Stratford rise at the George tavern

Belfast four-piece Stratford Rise have been steadily gaining momentum and carving out new ground throughout 2025. Their self-titled debut EP arrived in May, followed less than a month later by the announcement of their first English show at the Windmill on 31 July. Having missed that date, I was relieved to see the band make a quick return for two more: one in Bristol – with a lineup that really shouldn’t be understated – and another at the George Tavern, which is the one I attended.

The night opened with the excellent Holly Head, a band I’d frustratingly missed earlier this year at one of the few Intro25 events at the Grace. Thankfully I managed to catch them now, and they were well worth the wait. From the first moments, the four-piece set out their noisy post-punk sound with complete assurance, filling the room with a flurry of guitar work, even deploying bass in full chords. Eventually they folded a Latin groove into the mix, giving their whole sound an irresistible lift. This blend of noise and groove let the band shine in a way that felt both distinctive and thrilling.

 

Following Holly Head’s fantastic noisy bursts came the evening’s main draw, Stratford Rise. They launched straight into the unreleased New Short, a brisk track that felt almost like an album opener, laying out the foundations of the band’s now-familiar soundscape. Moments later we were propelled into what already feels like an instant classic: Gunshow, the opening track of their debut EP. It’s a song that demonstrates the band’s command of their craft and their ability to completely occupy the space, with layers of pedal effects shifting their sound drastically from track to track. They moved immediately into the EP’s second song, Prone, a perfect follow-on that again showed the sheer range their pedals can produce.

 

Much of the remaining set was made up of songs yet to be officially released. Among the highlights was Limo, in which bassist Tom takes on vocal duties while steering the band toward a slower, more spacious pace – a contrast I’m eager to hear more of. It keeps the band’s angular edge but swaps out sheer noise for depth and room to breathe. That contrast was thrown into sharp relief by the next track, Blair, which is full throttle from the first moment. Drenched in pedal work and wild guitar textures, it evokes something close to YHWH Nailgun’s sound, with Rueben’s drumming giving it the extra force needed to become a fully charged post-hardcore blast.

 

The band also tore through their first two singles, World’s Fair and Water Running Through Faucet, both of which cement their early strengths and remain utterly frantic bursts of energy. But for me, the show reached its peak with the closer: my favourite of their songs, Jousting. Tim returned to vocals to hurl the crowd through this intense, chaotic track, which has grown and stretched over the time it has been in their live rotation. It’s an ideal set-ender – a track that encapsulates their sound perfectly before dissolving into its final fizz, leaving the audience stunned by the sheer noisy force Stratford Rise can summon.

Words: Noelle Radewicz     Photos: @soycialmedia


GET TICKETS NOW