Deshonos launch gig

Deshonos launch gig

The Village

11/04/09

Rock/ Psychedelic/ Acoustic act Deshonos are a fascinating band, who have developed a huge fan base and have a unique but enjoyable sound. They were launching their second E.P. earlier this month and invited me down for a listen.
It was Easter Saturday night and I probably should have been having a quiet meal out like most people my age. But instead I decided I couldn’t resist a good oul’ rock gig, a pint or three and a souvenir c.d. to listen to in the car. So off I went down to The Village in Wexford Street with my friend Dara!

Deshonos hail from Dublin and they have come quite a long way since they formed. They were 2008 champions of Emergenza and although they’ve only been around the gig scene since 2007, they have played many major venues such as The Button Factory, Whelans and Eamonn Doran’s.

They even played to a large audience at ‘ULU’ in London!
I hear that their first launch gig in Doran’s was packed to capacity and when Dara and I arrived, it was looking like The Village was going to be one great gig too!
It was!

The Shady Boys

This band is described as Indie/Experimental/ Electro and they consist of Dill, Vox/Keys/Guitar, Rob Bass and Gar Drums. They have recorded their first 2 track demo and seem to be a band that is already in great demand. First up they began their set with a choppy number; Mild Ones that begins really slow but changes pace!
Plenty of synth and interesting sounds go into this!

Their second song Star Beach started off slowly with a lead guitar intro. This went on to become an anthemic style of song with a loud bashing beat. I admired Dill’s voice which I found very distinctive. All told their sound was really catchy!
They used this vibey sound effect, which was interesting and the bassist did a solo which I enjoyed!

Baby Steps was more like an instrumental. I liked its laid back mood. Lots of changes in this one held my interest. I wasn’t crazy about the tone off Dill’s guitar and this number was a tad monotonous.

They did a nice song called Shady Day with a big resounding intro. Here Dill showed off his rock vocals to great advantage and he played a catchy riff on boards.
And from their upcoming E.P was Chemical which has a really lovely melody. It’s by far their nicest number. Chord combos are really sweet and Dill’s vocals are powerful.

They did a slower song Tokyo with bass and drums playing the intro and a catchy riff played throughout. Once again Keyboards were the highlight and it did have a certain eclectic style!

They finished their set with a song from the new E.P. This was called The Street!
A big bassy intro takes you into this one with more strange sound effects going on, drums joining in and Dill plays a riff that’s pretty much repeated for the rest of it. The crowd were enjoying this number, which is mainly an instrumental!

A nice break before the next band gave everyone a chance to get a drink and gradually the audience increased. The mood was fantastic and I was glad to be there!
The next band were called Bipolar Empire!

Bipolar Empire

This act are an Indie/ Blues/ Rock band, who captivated me with their harmonies, melody lines and just about everything they did!
Shane – Vocals/guitars, Joe Lavine –Vocals/ Bass and Animal – Drums! Influences include The Beatles, Muse, Led Zeppelin, Joy Division and many more. They’ve been together for two years, have supported The Blizzards and The Dykeenies and also headlined the first ever live concert at Dublin’s Powerscourt Centre. They are releasing their debut album Feel that you Own it this month and look set to take on the world!
Their set went something like this;
But War – This has a brilliant intro that reminded me of an undertones song, and then there’s a delicious harmony packed chorus. A choppy beat throughout, lots of big Whoas and a lead solo performed with style by Shane, this made a great impression on everyone. Animal played his drums with passion and they lifted the atmosphere in The Village right up!

Trip Around the World was a sweet number with lovely chords, riffs, hooks and a catchy key change. They had these cheeky gangster hats on and it gave them a bit of character. I decided that I really liked Bipolar Empire.

Destiny has sexy riffs, splash style hooks and like all their songs are beautifully packaged. Lots of gorgeous bass riffs were performed by Joe and with the wonderful backing vocals this number brought back memories of The Beatles and other Sixties/Seventies bands.

Listen to the Radio – This had a heavy rock sound and with a thumping beat, distortion all over the place and a sweet key change, it was really special!

They slowed things down with Playing with Fire which had subtle bass, lovely splashes of harmony and a very catchy melody. This song built up a little and had a big explosive finish!

