Gilla Band

Dublin’s Gilla Band is known for their discordant sound and frenetic live performances; a hazy tangle of electricity and angular sounds. They’ll be bringing that jolt of energy to the Roadburn stage in April when they roll into Tilburg to play a special set just for us.

Before they were Gilla Band they were known as Girl Band, and brought a fresh take on noise rock to the live scene in Dublin and beyond. Arguably the formative years of the band were best captured on the aptly named The Early Years EP which is what will form the backbone of the special set they’re putting together for Roadburn. Beyond those five tracks (one of which clocks in at a mere 29 seconds), they have promised us some other rarities from the vaults in the form of B-sides and infrequently aired tracks. 

Gilla Band have continued to evolve over the years, refining their sound and approach as they doubled down on all the elements that make them a disarming, hyper-charged prospect. The buzzsaw guitars and hypnotic beats that provide a taunt canvas for idiosyncratic lyrics to bounce off have become a Gilla Band calling card, the origins of which can be heard distinctly in the era that we’ll be revisiting with them at Roadburn. 

Take a trip back to the early days, with this formidable four-piece as your guides – they’ll steer you right.

–  Becky Laverty