Cardinals

Cardinals land at Concorde 2 in Brighton on 9 November 2026 with a sound built on contrasts. Formed near Cork by brothers Euan and Finn Mannings with their cousin Dara, later joined by schoolmates Aaron and Oskar, the Irish quintet started with a lean post-punk edge and widened the frame toward a more melancholic indie rock. Shoegaze haze, rough Britpop hints and goth shadows meet Irish folk colours and hip-hop touches, with an accordion threading through the arrangements and bending the guitars into unexpected shapes.

Live, the band plays that tension to the hilt. Tight, nervy basslines snap into broad melodic swells; feedback clears to reveal stark vocal lines; the accordion cuts through the noise with bright, reedy phrases. Their debut album, Masquerade, turns this push and pull into a guiding idea, and the set moves between pressure and release without drifting. Songs stack hooks and atmosphere, keeping the direct energy of their early material while making room for a wider palette.