This being my third time seeing Enola Gay in no way reduced the pre-show buzz; in fact, it heightened it in anticipation. The four-piece is a perilously angsty, exciting outfit from Ireland and one to watch in the politically driven punk scene. Plus these guys, quite rightly, have Iggy Pop’s backing. Sounding up your street? They probably are.

I’m used to witnessing Enola Gay’s top-shelf carnage from a sunny festival field, so a gig setting was a new order for me. The Key Club was the ideal Leeds venue for their merciless sound, delivering green lighting throughout — and some token white-light flashes — to produce that unfiltered, underground rave vibe. 

First came the ear-blistering drums in a solo-esque style, which created a hell of a climax-building walk-on. I’ve noted it before but few bands have drummers with as much bounce, vigour and just sheer rhythm as this. Add rumbling bass that shakes your bones, searing six strings, rapped vocals and some token techno SPD now and again, and that’s their recipe. 

‘Scrappers’ was the track that really sealed the deal for me way back at Truck Festival last year, so hearing it on yet another frenzied occasion was just a joy. Alongside that banger, other older crowd-pleasers such as ‘The Birth of a Nation’ and ‘Sofa Surfing’ were weaved in with new belters like ‘Leeches’; arguably the standout song from their latest EP.  And when there were pauses, circle pits, stage-diving and piercing, thumping instrumental transitions that could’ve been growls or roars broke out. 

So you can bet Enola Gay were lethal from start to finish. And once again, they positioned themselves as a collective force to be reckoned with. Roll on 2024 — it’s theirs for the seizing.