Thumper / Babyrat / Thanks Mom – live gallery and review from The Academy Dublin 04.03.2026

One of Ireland’s most exciting bands and one of Dublin’s own – THUMPER, are back. The six-piece took over The Academy on Wednesday night, fresh off the release of their new album Sleeping With The Lights On.

The long-anticipated Academy date more than lived up to the hype. Daft Punk’s Rollin’ & Scratchin’ blasted through the speakers to warm up the room before the band entered stage to the ominous There Will Be Blood. The cinematic intro hushed the crowd as all eyes became locked to frontman Oisin Leahy Furlong.

As the night unfolded, the floor repeatedly opened up into a frenzied chaos. Under the full-blast raging amps, we found ourselves right in the thick of it. Before the band launched into another explosive, mosh-inducing guitar assault, Furlong jokingly asked the crowd for a moment of quiet. When the intro to You Didn’t Hear This From Me rang out, those in the know braced themselves.

The set delivered a strong mix of new material, alongside favourites from 2022’s Delusions of Grandeur. Carefully crafted intros and ambient transitions added real depth to the live show, with the band expertly weaving between moments of hushed tension and walls of roaring sound. Those peaks and valleys made every eruption feel bigger. It’s THUMPER’s signature ability to blend ambient textures with blistering guitar driven rock that truly stands out. It translates beautifully to the stage.

Fans of fellow Irish post-punk acts like Gurriers and The Murder Capital will find plenty to love here. If the energy in the room was anything to go by, it’s only a matter of time before THUMPER are a staple name in Ireland’s guitar scene.

Support on the night came from Irish acts BABYRAT and thanks mom, both delivering thrilling, high-energy sets and undoubtedly picking up plenty new fans of their own along the way.

Thanks Mom photos & set-list:

Set-list:
Graces Passport
I wouldn’t know
if you want me
(?)
Emo Song
Hope is a bomb
Why Don’t You Like Me Anymore?
Teenage Sacrifice


Babyrat photos & set-list:

Set-list:
Roses
Talk Talk
Anybody Else
Last I’ll Ever Love
Pretty Little Lies
Kickstart
Bite The Bullet
Realise
First To Know


Thumper photos & set-list:

Set-list:
There Will Be Blood
The Drip
The Rip
On and Off Again
My New Blade
25
You Didn’t Hear This From Me
Bad Mood
Middle Management
Fear Of Art
_____________________________
Overbite
Topher Grace
The Loser

Photos & Words by Myles Dunne – @MylesDunnePhoto