Bleech 9:3

Dublin four-piece Bleech 9:3 make their way to Bristol on December 3rd to headline aboard Thekla. When Bleech 9:3 songwriters/guitarists Barry Quinlan and Sam Duffy first crossed paths in their early twenties, it almost seemed inconceivable that they hadn't met before. Throughout their tumultuous teenage years spent gigging in various projects around Dublin, they'd lived near-parallel lives mired by the chaos-purgatory spiral of addiction; like two shadows cast by the same light but never touching. In the throes of the early stages of recovery - when a better life still felt elusive and intangible, something to be hoped for, though not necessarily to be believed in - Barry and Sam were introduced to each other at a 12-step rehab programme. Barry soon signed up to be his new friend's sponsor and take him through the process, and felt energised by the similarities in their ambitions and worldview. However unsteady their respective circumstances may have been at the time, a brighter, more creative future suddenly came into focus. In between 'secret' writing sessions the foundations of Bleech 9:3 were born, giving Barry and Sam purpose to move forward. Three years on from Barry and Sam's chance meeting, and Bleech 9:3 are on the crest of a wave. Completed by James Quinlan (bass) and Luke O'Neill (drums), the band are one of the most in-demand new live acts on the circuit, after a storming 2025 saw them open up for Keo and Shame alongside booking sold-out headline shows. They became a word-of-mouth wonder in a matter of months, earning early acclaim from press and radio, before the year culminated in an electrifying three-night residency at London's Blue Basement.