The Scratch – live gallery and review from Spirit Store Dundalk 22.12.2025

Last night at the Spirit Store, The Scratch proved once again why they are arguably the most electric live act in Ireland right now. There is something about “Da Store”, with its low ceilings and dark intimacy, that perfectly bottles the band’s chaotic blend of metal-inspired energy and trad-folk craftsmanship.

Walking into the venue, you could feel the energy building up like a pint of Guinness being poured, but you could tell that this wasn’t going to settle. The Dundalk crowd is notoriously vocal, and for a band like The Scratch, (who treat every gig like a high-stakes session in a basement), the pairing was a match made in heaven. The air was thick with the smell of stout and the palpable “Grá” that usually accompanies their Christmas tours.

Opening with the hypnotic build up of “Seanchaí”, the band didn’t waste a second in creating a wall of sound that feels impossible for just four people on stage. It was a masterclass in pacing. They pummeled through the heavy-hitters like “Pull Like a Dog” and “Cheeky Bastard,” which saw the floorboards of the Spirit Store literally bouncing. Throughout the set, they sprinkled in tracks from their upcoming third album, which sound crunchier and more refined, yet they still haven’t lost that “scumbag-trad” edge that won everyone over in the first place. “Another Round” turned the entire room into a single, swaying choir, while the inevitable mosh pit during “War of the Buttons” was a beautiful, sweaty mess. To pick a highlight of the gig is a futile exercise, as if anyone has seen The Scratch perform live before will know, the entire gig itself is an experience few can match.

The Scratch are a rare breed. They possess the technical precision of a prog-metal band but the soul and storytelling of the Dubliners. To see them in a venue as storied as the Spirit Store feels like a rite of passage. If you woke up today with ringing ears and a few mysterious bruises, you probably did it right. For me, it was a fantastic way to end a year of great gigs in my favourite (and hometown) venue. More of this please.

The Scratch photos & set-list:

Set-list:
Seanchaí
Excuse/Lizzy
God Slap
Cheeky Bastard
War of the Buttons
Pull Like a Dog/Jam
Pullin’ Teeth
Gladrags
Flaker
Pull Your Jocks Up
Joxer Goes to Stuttgart/Ringer
McAlpine’s Fusiliers
Blaggard
Another Round
-Maryam Chat-
Old Dog
Latchico

Photos & Words – David McEneaney @experimentzero