Rainbow Kitten Surprise / Cigarettes @ Sunset – Bones tour live gallery and review from The National Stadium, Dublin 02.06.26

You’ve got to see Rainbow Kitten Surprise for yourself. The band arrived in Dublin Tuesday night and were in their most brilliant form. The North Carolina outfit have always existed in a lane of their own, blending folk, alt-rock rhythms and raw confession into something impossible to really categorise. Lead singer Ela Melo’s authenticity has humbled the music world over in recent years. The raw honesty throughout the RKS discography has made for much of the band’s success. The southern influence on their soulful indie rock only adds to provide something you simply won’t find anywhere else. You wouldn’t think it possible, but they manage to sound more human in person than on record, a testament to the group’s loose, “have-fun” approach to everything they do. A full-on twenty four song setlist gave the fans exactly what they wanted. 

Unsurprisingly, current album bones featured heavily amongst all-time classics like Cocaine Jesus, Painkillers and Devil Like Me. When it Lands arrived early on and the front row knew every word on the iconic chorus. Midway through the set we even got a mini acoustic section to soften things before the energy picked up again. It’s Called: Freefall was the closing track of the night and the biggest moment too. I myself was looking forward most to this one. The track is known for its long buildup and euphoric drop on which Melo dramatically (purposefully) collapsed to the floor while that brilliant southern guitar tone took over the room one last time. It was the only right way to end things at all. 

Fellow Appalachians Cigarettes @ Sunset played an electric support set on the evening. Frontman Garrett Dellinger even made a break for the crowd – the band had the whole place bouncing before the main act took to the stage.

Cigarettes @ Sunset photos & set-list:

Set-list:
Rewind
(?)
Theresa
Old Bleached Hair
Shoulder Blades
Banjo
Lost
My Fix
Appalachia Raised
Great Kid
Pavement

Rainbow Kitten Surprise photos & set-list:

Set-list:
Our Song
Hide
Dang
When It Lands
Holy War
Devil Like Me
All’s Well That Ends
Hell Nah
Painkillers
Friendly Fire
Matchbox
Shameful Company
Goodnight Chicago
Cocaine Jesus
Heart 
Bare Bones (Acoustic)
Hey Pretty Momma (Acoustic)
First Class (Acoustic)
Superstar 
Bones
Wasted
Run
________________________
Tropics
It’s Called: Freefall

Photos & Words by Myles Dunne – @MylesDunnePhoto