Sprints Live Review by Rob Johnson
Dublin is having a moment right now with bands such as Fontaines DC, Inhaler and The Murder Capital all making waves. Sprints, formed in 2019, have been around a while, but have so far flown under the radar a little bit. It would seem that is all about to change…
In the absence of Sheffield Academy and The Leadmill (closed for maintenance work and closed permanently respectively), The Foundry has stepped up in recent months to become Sheffield’s premier mid-sized venue. It proves to be the perfect platform for Dublin’s post-punk noisemakers Sprints who produce a blistering 18 song set here.
Taking to the stage with little fanfare, Karla Chubb (vocals, guitar), Sam McCann (bass, vocals), Jack Callan (drums) and Zac Stephenson (guitar) rip straight into ‘Something’s Gonna Happen’ with Chubb lamenting that the world has ‘a cruel and bitter humour’ before the chorus asks the listener to ‘push me hard, watch me, I’ll go far’. If this performance is anything to go by, this could prove to be quite prophetic.
Sprints are touring their recently released second LP, All That is Over, a record that has achieved vast acclaim across the board for its expansive sound and haunting lyrics. ‘Descartes’, the lead single from that record, is one of the best songs the band has ever written. It takes on a new life as a live performance with each member of the band utilising various effects pedals resulting in a layered and powerful sound that echoes throughout the venue. Indeed, the sound quality generally is as good as any gig I’ve attended this year with Chubb’s vocals sounding crisp and insistent and Stephenson’s dextrous guitar playing constantly impressive.
2024’s standalone single ‘Feast’, about a dangerous but enticing woman, is another set highlight, the nagging chorus of ‘Heavy’ inspires bouts of moshing and crowd surfing, while the monstrous riff that kicks off ‘Need’ almost brings the walls crashing down. Sheffield has been pulverised and we’ve still got two songs left. ‘Desire’, the epic album closer from their new record, is perhaps the best example of the group’s sonic expansion. It’s utterly spellbinding here.
Finally, ‘Little Fix’, the band’s calling card and an instant classic, closes out the set and sees both Chubb and McCann wading into the adoring crowd. It’s an intimate moment, and while none of the band say too much throughout the course of the gig, that intimacy is always present. You get the sense that this band loves playing live and the symbiosis between band and audience is impossible to deny.
There is no encore. Nor is an encore needed. Sprints do what they need to do and leave the stage to rapturous and loud applause. In terms of guitar music, Dublin is the place to be right now, and Sprints are at the vanguard. They’ll go far.
Comments are closed.