Back for another dose of Healthy Junkies, this time for the launch of their latest offering, 'Listen to the Mad', at Camden’s Alt-Rock shrine, The Dublin Castle. If there’s one thing this band thrives on, it’s walking the tightrope between grit and glamour, and tonight was no different. What unfolded was a lesson in controlled chaos, with the band’s Punk-Rock swagger and Nina Courson’s magnetic stage presence leaving the packed room utterly transfixed.

Kicking things off true to the album’s tracklist, opener 'Favourite Place' was a brooding, high-energy mission statement. Courson’s effortless charisma commanded the room, while Phil Honey-Jones’ guitar cut through with jagged precision. 'Self-Conscious' chugged along with the swagger of The Stooges before bursting into an irresistible singalong chorus, while 'Desire' added a touch of Post-Grunge drama, calling to mind Garbage at their ’90s peak with a sly nod to Sabbath’s 'War Pigs' in the chorus build-up. 'Julie’s Got A Job' injected a hit of Britpop nostalgia, dripping with the raw bravado of early Oasis's 'Rock 'N' Roll Star'.

The set was a rollercoaster of moods, showcasing the band’s ability to shift gears effortlessly. 'Dead Souls' took a darker, more atmospheric turn, while 'Take Me to the Moon' soared with a cinematic, almost Bowie-esque grandeur. The biting 'Media Whore' and the charged 'Son and a Daughter' provided razor-sharp social commentary, anchored by a rhythm section that rattled the venue to its core.

The night’s standout moment came with 'Solitaire', a haunting, stripped-back number that silenced the room as Courson’s emotive vocals cut through like a blade. By the time they closed with the incendiary 'World On Fire', the band had cemented their place as underground Rock’s most vital provocateurs.

Ivan De Mello