Shakalak / Emmet O’Brien / Fiach Moriarty- Album ‘Kulture Bikki’ Launch Show live gallery and review from The Grand Social, Dublin 21.08.2026

A packed Grand Social for the launch of Kulture Bikki felt entirely appropriate for a band who have spent years building something genuinely their own. Shakalak are a five-piece who refuse to be categorisated, blending spoken word, jazz, hip-hop, electronic production, and psychedelic rock into something that sounds like nothing else on the Dublin scene. Friday was their moment to celebrate the arrival of their second album.

The support bill set the tone well. Fiach Moriarty opened, his melodic folk rooted in Irish history and personal storytelling a warm and considered way to start the night. Emmet O’Brien who was MCing the evening followed performing two of his own poems, keeping the energy moving between acts. He invited Kevin Brennan on stage as a surprise guest for one poem that went down a treat with the crowd.  

When Shakalak took the stage, the room was ready. They opened with “Kulture” and moved through Kulture Bikki across structured acts, playing the vinyl sides out of sequence and letting the album breathe as a live experience rather than a straight playthrough. John Cummins later paused to thank artist Aoife McGlynn for the album artwork and the crowd for being there before they moved into the final stretch. “Focus” drew a big cheer early on, and by the time “Boom” arrived, with Fin leading the intro vocals, the room was singing along in full voice. “Am,” written by Fin for his grandmother, carried a different weight entirely, Sam and Padraig opening it before Johnny shifted keys and Padraig brought the synth in, one of the quieter moments of the night that landed just as hard as the louder ones.

The encore brought the house down. The crowd were barely containing themselves by the time Shakalak came back out, and “Shakalak” itself, with Fin taking a moment to thank Meany and credit Speedloaf as an original member who wrote the song, felt like a genuine full-circle moment for a band who know exactly where they came from. “Youngfella” closed it out. A Dublin band at their peak, on the night they deserved most.

Fiach Moriarty photos:

Emmet O’Brien photos:

Shakalak photos & set-list:

Set-list:
Kulture
Hood
Thinking
Focus
Change
Thing
Boom
Karpay
Bikki
Am
Gimmy
Konkreet
Characters
Best
Chipper
Cake Buzz
_________
Shakalak  
Youngfella

Photos & words – Cian O’Donnell @cianod6