Whelan’s was packed and buzzing last night as two standout acts took over the stage. The evening opened with rising force Banshee, followed by a powerful headline set from Dea Matrona. The room felt alive from the first chord, and both bands delivered sets that showed exactly why Dublin crowds love nights like this. Here’s how it unfolded.
Banshee kicked things off with proper grit, loud riffs, urgent vocals, dark and heavy. Felt like old-school rock with a fresh kick up the arse. Crowd wasn’t fully there yet but they definitely got heads turning and set a moody vibe. Good stuff.
Then Dea Matrona strolled on and absolutely ran the gaff. Just two Belfast girls who’ve been mates forever, one on guitar, one on bass, swapping about and nailing harmonies like it’s nothing. Big retro riffs, proper catchy melodies, every song banged. Crowd was bouncing, singing along, pure chaos in the best way. You can tell they started busking their way up, raw, tight and completely in control. Unreal night.
Banshee photos:
Dea Matrona photos:
Photos & words – Zoltán Szabó @mrzoltanphoto