Garbage – Iveagh Gardens – Live Review – 18/07/26
by Killian Laher

Saturday, July 18 2026

The final night of the tour for Garbage, who have been all over Europe playing a selection of songs from their back catalogue.  The band emerged in the mid-90s and created quite a stir with Nevermind / Siamese Dream producer Butch Vig featuring on drums, a mainly US-based outfit fronted by Scottish singer with attitude, Shirley Manson.

First up was Big Joanie, who started with a bang with Happier Still.  The four-piece played a set with lots of upbeat, feel-good rock songs like Taut which had the effect of warming up the audience.

Shirley Manson and band were in flying form, ripping through their songs from the last decade.  I Think I’m Paranoid was an early highlight, along with a high-energy version of Stupid Girl.  Vow still sounds… kind of scary, thirty years on, while more recent material such as No Horses also impressed.  Manson was in chatty form, and she hinted that the band’s future was uncertain due to them being a ‘middle-class band’ in the music industry today, playing It’s All Over But The Crying to reinforce the point.  While they showed their more electronic side with Have We Met and Cherry Lips, it was the more guitar based material such as When I Grow Up and Push It that made more of an impression on an audience who were clearly there to party. They even found time to play an impressive cover of The Cure’s Lovesong.

After finishing with The Day That I Met God, they returned to play Special and a triumphant Only Happy When It Rains, which had a euphoric crowd chanting “pour your misery down on me”.  A highly enjoyable show, even if the band appear to be at something of a crossroads.

Setlist

Laura Palmer’s Theme (Song by Angelo Badalamenti from the Twin Peaks soundtrack)
There’s No Future in Optimism
Hold
Empty
I Think I’m Paranoid
Stupid Girl
Right Between the Eyes
Vow
No Horses
It’s All Over but the Crying
Have We Met (The Void)
#1 Crush (Dedicated to bassist Nicole Fiorentino)
Chinese Fire Horse
Lovesong (The Cure cover)
Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!) (Dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community)
When I Grow Up
Push It
The Day That I Met God

Encore:
Special
Only Happy When It Rains