Crash Test Dummies

Crash Test Dummies play Belfast on 7 October 2026 at Mandela Hall. Formed in Winnipeg in the mid-80s, the band centers on Brad Roberts’ baritone voice, with Ellen Reid on keyboards and vocals, Dan Roberts on bass, multi-instrumentalist Benjamin Darvill and drummer Mitch Dorge shaping a sound that moves between alt rock, folk and pop with country inflections.

An early album, The Ghosts That Haunt Me (1991), leaned on acoustic arrangements and narrative writing. God Shuffled His Feet (1993) focused on measured tempos, tight harmonies and lyrics that balance the everyday with more metaphysical themes. The group then pushed into a more electric and experimental direction on A Worm’s Life (1996), before tilting toward pop and groove on Give Yourself a Hand (1999). Later releases, from I Don’t Care That You Don’t Mind (2001) to Oooh La La! (2010), explored stripped-back ballads and more intimate formats.

On stage, the set often weaves early songs with more recent material, carried by close harmonies, steady dynamics and that unmistakable low register up front.