Ratboys at The Garage

Ratboys

Sunday Mourners

Former Champ 

The Garage, 22 May 2026

Even though they've actually been around for over ten years, one of my greatest discoveries this year has been the fantastic Chicago band Ratboys with their latest album, Singin' To An Empty Chair, so I was super excited to finally catch them live at the always great Garage in London, and they certainly didn't let me down! It was everything I hoped it would be and more.

It's been a year since I've been to the Garage but I'm always pleasantly surprised when I arrive at how intimate it is. Still it's crucial to get a good spot at the front and when I first arrived there was surprisingly few people there given it was a sold out show. All the better for me to get a good spot though and thankfully by the time the first support act arrived on stage the crowd was starting to fill out.

Because this show was part of a London festival across numerous venues called the Footsteps Festival, there were two other bands on the bill tonight, the first being Glasgow power pop band, Former Champ.

Led by red-headed singer Claire McKay, the five-piece band reminded me of those classic melodic indie bands with female singers with girlish voices, like The Primitives and The Sundays, even fellow Scottish band Altered Images. Of course they all look too young to have even heard of those acts but I like to think there was an influence or a sound they were carrying on to a new generation.

McKay was a quite shy frontwoman, looking sweetly awkward as she cradled her microphone, moving around the stage. Despite this she looked incredibly cool in her checked shirt dress and her voice was strong over the loud guitars. Also the rest of the band were so energetic, bouncing around the stage with enthusiasm. They were definitely a fun watch and the songs were poppy and feel good. They felt like a good fit with Ratboys and apparently they have been touring with them during their UK run and obviously have hit it off with them, as Ratboys went on to say good things about them during the show and on their social media, which was nice to see.

The second band, Los Angeles' Sunday Mourners, came on with a more rock star-ish vibe, the singer Quinn Robinson announcing "we're Sunday Mourners from the United States", after strutting on stage with a retro, slim-fitting suit and sunglasses (he thankfully took them off while performing). The four-piece band also featured a woman playing bass, which of course always endears me (I also thought she looked very cool in her short black dress and stripey socks). 

When they started playing I immediately thought, Television (as in the band fronted by Tom Verlaine) and later in their set I almost laughed when they covered See No Evil (very well I must say!), but they also had hints of The Velvet Underground (especially Lou Reed) and Franz Ferdinand, with their angular post-punk guitar riffs. There was even one song with a speak-sing verses that had me wracking my brains about who it reminded me of, and then it hit me, it was Girls Against Boys! It was so reminiscent of Scott McCloud's vocal delivery and the band's noisy dance-punk sound. It was definitely cool and maybe they have never heard of GVSB (we know they are familiar with Television though), but it certainly had that super cool vibe.

Robinson was tall, skinny and good looking with tousled brown hair, so I can see them being adored by fans and the music press alike. They certainly got a good response tonight although I don't think they fit with Ratboys on the bill as well as Former Champ did, but I enjoyed their set and their New York 70s vibe (despite being from LA!).

But the main event was very much Ratboys, who definitely seem to be having a well-deserved moment right now thanks to their new album, Singin' To An Empty Chair, easily the best of their career. I've been looking forward to this gig for a while but it felt like I wasn't the only one feeling excited, as there was a definite buzz in the air. 

After setting up their own equipment, they took to the stage early, with singer/guitarist Julia Steiner looking ever so cute in a simple blue embroidered shirt,  leader guitarist Dave Sagan wearing a beanie hat with his hair is short plaits, bassist Sean Neumann looking like he could be in a 70s prog rock band and drummer Marcus Nuccio, dead centre in the middle, in his baseball cap, anchoring the whole thing.

They aptly open up their set with, of course, Open Up, the catchy and melodic opening track to the new record. It sounds sweeping and delightful, like the sun breaking through the clouds on a rainy day.

It's crazy just how many fantastic songs there are on the new record and the start of the show reflects this as they just keep hitting them out of the ballpark, following Open Up with infectious and upbeat Anywhere, with the twangy, country-infused Penny In The Lake and then the melodic but more guitar-driven Know You Then.

Throughout the elfin Steiner looked so tiny behind her big electric guitar but was beaming with happiness, bouncing around the stage, her girlish voice ringing around the venue. She is a joy to watch and to hear, able to go from sweet melodies to rocking out with abandon: she was certainly a magnetic and entertaining frontwoman. I loved her sunny attitude that radiated through the whole show.

I've only just started to investigate the band's back catalogue which I've been pleasantly surprised by, so it was a thrill to hear songs from earlier records like The Window, Printer's Devil and Happy Birthday, Ratboy, my favourite being the 90s feel of the hooky It's Alive, which reminds me of acts I loved growing up like Juliana Hatfield and Fuzzy, and the gentle chugging riff of The Stanza, the bright melody contrasting with the poignant lyrics about the difficulties of growing up.

Steiner amusingly dedicates Strange Love to the rats she saw scurrying on the underground, "just trying to go home to their rat wife" she says with a big grin. Nice to see they are still ratboys at heart.

Strange Love provided a lovely break in the high energy that had come before with its gentle 60s feel, while the slow-burning Just Want You To Know The Truth, which starts out as a wistful and emotional ballad and keeps building into a noisy, guitar-driven finale, with Sagan really going crazy on the guitar and the rest of the band getting to let loose. It's a definite highlight of the set and leaves me shaking my head in awe.

Another lovely moment comes with the driving What's Right, which really reminds me of Tom Petty at his coolest and the countrified Go Outside, which brings to mind early Wilco, which is never a bad thing.

The main set ends with the epic Black Earth, WI, which again ends with an extended jam, with the band getting their groove on and just rocking out, as Sagan makes beautiful feedbacking noises with his guitar, before Steiner eventually returns to the microphone and resumes the song to finish. 

Given the audience response, it's no surprise when they return for an encore. Steiner tells us the band first came to the UK ten years ago, which in a way makes me sad because as a latecomer to the band, I've missed so many shows, but this surely has to be one of their most if not most triumphant show: it's completely sold out and the love for the band is clear. I had been hoping that they would play the amazing Burn It Down from the new record (the best song from the album in my humble opinion), but the encore instead gives us two songs from Printer's Devil, the upbeat power pop of Alien With A Sleep Mask On, and the punky Look To, which to be fair is a pretty, energetic way to end the show.

This was a completely joyous show and it felt right that Ratboys were finally having their moment. I celebrated by buying a pair of Ratboys socks, definitely a first for me! I will wear them with a bounce and a grin on my face, as hopefully they will remind me of this fantastic show.