The Scratch Pull Toronto Like A Dog

Toronto, Ontario - May 13, 2026

Moments before The Scratch stepped on stage at Toronto’s iconic Lee’s Palace, the building hummed with jittery energy, the crowd clapping along to the traditional Irish song filling the room. As the stage lights lit up, the band bounced onto stage, each member visibly buzzing, ready to unleash a night sprinkled with chaos onto the eagerly awaiting audience. 

Hailing from Dublin, The Scratch is made up of guitarist Conor Dockery, bassist Cathal McKenna, percussionist Daniel Lang, and guitarist Gary Regan. Pioneering a unique blend of punk and traditional Irish music, the band doesn’t sound quite like anything you’ve ever heard before, folk roots blending with heavy baselines and ripping guitar solos. 

Fresh off the release of their latest album Pull Like A Dog, The Scratch is out in the middle of part 1 of the Pull Like A Dog World Tour, and clearly knows how to command the room, driving exactly what they want from the audience. Towards the end of the first song, “Pullin’ Teeth”, the band motions for the room to split in two, igniting a pit that does not stop thrashing and jumping until the very end of the night. 

Sharing the vocals throughout each song, the band shares the depth of the feeling and power in the folk roots that inspires much of their music. The setlist is littered with songs from throughout their discography, balanced by a few of covers including “Joxer Goes to Stuttgart” by Christy Moore, an intimate moment as the band leaves the stage while Conor Dockery shared the story of growing up listening to the song with his father before starting the song alone at the front corner of the stage. 

Whether a long time fan or hearing of The Scratch for the first time, the Pull Like A Dog tour is a show like no other. A celebration of tradition filled with the grit and brashness of a punk show, The Scratch are a masterclass in creating music on their own terms. With no genre to limit them, the music is defined by the heart that went into creating it, which tangibly fills the room as it is shared by the band and the crowd, each equally critical in the soul of the show.