English Teacher at 3 Olympia Theatre, Dublin – November 8, 2025

The Leeds-based band English Teacher, fresh off their September 2024 Mercury Prize win for their debut album ‘This Could Be Texas’, were greeted with palpable anticipation as they took the stage. Frontwoman Lily Fontaine opened with the album’s slow-burning closer Albert Road—a deliberate choice to start with a sedate moment and slowly set the evening’s tone. The crisp guitar, deep bass, and Fontaine’s distinctive vocals leaned into the messy side of rock music in all the right ways as they launched into a grungier single ‘R&B’. Once Fontaine strapped on her guitar, the night truly ignited, her confidence visibly increasing with each note.

Fontaine returned to her keyboard for an instrumental taste of Yorkshire Tapas before transitioning to the Kate Nash-esque ‘Broken Biscuits’. By this point, the whole band had shaken off first-night-of-tour nerves and were clearly having fun. Bassist Nicholas Eden—who bears a striking resemblance to Robert Pattinson—looked amused, hinting at the energy to come.

As the nerves melted away as the band hit their modern grungy stride. The addition of cello (played by Blossom Caldarone) added a level of musicality sometimes lost in the haze of strong basslines. ‘Albatross’ provided their first proper jam opportunity, showcasing their ability to be spontaneous. At this point, both band and audience were fully locked in, the guitar work delivering pure power with eloquent precision.

The band showcased new song, ‘This Is a Good Age’, hitting those rock and indie brain centres that desperately needed scratching. The catchy lyrics grabbed hold of the audience, who seemed delighted to hear new material. Though the band admitted it was their first time playing the song and were visibly nervous, the combination of guitars, drums, and cello created a masterpiece in the-making.

‘Mastermind Specialism’ which perfectly encapsulates their Gothic-adjacent style with truly haunting vocals saw the whole band shining—tight bass and cello coupled with Fontaine’s angsty vocals shifted the energy upwards. Drummer, Douglas Frost switched to keys while Blossom Caldarone delivered a spellbinding cello melody. This is why they won the Mercury Prize: they’re technically brilliant while remaining emotionally resonant.

‘This Could be Texas’ saw Fontaine let fly vocally, breaking the room wide open her cool lead-singer aura to the fore. Songs like ‘Toothpick’ and ‘Not Everybody Gets to Go to Space’ were exceptional to witness live, with Fontaine’s vocals on the latter cutting through the room and reminding us of the punk tenets at this band’s core. The scorned yet vengeful vibe hit deeply.

Fontaine pulled out a sparkly pink guitar ahead of a stunning performance of  ‘The Best Tears of Your Life’, showcasing their depth as a band. As they powered through the 17-song set, one of their catchiest tunes, ‘The World’s Biggest Paving Slab’ – a brief interruption occurred when someone passed out and was escorted away early in the song, but English Teacher didn’t miss a beat continuing on once the made sure everybody was safe.

If rock music is missing from your life, English Teacher demonstrate why they’re being touted as one of the next great bands. With only their debut album released, this is an exciting time to discover this up-and-coming act.

Earlier in the evening, Irish five-piece Theatre from Limerick provided a fitting opener for the start of English Teacher’s tour. Walking straight on stage with purpose, they dove into their set, projecting confidence befitting such an iconic venue. They delivered a set sitting at the intersection of shoegaze and post-punk that marked them out as one to watch in the future. They piqued our interest with their intense style which sometimes shifted into a more pop-punk sound.