Manchester four-piece Westside Cowboy play Whelan’s on Thursday September 26th.
They formed three years ago with no plan to play a gig, just four people – Jimmy Bradbury, Reuben Haycocks, Aoife Anson O’Connell and Paddy Murphy – figuring out what felt good and following it.
What felt good turned out to be early rock and roll: Lonnie Donegan, The Beatles, The Velvet Underground, Elvis. “We got this guy who works in a guitar shop, only listens to Elvis and dresses like Marty McFly” is how Aoife describes Jimmy to anyone who asks. it was coined “Britainicana,” and were recommended by Vanessa Roulston Mooney on the podcast in January, and were one of the 8 best new bands we saw at The Great Escape 2026, courtesy of Mia Tobin Power.
Winning Glastonbury’s Emerging Talent Competition last year was a moment it clicked that this was a real band. Tours with Black Country, New Road and Geese followed.
Debut album It Goes On is out August 21st, produced by Loren Humphrey at Greenmount Studios in Leeds. They also co-founded No Band Is An Island, a Manchester collective running fundraising gigs for local artists and direct action groups, and made their latest video with FC United – the community-owned club whose ethos is “making friends not millionaires:, which tells you something about the band.
♡ Nialler9 is independent and reader-supported. Support us on Patreon →
Westside Cowboy – Whelan’s, Dublin, Thursday September 26th 2026. Tickets €25 on sale Wednesday August 19th at 10am via singularartists.ie and Ticketmaster.ie.
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.
