This was the first time that Irish shoegaze/noise rock band Just Mustard had played Newcastle. The five-piece from Dundalk are riding high at the moment having secured support slots for the likes of Fontaines D.C. and The Cure this summer, and they released their well-received third album ‘We Were Just Here’ at the end of last year. The Grove was a great venue for them, as they came on to cheers and launched straight away into new single ‘Endless Death’: an existential love song, blending guitars and industrial textures with floating vocals from front-woman Katie Ball. They sounded great and it was (earplug required) loud, an integral part of exorcizing those trippy demons. Their soundscapes – noise rock and shoegaze with danceable beats – created intense, dreamlike layers. Katie Ball’s vocals were delivered with a haunting sense of dread – beautiful and discordant – reminiscent of Alison Shaw from 1980s goth/alt rock band Cranes. Looking at the ground or closing her eyes, she seemed distant/removed, or maybe that was the point– we didn’t need loads of chat – but just a little word or two would have been nice. They sounded on top form though and among the highlights were ‘Out of Heaven’ from the new album, with its textured layers and sporadic beats. And I loved ‘We Were Just Here’, guitarist David Noonan’s vocals adding extra depth to the hypnotic beats. They brought the night to a close with ‘Seed’ – driving, industrial rhythms jolting us back to reality for the walk home.

Deb Snell