Dziwaczne Odkrycia: Northern Irish Band Therapy? Absolutely Rock Warszawa

“Heaven kicked you out. You wouldn’t wear a tie” – Andy Cairns.

Therapy? then.

Therapy? live in Warszawa. Therapy? This was to be the wow. Therapy? It was my second time since emigrating to Poland 🇵🇱 that I had the pleasure of watching a Northern Irish rock band live! The first one was Ash, when they played on Praga side of Warszawa at Hydrogazka just before the first COVID lockdown in March 2020. In fact, Ash live was my last night out before that all happened! Before we were “mask loyal”. Just as a prelude then…

Reminiscing Ash in Warszawa, 2020

The night I met Mark Hamilton, Tim Wheeler and Rick McMurray at the Ash gig when they rocked the place. As a prelude to the Therapy? concert, just for the memory, the night I met Ash in Warszawa…

Northern Irish rock band Ash live in Warszawa, 2020

This time Therapy? in Warszawa

“No closure. I wish that this was over” – Therapy? (They Shoot The Terrible Master).

Fast forward three and a half years (give or take) and on the other side of the Wisla (Vistula) River and more talented Northern Irish singers, writers and guitarists were at it again. This time, Therapy? were to Wow Warszawa in a post-COVID era. The lads, despite a grueling European tour schedule, were in absolutely fine form on a cold November evening. There’s a backstory of course, you have followed my blog long enough to know that…

“Sometimes there’s no room for breathing. Take me to a colony and leave me in Antarctica” – Therapy? (Safe).

Growing up in a 1990s Northern Ireland

In the 1990s growing up in Northern Ireland, rock bands like Therapy? and Ash were an absolute breath of fresh air, as well as the pop provided by D:Ream and The Divine Comedy. Before that we already had The Undertones, Stiff Little Fingers and Van Morrison. Other Ulster musicians of note at the time were Pulp’s Candida Doyle (Belfast) and Girls Aloud’s Nadine Coyle (Derry/Doire/Londonderry). I reminisced on those crazy days, playing football, listening to music, being Northern Irish but in the peaceful way. Our football team in fact, we were the champions of the country…once upon a time…can you spot me in that lineup?

“Welcome to the church of noise” – Therapy?

And away from playing football, being young and getting drunk, there was no need for Good Friday disagreements, petrol bombs or kneecappings. Therapy? put paid to all that for many of us. They inspired us to higher reach. These lads did what every other lad should have done. They got creative. They picked up guitars instead of guns. They inspired.

“Chaos seems like beauty in my head” – Therapy? (Totally Random Man/Understand Me).

“I’ve got nothing to do but hang around and get screwed up on you” – Therapy? (Screamager).

I remember the first time I heard of Therapy? was around 1994 with Screamager, from the album Troublegum. It was a great single and it got me hooked on the band, whereby I bought 2 of their albums and a few singles (Diane, Church of Noise and Lonely Cryin’ Only). The madness of leaving Northern Ireland, backpacking the world, blogging, working in over 50 jobs and releasing my books somehow meant that here, in 2023, was my FIRST ever Therapy? gig. Yes, my first! I found it staggering. Sometimes you have to wait for something this good. The band, were to blow my mind and take me through my teenage years growing up in Bangor and later studying in Newtownards and Belfast. In fact, it was that Belfast course which stuck strongest in my mind as I studied journalism and had my own radio show at tech and later university. One of the first ever songs I played on the Tech station, Radio Belvoir was Therapy? – Nowhere.

“What if the sky falls and shoves me into the ground? Would you pray for me, or would you pull me out?” – Therapy? (Lonely Cryin’ Only).

Gig Ticket for Therapy? in Warszawa

I printed my ticket because I’m old school. I couldn’t wait for this gig. Therapy? tickets had been bought about 5 or 6 months earlier! It was 129 Polish Zlotych (£21 Northern Irish pounds) – I bought them online, downloaded the PDF and printed them. It was a Tuesday night, 14th November 2023, 19.00. Just Rafal and I went. It was midweek and though we had asked a few other lads to join, they declined. The boys were ready anyway!

“Heaven help me, cos your heart’s as dead as mine” – Therapy? (Lonely Cryin’ Only).

Also, that week, I had just finished the final edit of the fourth volume of my “Backpacking Centurion” book series – Volume 4 The Black Volume (out now on Lulu!).

Pre Therapy? Gig Pints at Jeff’s

I got a tram to Banacha and ran through the rain to Rafal who was already waiting in the pub. The pub, I chose because it’s literally opposite the venue where Therapy? were playing! A 4 minute walk. We met at Jeff’s American Diner.

