Irish folk-metal chaos took over the Commodore Ballroom on May 22 as The Scratch delivered one of the loudest and most relentlessly energetic sets the venue has seen this year.

Fresh off the release of their third album, Pull Like A Dog, the Dublin four-piece arrived in Vancouver with the kind of reputation that makes people show up early and brace themselves for impact. Within seconds of opener “Pullin’ Teeth,” the floor split open into a swirling pit that barely stopped moving for the next hour and a half. The band’s mix of heavy riffs, acoustic guitars, trad Irish melodies, and raw punk intensity totally worked live.

Frontman and percussionist Daniel Lang spent most of the night perched on his battered cajón at centre stage, hammering away while barking vocals back at the crowd. Around him, guitarists Conor Dockery and Gary Regan and bassist Cathal McKenna pushed the room into full pub-session-meets-hardcore-show territory.

Tracks like “Pull Like A Dog,” “Cheeky Bastard,” and “Another Round” were highlights, turning the Commodore into a wall of jumping bodies. Yet the night wasn’t all chaos. A quieter run through Christy Moore’s “Joxer Goes to Stuttgart” and Dominic Behan’s “McAlpine’s Fusiliers” highlighted the band’s deep connection to Irish folk storytelling, giving the set some emotional weight beneath all the sweat and noise.

By the encore, which included a ripping cover of Motörhead’s “Ace of Spades,” the room looked completely spent. The Scratch created the feeling that the entire room was in on something together, somewhere between a punk show and a pub singalong.

Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!

THE SCRATCH

All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer

On May 19th, 2026, fans packed into MTELUS for the Montreal stop of Good Kid’s Can We Hang Out? tour. This is the second headline show the band has had in Montreal, the first being at Le Studio TD for their This Can’t Be The End tour.

First up was an opening performance by Glitter Party, which faced no difficulty in setting the tone for the night. A set filled with colourful lights, movement, and captivating vocals, matched well with Good Kid’s style, both in performance and music, leaving fans bouncing in anticipation for the main act.

After a charming reading of a couple pages from “The Hobbit” by lead vocalist Nick Frosst as the stage was being set up, the band began the set, opening with “Wall”. Immediately, there was no doubt that this would be a night to remember. The band came out in style, and the energy built up instantly through flashing lights, jumps and head-bangs.

Being from Toronto, the band earned laughs as they expressed they were happy to be back in
Canada after touring in the US, and had the crowd erupting in cheers as they congratulated the city on the Montreal Canadiens hockey win the night before.

The night continued with back-to-back hits, including “Cicada”, “Summer”, of course, “From The Start”, and finally closing the set with “Mimi’s Delivery Service”.

Good Kid sets an incredible standard of immersing a crowd in their world, from an elaborate stage design, beautiful merch that matches their aesthetic, to lots of crowd involvement including a wave of death and lots of crowd surfing! Although for many, Good Kid was not their first concert, it is very safe to say it was one of their favourites!

Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!

GOOD KID

GLITTER PARTY

All Photo Credit: Ashley Bellam