Madra Salach gig review | Thekla Bristol on 24 March 2026
Posted on: 2026-03-24
Our rating:
..a young band on the verge of something great. Catch them live if you can..
Madra Salach at Thekla on 24 March 2026, supported by Maicín. Alison Mather reviewed the gig for 365Bristol.
When Madra Salach released their first EP ‘It’s a Hell of an Age’ in January, they lit a fire that’s spreading fast. Not so much a bunch of songs, more a declaration of intent. Their roots reach back to early Pogues, further back to traditional Irish folk and political songwriting, with shades of Lankum and Lisa O’Neill for good measure. But this band is of itself, and their fresh, urgent energy injects tonight’s gig with a thrill that rewards all expectations.
First up, five-piece Maicín from Cork bounce on laughing and treat us to their infectious, intelligent songs. Matt Hurley has a great voice and easy charm, and the harmonies are spot on. Their jangle echoes The Zutons, James, with a melodic Celtic flavour. They’d just joined this tour and Matt joked that Madra Salach are ‘the doomiest b******s I know…and I love ‘em for it!’
When Madra Salach take the stage, only singer Paul Banks stands. The rest sit in a line unsmiling, instruments ready, hard to see above the sea of heads in front. When they plug us into their mains, they launch into the wonderful ‘The Blue and the Gold’, a song about a winning scratchcard. Start as you mean to go on. They’re brooding and sincere, the songs served neat, miniature storms with no hint of ‘performance’.
And they don’t have to work hard to get us onside; this feels more like a celebration than an introduction. There’s pride too - tonight’s their first headliner and they were upgraded from the Louisiana, only to quickly sell out Thekla and a waiting list in tow.
Their musicianship’s impressive, with powerful and complicated rhythms and added synth and distortion to make things even more interesting. In-between there’s warmth and humour, even an attempt at a couple of jokes (they fail, hilariously).
Banks asks what helps get a party started and suggests it’s an 18th century song about a Scottish mining disaster… ‘so let’s party!’ He’s by turn ferocious, amusing, endlessly restless, at times in a world of his own. The guttural intensity of his voice is something to savour.
He introduces each song with a bit of history, a little story, making sure we understand what lies beneath. All the EP’s songs are there, alongside classics such as Ewan McColl’s Tunnel Tigers. It’s about the Irish labourers who toiled to build the London Underground, and Banks dedicates it to the many who died.
They end with a scorching rendition of ‘A Man Who Seeks Pleasure’, the whole place joining in, one emotional voice. We knew we’d witnessed something special, a young band on the verge of something great. Catch them live if you can.
Article by:
An Essex girl when it wasn’t fashionable, Alison was a singer in her teens and is still rarely seen without headphones and a smile. She moved to Bristol in the 80s, when Venue magazine was a life guide for everyone who cared about music and the night scene. Somehow, she persuaded them to let her write music and theatre reviews, something she did for several years. In real life, she runs a small charity and sings in Little Black Box choir.