They did lots of lovely numbers and get my vote for style and brilliant melodies. I particularly liked a song where they did a bit of a Queen number I want to ride my bicycle.
They had a long set list but the nicest song by far was the title song of the album;
Feel that You Own it!
This is a fast, cheerful song with superb harmony, chops and changes throughout, an exciting lead guitar solo, a busy baseline and all the ingredients of a hit!
What a great gig this was turning out to be!

Deshonos

Deshonos arrived onstage to tumultuous applause, surrounded by a mist of dry ice which added to the atmosphere which was electric!
Darby –lead vocals/ acoustic guitar, Greg Marshall-Lead guitar/ backing vocals, Chris Hogan – Bass and Gar Ivory – Drums all looked really smart and distinguished as they took their places. I felt adrenaline rise as I heard the familiar strains of the first song;
Pigs are Coming
This was my first Deshonos gig with Chris, who recently joined. He rose to the occasion with the gorgeous bending baseline in the verse of this number. It starts off pretty slow, but when it does build up steam – Bam!

There’s a bit of harmony in exactly the right places, a fantastic riff that I adore and Greg does a screaming solo. What a musician!
This band really does something to me and the audience were absolutely hopping!

Story Of Your Life

This has a choppy beat, a sexy melody line and a great riff. With a big explosive chorus it has great harmony and is performed with Darby’s usual flair. He has to be one of the best front men I know and Chris seems to be a very sweet guy and blends in very well with Deshonos.
The lighting was brilliant I thought, adding to the atmosphere! They did Cynthia next.
This involves lovely backing vocals by Greg and a wonderful solo too. Big drum rolls and those enticing lyrics You want it in the verse!
After this song, Darby thanked the two support acts and talked a little.

<Life Goes on

Darby has his acoustic for this song, which I love. Beginning with weird sound effects, it has lovely lyrics and an exceptionally powerful melody line. The chorus is sweet and lovely riffs and hooks are injected here and there. I sang along with this great number and felt the hairs rise on the back of my neck when I heard the gorgeous key change. It slows down for a bit just before that last dramatic chorus.

Far From Paradise

A simple bass intro is followed by a sweet guitar riff and Darby’s acoustic chords with gentle beats on drums. This is another really pretty song with sliding lead and a laid back quality to it! There’s a gorgeous middle eight sung by Darby which involves a change of key. Then back to the chorus again. What a lovely number!

Choose to win was next with a choppy beat and fab chord combinations. Then Stay, which is quite slow but has a beat to it just the same. Performed with lots of emotion, it got a great response from the punters.
Sad Song – This has a trickling lead riff intro, a lot of minor chords and is a beautiful but Sad song. It involved a fine lead solo and a lovely melody.

One Man Band
From the new E.P. this number has a gorgeous melody line, soulful lyrics and is performed beautifully by Darby, involving just a tincture of harmony here and there and a lead solo that’s just right.
Audience participation here was just overwhelming!

Jade

What I love about this song is the way just before he starts it Darby performs a rendition of a Pink Floyd song Brick in the wall!
The lyrics in this number are amusing ;She has to pay just to get laid and there’s a strut style beat that makes it seductive!
Bashing chords and rhythm add charm.
Darby thanked all the people involved in this gig. The intro was played for yet another song from the E.P.

The Answer

Bass intro is lovely in this and is followed by exciting beats and a fabulous lead riff. This is an easy going song, with Darby’s vocals superb in it and soothing ‘Ahs’ in the chorus. There’s a similarity in the mood of this song to Riders on the storm by The Doors but with a choppier beat. Deshonos have a nice way of blending a newer type of sound with a very classic style of melody and just to add a twist to the mix, Darby has the ability to rock things up a little with his vocals towards the end of this particular one. There’s a fab middle eight sung, with a backing refrain. That gorgeous riff comes back played by Greg!

The lads left the stage but were beckoned back by the crowd and I was delighted to see them return. They invited the other two bands onstage with them and began Reeno with a sweet baseline and a big ‘Hey You’ sung by Darby. The three bands filled up the stage and there was a great party atmosphere!
There’s a simple guitar riff in this song but its simplicity is its charm. That’s Deshonos; They make performing good rock music look easy, because it’s obvious they love performing live gigs as much as their fans love watching them!