Man/Woman/Chainsaw / CABL – live gallery and review from Whelan’s, Dublin 20.09.2026

Whelan’s was the perfect spot for Man/Woman/Chainsaw’s first Dublin headline show. Walking on to 50 Cent’s “In Da Club,” they set the tone immediately, a band that doesn’t take itself too seriously even when the music demands the opposite.

CABL opened to a room that had filled out early specifically to see them, which says everything about where they are right now. Having first caught them at Ireland Music Week last year, there is something genuinely satisfying to see them make the strides they have in the past year and be on bill like this one. They played “After Dark” and “See You In A Year And A Half,” the latter a driving, ambient shoegaze track anchored by ethereal vocals and the kind of intertwining guitar work. Ever since hearing it for the first time live last year, it’s aways a treat to year it live. They closed on “Annie Moore,” their brand new single released just days on Wednesday. A perfect local support act for the night.

Man/Woman/Chainsaw kept the talking to a minimum, letting the songs do the work. They opened with “Only Girl” and moved with real momentum through the set, “Adam & Steve,” “Snakebite,” “Get Up & Dance,” and “Goddamn, Lizard Man!” keeping the energy high before “Still Angry,” “Scab,” and “Flick of the Wrist” showed the darker, more unsettling side of what they do. “Ode to Clio,” a nod back to their older work, was a welcome moment for anyone who had been following them from the start. With a dense set list that they have no wonder they kept it to the songs. The one exception to this came mid-set, when a birthday cake was brought on stage and the whole room sang happy birthday to their photographer.

Then came “Cannonball,” an unreleased track that shares its name with the debut album, and the whole of Whelan’s was jumping together. To close, a chainsaw appeared, full filing the full promise of man, women and chainsaw. Fear not as this chainsaws was only a small pink bubble blower which set bubbles into the crowd as they launched into “Nosedive”, which sent the room out exactly as it should have.  

CABL photos:

Man/Woman/Chainsaw photos & set-list:

Set-list:
In Da Club (Intro) (50 Cent)
Only Girl
The Thing
Canyons  
Adam & Steve
Snakebite
Get Up & Dance
Goddamn, Lizard Man!  
Still Angry  
Scab  
Flick of the Wrist
Lighter  
Ode to Clio
Something Else to Give  
Cannonball (The Breeders cover)
Nosedive

Photos & words – Cian O’Donnell @cianod6