Turnstile’s live show manages to do a rare thing of bringing a dank sweaty basement gig to an arena show, aided by the eclectic sound of recent album Never Enough.
When a band who make heart-connecting hardcore punk music like Turnstile, take a swerve towards making music that is infused with pop melodies, electronic production and 80s soft rock, there will inevitably be scene detractors decreeing the cynical moves of a band who are leaving the underground behind.
Turnstile have absolutely pivoted to a more accessible form of guitar rock music in the last five years, that really amped up and broke through with the release of their third album Glow On in 2021, when the Baltimore band presented an expanded version of their punk rock vision, complete with beautifully shot high quality cinematic video productions.
With the arrival of Never Enough, the The Baltimore band’s roots hardcore punk is writ larger again, with softer classic rock, house music wigouts, dialogue from their hometown-set TV show The Wire, ambient flute interludes and pop melodies galore. All catnip for a lover of eclectic musicmaking like me, and for makers of memes about how to make a Turnstile song.
Turnstile in Dublin’s 3Arena
The band’s pre-show playlist, in the band’s first ever Ireland show at the 3Arena in Dublin, featuring New Order’s ‘Bizarre Love Triangle’ and 808 State’s ‘Pacific State’ is also somewhat indicative of the band’s burgeoning sonic sensibilities.
2025’s mainstream breakthrough Never Enough is a super slick album with songs ever more anthemic, and glossy, as was the top notch grade music video rollout (which was also shown in a theatrical run as a full album-length film).
![TURNSTILE - SEEIN’ STARS / BIRDS [OFFICIAL VIDEO]](https://files.nialler9.com/wp-content/cache/flying-press/ef61efbfe946d4c94a59ebe3fa45cdb4.jpg)
But slick doesn’t have to mean inauthentic or not good – and in the band’s first ever Irish show at the 3Arena in Dublin, Turnstile marked this leap live with a fine amalgamation of their hardcore punk roots and their widescreen sensibilities, bringing a sweaty punk energy that would still be very much at home in a basement as it is in warehouse arena down on the docks.
The singalong of ‘Never Enough’ sets the mood to heartfelt euphoria, but if you thought Turnstile might lean more into the noodly expansiveness of Never Enough, think again, this remains a rock show with the moshpit encircling most of the centre of the venue.
Turnstile – uptempo euphoria to throw elbows to
There’s very little cause for rest with the band filling the set with some of their heaviest tracks like ‘T.L.C.’ , ‘Fly Again’, ‘Don’t Play’ and ‘Endless’ from Glow On, reaching back to the 2015 debut album Nonstop Feeling for the razor-edged ‘Drop’ and ‘Fazed Out’ and further still for the metallic 2013 Step To Rhythm EP tracks ‘Keep it Moving’ and ‘Pushing Me Away’, energetic nods to long time fans who waited to see them so long.
That is also to say, that the glut of the set is filled with songs to throw elbows and bodies to, and Turnstile’s trademark coloured swatch background gives way regularly to a live feed of zoomed out video of slamming bodies in the arena reflected back to crowd in real-time – a feedback loop of mass movement and flashing lights that underscores the rousing release inherent in Turnstile’s music, and is as captivating as anything crowd-related you could see in any stadium show.
Turnstile use the relative calm playback of ‘Ceiling’, and the sweeping synths and bleep dance off outro of ‘Look Out For Me’ as setlist contrasts, brief respites along with the impromptu chants of “Free Palestine” that build from the crowd, with Turnstile having visible shown support for Palestine at this past summer’s TV broadcasted Glastonbury show
The show moves towards its crescendo the set is leaning on the biggest catch-all tracks from Never Enough and Glow On – ‘Sole’, ‘Seein’ Stars’, ‘Holiday’, ‘Mystery’ ‘ Blackout’ and ‘Birds’, and it is necessary to highlight the show’s MVP – drummer Daniel Fang – a goated sticksman who brings forceful colour and shade to his drum rhythms with a ripped physique – although truthfully – the band are all operating at a level that capably recreates their recorded output with precision and a verve that still feels fresh and exciting for them as it is for us. Singer Brendan Yates voice cuts through riffs like Perry Farrell, and bassist Franz Lyons, guitarists Meg Mills and Pat McCrory (sporting an Irish rugby jersey) giddily fling themselves about the place.
So Turnstile live then?
For all the plaudits they’ve received for their experimental crossover in recent years, it’s Turnstile hardcore roots that leave the most lasting a mark in their live show, reflected in the perspiring haze of blissed out buzzed people who left as much as they could out on the floor of the 3Arena after such a connecting show.
![TURNSTILE - NEVER ENOUGH [OFFICIAL VIDEO]](https://files.nialler9.com/wp-content/cache/flying-press/b456a606ef53b48adfc14c4d710b4f8d.jpg)
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005. He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, co-founder of Lumo Club, event curator, Indie Sleaze club promoter, and producer of gigs and monthly listening parties & events in Dublin.
