds of the past.
Listen to NewDad here
Follow NewDad on socials here
