The Jesus Lizard’s reputation for sonic carnage and anarchic stage presence precedes them, and their stop at Dublin’s Button Factory only solidified that legend.

Kicking off with boisterous support from Belfast’s Stratford Rise, the night was a lesson in angular noise-rock precision. Stratford Rise offered an intriguing opening set—interlocking riffs, prepared guitars, and unorthodox tunings creating a sound that dared the gradually swelling crowd to embrace the chaos.

When The Jesus Lizard took the stage, a cartoon wolf backdrop and a defiant “Fuck Trump” from David Yow set the tone for an evening of unhinged intensity. The crowd was thrust into the fray early on with ‘Puss’ the semi-hit that earned them fleeting mainstream recognition. Yow’s knowing swap of the original depraved lyrics for the President elect’s equally infamous “grab her by the pussy” made for a biting start. By the second song, ‘Boilermaker’, Yow was crowdsurfing all the way to the back—something he would repeatedly attempt throughout the night with a reckless commitment to absurdity.

The classics dominated the first half of the set, a fitting homage to the late Steve Albini, who produced much of their seminal material. ‘Seasick’, ‘Mouthbreather’, and ‘Thumbscrews’ reminded everyone why the band became noise-rock royalty in the first place. Guitarist Duane Denison’s silvery, serrated tone was as distinct as ever, and Mac McNeilly’s drumming still hit with superhuman ferocity. Yow, meanwhile, stumbled around the stage with a bloated, chaotic charisma, his shirt perpetually undone, his antics veering between drunken stand-up comic and nihilistic performance artist.

New material from their latest album Rack slotted seamlessly into the set, proving that The Jesus Lizard’s creative spark hasn’t dimmed with age. Lead single ‘Hide and Seek’ was a particular standout, hitting the crowd like a runaway freight train. During ‘What If’, Yow briefly sat down after taking a tumble, quipping, “This is a loose stool. And so is this,” gesturing toward his backside.

The band saved some of their most beloved tracks for the encore. ‘Thumper’, ‘Fly on the Wall’, and ‘Monkey Trick’ brought the crowd to a raucous climax. Yow, ever the provocateur, offered a garbled attempt at thanking the crowd in Irish — “Go raibh maith agaibh” — which seemed both sincere and entirely on brand for the night.

Despite their advancing years, The Jesus Lizard showed no signs of slowing down. Yow remains a whirling dervish of piss and vinegar, and the band’s feral energy feels as vital as ever. As the songs from ‘Rack‘ demonstrated, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it—and The Jesus Lizard remains gloriously, beautifully unbroken.

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