In an age when the majority of chart-topping music feels safely engineered, often polished to the point of being derivative, there is a clear appetite for guitar music with grit, volume, and emotional truth. The Irish quartet Bleech 9:3 is the newest and most viscerally thrilling of these indispensable guitar acts.
Their recent run across the UK has been highly anticipated for a band recognised for fusing the roaring aggression of ’90s alt-rock with their own blend of deep lyricism. As soon as the band took the stage at The 1865, they showed why they are quickly emerging as one of the most captivating new live acts.
The boys in Bleech 9:3 truly demonstrated that they are the entire package, especially when the band was summoned in at the last minute to fill the support slot. This was a hard, cathartic performance that seemed to be more about genuine emotion than it was about striking the perfect notes. There has been a lot of industry hype about their recent run accompanying bands Keo and Shame across the UK and Ireland. Within minutes of the opening barrage, the band had lived up to all the expectations.
The setlist was a masterclass in dynamic tension, balancing moments of quiet, almost whispered intensity with explosive releases. Early cuts such as “Jacky” and “No Surprise”,established their commitment to grunge-era distortion, but it was when they delved into their recent singles that the room truly locked in.
The band’s first single “Ceiling” was a raw heavy hitter. What starts as a slow burn, echoing plea, soon explodes into a towering chorus, with frontman Quinlan’s vocals cutting through the Southampton venue like a call to action. In a similar vein, the bands latest single “Jacky” demonstrated their ability to incorporate vulnerability into an aggressive chorus.
Beyond the singles, the real test of a band’s depth is the material yet to be released, and here Bleech 9:3 truly excelled. More recent songs featured an intriguing blend of strong alt-grunge with the wider, nearly shoegaze-like soundscapes. Duffy’s guitar work often shifted from riff-based aggression to a focus upon negative space, allowing hums of controlled feedback to wash over the audience, giving the sound a sense of anticipation. The real genius of the band’s songwriting emerged in these less defined moments, the quiet – loud dynamics stretched to their breaking point – illustrating a deep dedication to raw emotion rather than technical composure.
Bleech 9:3 successfully channel the ghosts of grunge – from Sonic Youth’s intense guitars to the vocal depth of Smashing Pumpkins – yet they filter it through their own unique style. Their music is fast and loud but it’s the lyrical honesty, derived from the unique relationship between the band’s founding members, that makes the volume feel earned, not just fierce. As the final verses of the band’s closing song, “Ceiling”, died away and the applause erupted, the overriding sentiment was clear: Bleech 9:3 isn’t just a nostalgic echo; they are essential listening for anyone who craves rock music with genuine weight and meaning. If their debut album carries the same raw power and unflinching honesty as this gig, then Bleech 9:3 is set to be far more than just a buzz band – they are a movement. The future of guitar-driven music is firmly in their hands.
Stream Jacky now:
The Noise Exchange 