We don’t get many all-girl Mexican rock bands stopping by these parts very much. In fact I’m pretty sure the appearance tonight of Monterrey trio The Warning is the first.
The Warning
The Academy Dublin – 25 July 2024
Words: Brian Boyle
Photography: Dan Butler
The Warning are aptly named. The ridiculously talented sisters, Daniela, Alejandra and Paulina Villarreal are a highly explosive rock ‘n’ roll incendiary device who have been detonating all over the place since their debut EP in 2015.
Now, over a decade on the clock and four albums in, they have racked up a serious reputation born out of their highly charged live shows.
Opening with Sick was apt, as just a few days ago, drummer Paulina was feeling under the weather towards the end of their gig in Nottingham, leaving big sis Daniela to handle the heavy-hitting vocals on Narcisista.
Whether it be some age-old remedy or a quick hit of the magical inner city Dublin air, she appeared match fit and bang in the mood tonight. Of course, having youth on your side helps. With a combined age of just 65, they use their youthful effervescence to maximum effect.
After a raucous yell of “What’s up Dublin?” Daniela’s soul-tugging delivery on the colossal Choke knocked years off everyone in the room.
Like most power trio’s they make a hell of a racket, and although Escapism is not one of their turn it up to eleven tracks, tonight it was a glorious ear ringer. But that’s their mantra. They go for the throat and do not stop, watching the crowd revel in getting their faces melted off as they thunder through.
Qué Más Quieres in their native tongue is what it’s all about. And it’s not just a room full of young folk as you might expect. The majority are fresh-faced, but there are plenty of well-travelled pot-bellied sorts, too.
But being brought up on a healthy classic rock diet has given them a massively broad appeal. The Academy Dublin crowd were hardcore, all ages knew all the lyrics, Six Feet Deep, More and Money seemed to roll off the lips of most of the crowd.
In all honesty, I naively underestimated the popularity of the band in Ireland, and it would have been a shame if this gig had ended up in the basement venue of this building, where it was rumoured to have been originally touted.
Quite possibly, a large Latin/Hispanic community in Dublin may have helped in preventing tonight from ending up in a space often used for S&M-themed fetish nights. Whatever the reason, a packed main room was having a ball, enthusiastically becoming the fourth member on Disciple and Error.
This band simply have no bad songs, and their new stuff from their latest opus, Keep Me Fed, is exemplary in the flesh. The likes of Sharks, Escapism and Burnout all work well, but it was the superior Automatic Sun and Hell You Call A Dream that rang the loudest.
Although immediate family, all three members are refreshingly individual. Paulina is your typical cool as fuck drummer, happily elevated on the riser in her own rhythmic universe, supplying killer backing vocals. Alejandra has the classic serious bass face but occasionally breaks character and sets free a fleeting smile, while big sister Daniela is the out-and-out wild-eyed rocker whose love for her job made their performance tonight all the sweeter. 
One hour in, The Warning exited stage right for a well-deserved breather, which was quickly followed by deafening roars of “one more song” and “Ole Ole Ole,” Ireland’s favourite encore chant, which is probably long past its sell-by date and a little cringeworthy at this stage.
But given the Mexican vibe tonight, I doubt Jack Charlton’s 1990 World Cup squad was in anybody’s thinking.
It was hard to believe that after the rambunctious encore of Narcisista and Evolve, this show was just a little over 75 minutes, but it was quality all the way.
The Warning deserves to be a stadium band. Their big melodic tunes are suited and booted to be consumed by the masses.
Whether that ever happens remains to be seen, but it was a pleasure tonight having my eardrums turned to mush in a tiny club on the Northside of Dublin.
They rule the rock world! Endlessly creative, not one throwaway song, charismatic, unpretentious, kind, funny and just plain great! All CDs on constant play over here in my hood of Eastern Canada.