David MoyaA Spring Day in Ireland and a Night with Gama Bomb
It was a hot spring Saturday by Irish standards. After a surf session at Spanish Point, we headed to a friend’s house for a barbecue. While we were there, a friend of mine suggested we go see Gama Bomb live at Dolan’s Kasbah. I said, “Definitely, why not?”
When we arrived at Dolan’s, it wasn’t very crowded. I figured most people were still out enjoying the great weather along the coast. Inside the Kasbah room, about half the venue was filled—around 60 people or so. It had a great pre-summer vibe, thanks to the unusually warm day. At the merch stand, I caught up with John Roche. I hadn’t chatted with him in a while, so we talked a bit about life and what we’d both been up to.
Raised By Owls
I had never heard of Raised By Owls before and had no idea what to expect. The band is a quintet from Derby, England, formed in 2016. The lineup includes Toby Cope on bass, Sam Strachan on vocals, Alex LeGrice on guitar and backing vocals, Mark Bainbridge on guitar, and Lee Deane on drums.
What I can say is that they put on a fantastic live show—tight, energetic, and full of humour. They’re a solid death metal band with a fun, irreverent stage presence that really engages the crowd. I haven’t listened to their studio recordings yet, so I can’t speak to how they sound on an album, but live, they’re a blast.
One of the highlights of their set was a surprise appearance by someone dressed as the Cookie Monster, which perfectly matched the band’s quirky sense of humour. Their set was short—around seven or eight songs—but packed with energy and variety. They covered Napalm Death’s You Suffer and ended with a crowd-pleasing rendition of Break Stuff by Limp Bizkit. The audience absolutely loved it. Raised By Owls were a brilliant and unexpected start to the night.
Gama Bomb
Then it was time for Gama Bomb. This band hails from Northern Ireland and has been active since 2002. Over the years, they’ve toured extensively and played major festivals like Hellfest and Wacken Open Air. Gama Bomb is a five-piece thrash metal band featuring Philly Byrne on vocals, Domo Dixon and John Roche on guitars, Joe McGuigan on bass, and Chris Williams on drums.
I had seen them before at The Siege of Limerick in the Warehouse, and their performance there was a blast. Ever since I first heard Gama Bomb, they’ve always reminded me of early-’80s Raven, especially the Wiped Out album—mainly because of their speed and Philly Byrne’s distinctive vocal style.
Their set began with the classic theme from The Magnificent Seven, setting an epic tone. From there, they launched into Slam Anthem. As usual, their performance was high-speed, tight, and full of energy. The band kept the crowd entertained with constant jokes, metal clichés, and playful banter.
The only downside was the sound at the back of the venue—it was too bass-heavy, and the guitars were a bit buried. I moved closer to the front, and the mix improved significantly. From there, the audio was well balanced and every instrument came through clearly.
They played a packed set of around 20 songs, including Give Me Leather (a sort of tribute to Judas Priest), Living Dead in Beverly Hills, Miami Supercops, and Ninja Untouchables. The concert was non-stop fun, packed with humour, speed, and riffs.
A touching moment came—stripped of the usual humour—when the band auctioned off a painting by Philly Byrne, signed by all the members and presented by their mascot, Yeti. The proceeds were donated to support relief efforts in Gaza, a thoughtful and meaningful gesture that added a deeper emotional layer to the night.
The crowd was buzzing the entire time, laughing along with the band’s antics and headbanging to the relentless thrash. I left with a big smile on my face—just like everyone else. It was yet another fantastic live experience with Gama Bomb.
