Cry Before Dawn – live gallery and review from Spirit Store Dundalk 03.08.2025

Cry Before Dawn played a sold out show in The Spirit Store on Sunday, August 3rd.

The band is touring to promote their first new material in 14 years, a new EP called ‘Open Water’, which is being released on vinyl as well as on the usual platforms. While they played the new material, they didn’t forget their loyal fans and went back as far as the 80s and 90s to bring back their classic hits, such as “The Seed That’s Been Sown” and “Gone Forever.”

As soon as they came on stage, they connected with the crowd almost instantly, explaining their Drogheda gig got cancelled so they relocated to The Spirit Store, and in between songs singer Brendan Wade went through some of the bands extensive history, along with some background to the songs themselves.

Their performance was a passionate one, and you can tell the songs still mean as much to the band and the fans as they did back when they were first released.

The crowd keyed in on the infectious energy coming from the stage, and it wasn’t long before everyone was singing along.
Cry Before Dawn’s signature sound, a blend of “guitar-driven rock with the rich heritage of traditional Irish pipes and whistles,” is a key part of their live shows.
It’s clear that their return to the live music scene has been met with a lot of excitement, and their shows have been consistently selling out. The Dundalk gig at The Spirit Store was a highly anticipated one, and it really was a memorable night for the fans.

Cry Before Dawn photos:

Photos & words – David McEneaney @experimentzero