“Then you leave me like the others. Leave me too much time… on my own” – Therapy? (Unbeliever).

“Get drunk every night” – Therapy? (Nowhere).

The venue – Proxima

This was my first (and to date only) visit to Proxima. Oddly, the night I watched Ash in Hydrozagadka was also my first (and to date only) visit to that music club. Both are class. Dark, noisy hidden gems, off the wheaten craic (off the beaten track) and down wee alleyways a Belfast child would be proud of. On the night, it would be Bangor, Ballyclare and Larne in attendance with some English, Polish, French for good measure.

“Shouting at the world you’ll never change, but it’s what’s inside you’ve got to rearrange” – Therapy? (Nowhere).

I proudly flew my Northern Ireland flag on the way in, during the concert and after when meeting the legend that is Andy Cairns.

“Happy people have no stories” – Therapy? (Stories).

The merchandise and support band – Bokassa

The support band is Bokassa but Rafal and I used the time to grab a couple of pints at the bar (decently priced) and we go to the merchandise stall, we meet Adam who works here. I decided straight away to buy the Therapy? Giant’s Causeway T-shirt. Epic! Later, Rafal would buy me a Therapy? scarf as a surprise. Even more epic!

“Don’t belong in this world or the next one” – Therapy? (Unbeliever).

The concert – Therapy? in Warszawa

Then we head to the front for Therapy? The rest of this blog will just list the setlist, some photos and some videos as that says it all. This was a totally mind-blowing incredible gig on a wild and wet night in Poland’s historic capital. Andy was in very fine talkative form, Michael was rocking the moves and as for Neil – so much energy in the drums with a good drum solo session towards the end of the set.

“And I distract myself in the bewildered herd” – Therapy? (Bewildered Herd).

During the set, Andy, spotting my green 1986 Northern Ireland shirt and my six counties flag, yells “This one’s for the lad in the green Northern Ireland shirt. Green And White Army!!” and dedicates the song “Bewildered Herd” to me here in this clip…it is about Antrim.

It was nuts. I spent most of the time at the front in the middle but popped back towards the encore for a beer and a breather. It was a wild and long set, encapsulating 33 years of music from a highly energetic band. Therapy? are still hugely under-rated – please go to see them, buy their albums, wear their merchandise, use their inspiration, as I did on my 220 country whackpacking journey. The fact that they invent their own words inspired me to do the same. Now everytime a footballer scores a superb goal, I nickname it a Screamager! Therapy?, like many of us, are hidden Northern Irish treasures living their dreams. However, the surprise was still to come…

“I think I’m going insane, I can’t remember my own name” – Therapy? (Die Laughing).

Meeting Andy and Michael

Therapy? are a three-piece band these days. Back in the 1990s, all three of them were from Northern Ireland, with Fyfe Ewing being the founding member and the drummer that is no longer in the band. Nowadays, Neil Cooper from Derby is the drummer. All that aside, in the here and now, I was just having a pint post-gig with Rafal, when in walks Andy Cairns and Michael McKeegan…Therapy?

Andy and I chatted a bit about Chelsea FC (he’s a season ticket holder) and he was with a load of mates from London (mostly Chelsea fans) who I got chatting with briefly about following Northern Ireland and AFC Bournemouth. Andy also posed by the Travelling Northern Ireland Flag and Rafal and I made our way into the dark, wet night for a final beer in Central Warszawa. It was an amazing gig, one of my favourite ever. Thanks, Therapy? I hope to see you in Warszawa again soon!

Dziękujemy bardzo, Therapy?

Therapy? Setlist from Proxima, Warszawa:

They Shoot the Terrible Master
Nausea
Isolation
(Joy Division cover)
Joy
Unbeliever
Safe
Bewildered Herd
Neck Freak
Two Wounded Animals
Turn
Totally Random Man
Woe
Poundland of Hope and Glory
Stories
Days Kollaps
Mongrel
Diane
(Hüsker Dü cover)
Teethgrinder
Encore:
Bloody Blue
Die Laughing
Potato Junkie
Ugly
Screamager
Knives
Nowhere

The Links for Therapy?

Therapy? YouTube

Therapy? Facebook

Therapy? Email The Lads

Therapy? Instagram

Therapy? Tweet The Lads Before Elon Musk Calls It X

Therapy? Official – Therapy Question Mark

My thanks to Rafal Kowalczyk for some of the photos and videos on this article, and of course for always being there at the craziest and coolest nights out on planet earth.

Here are videos from Rafal Kowalczyk and Jonny Blair at Therapy? live in Warszawa, November 2023:

Here are some other fans videos from Therapy? live in Warszawa, November 2023: