British indie-rock outfit Jasmine.4.T, led by the strikingly understated presence of Jasmine Cruikshank, brought their dark hued sound to The Academy 2 Dublin on November 15th and while the staging was deliberately minimal due to band memebers being light sensitive, the performances from both the headliner and their opener made the night feel alive with tension, community, and raw musical grit.
Starting the evening were Dublin’s own Big Tears, a self-styled “garage punk for grrrls” band who immediately set the tone with a blistering 13 song set. Tracks from their Love & Misery release dominated the opening half, including punchy renditions of “Leather Jacket Boy,” “Love & Misery,” and the cathartic chant along “Fuckboy.” Their wiry energy and jagged edges felt right at home in Academy 2’s intimate space. They closed with a surprise cover of “Do You Wanna Dance?” either the Bobby Freeman original or the Beach Boys retitled version, depending on who in the crowd you ask or the band, but either way, Big Tears delivered it with enough swagger to make it their own.
When Jasmine.4.T took the stage, the room shifted from frenetic punk tension into something far more atmospheric. Known for being light-sensitive, the band opted for a stage setup that was noticeably dim even by Academy 2’s already shadowy standards. Simple, uncluttered, and often cloaked in near darkness, the staging put full focus on the music rather than theatrics. While it offered little visual excitement, fans didn’t seem to mind in fact, the stillness created an intimacy that matched the band’s emotional intensity.
They opened with the single “Skin On Skin,” immediately casting a hush over the room before expanding into a 14-song set that threaded together their best-known tracks. “You Are the Morning” brought one of the night’s most rousing moments, while “Elephant” delivered its familiar slow burn, building from softness into a forceful crescendo.
Throughout the crowd, many fans wore surgical masks not out of caution, but as an expression of identity, solidarity, and creativity within the community that surrounds Jasmine.4.T. The quiet unity of the audience, combined with the band’s shadow-draped presence, gave the night an almost ritualistic quality.
Underplayed yet quietly powerful, the concert proved that Jasmine.4.T don’t need bright lights or spectacle to leave an impression, only a room of people willing to step into the dark with them.
Big Tears photos & set-list:
Set-list:
Leather Jacket Boy
Hurt You
Slow Burn
Love & Misery
Good At Love
Fuckboy
Boypussy
Chaser
The Ride
Boo Hoo
Passin Thru
Teenager
Do You Wanna Dance? (Bobby Freeman cover)
Jasmine.4.T photos & set-list:
Set-list:
Skin on Skin
Tall Girl
Highfield
Breaking in Reverse
Find Ur Ppl
I Can’t Believe I Did This Without You
I Don’t Think Anyone Else Could Hold The Same Place In My Heart
Kitchen
Roan
You Are the Morning
Guy Fawkes Tesco Dissociation
Elephant
_______________________________________________________________________
Woman
Did U No
Photos & words – Ian Mc Donnell @mcgigmusic