Latitude
The Bloody Stream, Howth
28/08/09
By Angela Macari O’Looney
As I walked into this cosy tavern under the Dart terminus in Howth, I was met with a huge backdrop behind the stage, depicting a winged Goddess surrounded by Zombies on horseback. There was an air of excitement about the place, as the boys from Latitude were setting themselves up for what looked like a busy night.
In this small venue I wondered how you’d get a good crowd in, but as the night unfolded I realised that the audience also included anyone sitting outside at the smoking area, who could enjoy the show just the same through the windows and with a small amount of seating inside, it was a case of standing room only apart from a couple of bar stools.
Made up of five members; Ian O’Reilly/Vocals, Chris McDonnell/ Guitar, Dan McAleese/guitar, Philip Doyle/ Bass and Mark Verling/ Drums & Sax, this band hail from North Dublin and consider themselves a mixed cauldron of styles. With Rock/Blues influences and lots of charisma, they instantly brought to mind a favourite band of mine, Jaded Sun. Lots of old and new acts filter through their songs such as Zeppelin, Guns and Roses, AC/DC and many more. They are young, gorgeous and seem to have everything going for them and this was my first taste of their music live. I couldn’t wait for the show to start!
Sugar Rush
Twin guitar riffs, distortion throughout, a screaming lead solo and a fast moving beat, this was a fabulous number to start on.
Highs & Lows
The riff intro in this is seductive and is done by two guitars in synch. It has a classic rock beat which is fast, a catchy chorus with the now familiar riff repeated in the background, sweet flourishes on lead guitar and bass to die for throughout. Philip was a bit squashed into the background but his baselines are certainly not subdued. Harmony is cool here and Ian’s vocals are excellent. There’s a fantastic screaming solo. This song blows me away!
Blackout
One or two technical hitches had to be fixed up before the guys continued. That was sorted out and they started with a sweet intro, which got a big cheer from the crowd who were treated to a few hi jinx a la Phil on bass, to keep them amused. He got a big cheer and as soon as they launched into the next song, they got a huge response from the now warmed up audience. Is it Brian Johnson or Jon Bon I hear in Ian’s voice? Whichever it is, he gives a clear and appealing delivery of each number. Tricky guitar bits, a slow down for the middle eight and yet another amazing lead solo.
Ian asked does anyone here like the Beatles and my hand shot up. I was totally bursting with delight when I heard the intro to Get Back.
Chris sang the chorus along with Ian here. Bassist does a lot of exciting stuff and those sexy guitar chords that get me every time I hear this classic are phenomenal and I give them top marks for a fab rendition of it!
Lexi
This is a slower number and I wasn’t sure about the sound in this one. There seemed to be a bit of an imbalance. However, this song has a Guns and Roses style melody and I really enjoyed the guitar solo.
Boneyard Blues
Slinky ZZ Top type number, with distortion all over the place, fluently played riffs and hooks and Chris performs a sweet riff, while Dan plays a sexy lead solo. They then do a twin guitar solo and it’s absolutely perfect.
Phil, who is no shy violet, also gets a look in here and you just know that Latitude’s general sound employs a lot of elaborate baselines which are his forte.
Walk this Way (Aerosmith Cover)
A popular number with young rock crowds, this number went down a treat. Ian does a great job of the vocals, which my guest remarked have a tinge of Robert Plant about them and he certainly has charm and a way with an audience.
The place was hopping and you could feel how much these guys love what they do. They definitely have something and there is a void in the current music scene where this kind of rock is concerned, that I think they’ll fill beautifully.
Phil’s song
Chris sings the lead vocals in this song. Big resounding chords in the verse and generally a sweet number, it went down well.
Beat it (Michael Jackson cover)
This was an unexpected extra and was performed as a sign of respect for the great man himself R.I.P.
I wondered how they’d carry it off. Ian performs his less squeaky version of the popular number and the chords and lead were all done seamlessly. Not an easy task either!
Dark Heart Blues
About a walk on the beach, this number has a trickling lead intro and develops into a moody strut, with a choppy beat. Phil got a nice bit of bass in and those bending notes on lead supplied a sexy backdrop. Dry ice lends atmosphere and both I and my friend agreed that it was the best number of the whole evening. Melody is divine and Ian’s vocals at their best.
They did yet another cover Brown Sugar ( Rolling Stones) and then Bloody Mary which has a lovely intro. This fast song involves some juicy lead and is explosive and memorable. Chord combinations are delicious and a blistering solo is done, plus more twin guitar riffs that I can never get enough of. The chorus involves a key change and is just excellent.
Tigers
The whole place was fogged up with dry ice as the lads began this song. Busy bass, distortion laden riffs and a catchy melody, it’s a fast and cheeky number. The guitars are everything here and Ian’s vocals pretty special, but his mike was a little too quiet. This adrenaline packed song is well written, has a fantastic solo, is explosive and I love the lyrics; She’s a tiger, she got dirty dreams inside her.
Lifeline starts quietly, but builds up. This was a good choice for a last song with a screaming solo in the middle and a big rolling finish.
They got an encore and did ‘Walk this way’ one more time and were pestered to do more. I thought I’d mention to the drummer how I felt they had a sound like Jaded Sun’s and was thrilled to bits when he told me he knew Gavin, their drummer and that their next big gig was going to be in The Village, with none other than Jaded Sun. If I can make it, I think that would be a double whammy for sure.
