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Alternative and Indie

We Are Scientists Tickets

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About

We Are Scientists: The Art of Indie Rock Evolution

In an industry where bands routinely burst onto the scene with meteoric intensity only to fade just as quickly, We Are Scientists have quietly crafted one of alternative rock's most remarkable sustained careers. For over two decades, the New York-based outfit — comprising founding members Keith Murray and Chris Cain — has consistently delivered sharp, infectious indie rock, maintaining the rare ability to evolve without losing their essential DNA.

The band's origin story has become the stuff of indie rock legend. Murray and Cain met in 1997 while attending Pomona College in Claremont, California, bonding over a shared love of comedy, film, and music, after meeting at a Dawson's Creek viewing party. After graduation, they formed We Are Scientists in Berkeley in 1999, taking their name from the gentle barbs of a U-Haul inspector who, after assessing their appearance, asked whether they were scientists.

The two friends relocated to Brooklyn in 2001, enticed by free housing at Keith’s grandfather’s Bensonhurst duplex, and whispers of a burgeoning indie scene. After years of uninterrupted dues-paying, their debut album 'With Love and Squalor' dropped in 2005 (UK) and 2006 (US), and catapulted the band to international acclaim. Singles like "Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt," "The Great Escape," and "It's a Hit" captured the zeitgeist of the post-punk revival scene while establishing We Are Scientists' signature sound: taut, danceable rock with razor-sharp hooks, and thoughtful, witty lyrics rendered in Murray's unmistakeable vocal. The album sold over 100,000 copies in its first six months in the UK alone, certifying the record’s gold status and establishing We Are Scientists as legitimate players in the dance rock scene.

Twenty years after their breakthrough, Murray and Cain continue to approach their craft with the same blend of intelligence, wit, and musical adventurousness that put them on the musical map.

Setlists

  1. With Love and Squalor

    1. 1.Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt
    2. 2.This Scene Is Dead
    3. 3.Inaction
    4. 4.Can't Lose (>)
    5. 5.Callbacks
    6. 6.Cash Cow
    7. 7.It's a Hit
    8. 8.The Great Escape
    9. 9.Textbook
    10. 10.Lousy Reputation
    11. 11.Worth the Wait
    12. 12.What's the Word
    1. 13.Buckle
    2. 14.Please Don't Say It
    3. 15.Your Light Has Changed
    4. 16.Rules Don't Stop
    5. 17.I Cut My Own Hair (interrupted by Sean McVerry joining the band)
    6. 18.The Big One
    7. 19.Make It Easy
    8. 20.I Could Do Much Worse
    9. 21.Less From You

  3. Encore

    1. 22.What You Want Is Gone
    2. 23.After Hours
    1. 1.Please Don't Say It
    2. 2.This Scene Is Dead
    3. 3.Inaction
    4. 4.Buckle
    5. 5.The Big One
    6. 6.Nice Guys
    7. 7.It's a Hit
    8. 8.I Cut My Own Hair
    9. 9.Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt
    10. 10.You’ve Lost Your Shit
    11. 11.Human Resources
    12. 12.I Could Do Much Worse
    13. 13.Dinosaurs
    14. 14.Cash Cow
    15. 15.Your Light Has Changed
    16. 16.I Don't Bite
    17. 17.Settled Accounts
    18. 18.Impatience
    19. 19.The Great Escape
    20. 20.Rules Don't Stop
    21. 21.What You Want Is Gone
    22. 22.After Hours

  2. Encore

    1. 23.Less From You

  1. With Love and Squalor

    1. 1.Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt
    2. 2.This Scene Is Dead
    3. 3.Inaction
    4. 4.Can't Lose
    5. 5.Callbacks
    6. 6.Cash Cow
    7. 7.It's a Hit
    8. 8.The Great Escape
    9. 9.Textbook
    10. 10.Lousy Reputation
    11. 11.Worth the Wait
    12. 12.What's the Word (Extended outro)
    1. 13.Rules Don't Stop
    2. 14.Buckle
    3. 15.Your Light Has Changed
    4. 16.I Cut My Own Hair (Break for extended bit about London property prices)
    5. 17.Please Don't Say It
    6. 18.Impatience (Tour debut)
    7. 19.Lethal Enforcer
    8. 20.Too Late (Extended outro)
    9. 21.Chick Lit (Tour debut; played to jokingly spite a fan at the Manchester show the previous night)
    10. 22.Less From You

  3. Encore

    1. 23.Jack & Ginger (Andy Burrows on drums, Keith Carne on keys)
    2. 24.What You Want Is Gone
    3. 25.After Hours (Andy Burrows on tambourine and verse 2 harmonies)
    1. 1.This Scene Is Dead
    2. 2.The Big One
    3. 3.Buckle
    4. 4.Rules Don't Stop
    5. 5.Chick Lit
    6. 6.The Great Escape
    7. 7.You’ve Lost Your Shit
    8. 8.Please Don't Say It
    9. 9.It's a Hit
    10. 10.I Cut My Own Hair
    11. 11.Cash Cow
    12. 12.Nice Guys
    13. 13.Less From You
    14. 14.I Don't Bite
    15. 15.What You Want Is Gone
    16. 16.Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt
    17. 17.After Hours
    1. 1.Please Don't Say It
    2. 2.The Big One
    3. 3.Buckle
    4. 4.At The Mall in My Dreams
    5. 5.The Great Escape
    6. 6.I Could Do Much Worse
    7. 7.Dead Letters
    8. 8.A Lesson I Never Learned
    9. 9.Less From You
    10. 10.Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt
    11. 11.What You Want Is Gone
    12. 12.After Hours

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FAQS

We Are Scientists play Button Factory, Dublin on 8 April and Empire Music Hall, Belfast on 9 April 2026.

Tickets for We Are Scientists' 2026 Irish shows go on sale Monday 26 January at 11am.

2026 marks the 20th anniversary of We Are Scientists' debut album 'With Love and Squalor'.