Girl Band play unforgettable, full-capacity show at Hello 2015

When they started out, there was a nonchalance to Girl Band’s delivery. Stabbing industrial punk tracks were performed with a hands-in-pockets, much of a muchness. Nice jumpers, nasty songs - there was a sense of courtesy to the Dublin group, running counter to a maddening, death chamber sound.

Now there’s a spring in their step. Dara Kiely and co. at least look like they’re beginning to grasp just how far they can truly go. Tonight isn’t the first time they’ve had hundreds queueing round the corner to get into The Old Blue Last, but the difference between now and this time last year is momentous. Not only do they have a record deal under their belts - there’s a swagger to their every move, reality biting down on a fresh wound.

Just imagine what could happen next: Girl Band still don’t possess twenty-plus songs. They’re yet to invest in a grimy backdrop or even a projection that screens out nightmarish images (it’s a must, when the time comes). They still don’t have arena experience under their belts. Half of the world’s fests haven’t bothered to give them a look-in. The upside? Barring some bonkers self-destruction, all of this will come. Everyone witnessing the close of Hello 2015 knows it.

What emerges before is more a series of possibility. Leeds group Bruising could go one way or the other: Submerged in fuzz and sweet but bloodthirsty hooks, or the opposite way - melody leading the course, songs simmering down. The opening act hint at both throughout their set, tracks like ‘Think About Death’ and debut single ‘Can’t You Feel’ being a gorgeous balancing act between the two distinct worlds. On tonight’s evidence, although it’s rough-edged early days, they look capable of embracing just about anything.