Thumper: Night And Day, Manchester – live review

Thumper | Body Water | Dead Cherry
Night And Day, Manchester
October 6th 2022

There seems to be a never-ending stream of new talent emerging from Ireland at present and whatever creative elixir they’ve been putting in the water, noisy Dubliners Thumper have obviously been supping plenty. With their debut album Delusions Of Grandeur generating reviews ranging from positive to downright hysterical, tonight offers the chance to see how the hype translates live in the intimate setting of Night and Day.

Engaging Mancunian trio Dead Cherry start things off with their punky tales of political intrigue, drinking and being skint, backed by searing guitar, pounding rhythm section and feedback aplenty. There are de rigueur hints of The Fall’s influence in the half-spoken, half-sung vocal delivery, but they are far from being copyists. Definitely, ones to look out for.

It’s as if Halloween has arrived early as Cerys and Eli from Body Water take the stage scantily clad in black, to deliver their intriguingly gothic and macabre ditties about dastardly plots, murder and ghosts. And it appears the gremlins are out in force tonight. A broken string during Dead Cherry’s sound check, a false start for Body Water due to a silent guitar then a prolonged wait for the headliners with much toing and froing around the mixing desk, resulting in a slightly hurried set.

When proceedings eventually get underway with opener Topher Grace, a brooding litany of self-loathing, it’s worth the wait. Followed by the catchy 25 which describes the onset of a premature mid-life crisis, Thumper present a sonic barrage with three guitars, two drummers and bass. The secret to their sound is that they never forget the melody; a wall of noise interlaced with indelible earworm hooks and choruses. The effect is completed by the frenetic presence of the band, at once totally unchoreographed but highly engaging, with constant motion on stage and guitarists happy to wander into the crowd to check out the sound or simply mingle.

We are presented with a further trawl through the highlights of the debut album with Greedy Guts slowing the pace followed by the manic nightmare intensity of Overbite. Frontman Oisin Leahy Furlong could hardly look less like a conventional rock star dressed as he is in jeans, boots and a Matrix t-shirt, but he still demands attention with the ferocity of his performance and the humour of his interactions with the audience. He certainly displays no sign of the aforementioned ‘delusions of grandeur’, referring to the “twenty five people from Manchester” in attendance as he introduces album opener Fear Of Art. The disappointing turnout is surely no reflection of the talent on display. Manchester is a must play destination for established bands, but with so much competition, there is always the danger that up and coming acts will go under the radar and Thumper deserve better.

As the curfew is pushed back later and later, The Loser, a short but not so sweet examination of worthlessness, hints at a recurring theme of songwriter’s impostor syndrome; “I can’t relate to half my songs, who gives a lonesome fuck”. Don’t worry Oisin – we do. We’re then treated to the deceptively sugar-coated pop of (You’re Bringing Me) Down as the short set draws to a close and people start to drift off to catch the last train from Piccadilly.

Thumper have hit on a captivating formula – songs of overwhelming self-doubt delivered with swagger and confidence; vulnerability behind an impenetrable shield of sound. Which is the veneer and which the reality is anyone’s guess. Either way, it will be fascinating to observe how the band now progress musically and lyrically whilst maintaining that cutting edge. With a style which is not so much about virtuosity, but more a collective aural bombardment, the signature soundscape is firmly established and there will be greater freedom to experiment further. As Oisin’s songwriting to date has been mainly inward-looking, there’s a whole world out there to dissect with his acerbic outlook. Suffice to say, they are destined to play in front of much larger Mancunian crowds once the word is out.

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All words by Robin Boardman. More writing from Robin on Louder Than War can be found at his author’s archive

Source: louderthanwar.com