Handsome Tours & Laneway Presents are proud to present Bleech 9:3!

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. 

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. “From the point of view of recovery and sobriety, we shared an intrinsic understanding of each other. It felt like we were building something very, very special,” says Barry. 

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. 

Fresh material is in the works and a devoted fanbase continues to surge, while a run of over 150 live dates looms large. The road ahead might be rich with possibility – but the band’s existence alone is proof that from the ashes, something fearless can be reborn.