Therapy? / Engerica

One of the nominees for Metal Hammer’s Best Newcomer award are supporting tonight in the form of Engerica, a threesome that act slightly insane, with the bassist screaming through the tracks and the singer pulling weird faces and making gestures all through the set. Their blend of heavy punk rock with slashes of Nirvana riffs is a good warm up for the ever popular Therapy?, who keep returning to the Cockpit. New single ‘The Smell’ is a catchy tune, but the sound levels in the venue tonight are making my ears bleed and I have to retreat to the back, trying to escape the pounding.

Therapy? come on to a rapturous applause, and we know this is to be a good gig. Never denying the crowd their fill of the songs that made them famous, like the pulsing ‘Teethgrinder’, somewhat poppy ‘Going Nowhere’, and the sing-a-long ‘Die Laughing’, it’s good to see that just because the band are sick of playing their hits does not mean that the fans are sick of hearing them. And besides Therapy? are having the time of their lives, with Michael’s cheeky and slightly satanic grin and Andy’s piercing wide-eyed stare.


The night is saddened by the fact that a young lady jumped off a bridge behind the Cockpit just before the gig, which prompted the band to dedicate the set to her. ‘Diane’ and ‘Stories’ from Infernal Love just fuelled the crowd and when the track ‘James Joyce’ aired near the end the place exploded. I lost count of the number of stage divers repeatedly bouncing off the stage, but the lack of a barrier seemed to please the band, and they encouraged ‘proper’ stage diving.

After some “Fuck You’s” to oil mongers George W. Bush and Tony Blair (the guys grew up in Belfast in the 70’s and have a good idea what bombing’s about first hand) the sweaty but chuffed Irishmen left promising to return to the Cockpit, which is always a memorable show.

FUTURE GIGS