Niall O'Shea and The Inner City Dogs gig

Niall O’Shea and the Inner City Dogs

The Twisted Pepper

20/05/11

Angela Macari O’Looney

I first heard Niall O’Shea’s music at a gig in 2010, when he was supporting Rock band Sixteen Layers. From the get go, I found his songwriting style appealing, his live performance intriguing and his guitar playing impressive.

A closer listen to his repertoire through reviewing his debut album Inner City Dogs left me in no doubt, that Niall has a certain quality which is captivating and very enjoyable.

A native of Dublin, Niall performed in a variety of bands before deciding to go solo. His musical style is described as Indie/Gospel, but he is very versatile and can wow with his guitar solos.
Therefore I was looking forward to seeing him headlining.

Shortly after my arrival in The Twisted Pepper, singer/songwriter Luke Duffy began the first set.

Luke Duffy
Luke’s first song was called Drimnagh. His chords were beautiful and the melody line of this number was pretty special too.

Devious was faster. This was a song about the break up of a love affair. Luke achieved a big sound with just his acoustic guitar.

He did one more song with a bluesy feel to it called I belong. His vocals were excellent and his set short and sweet.

The Skeptical Pets

Three great musicians took to the stage and performed the second set. This was upbeat from start to finish and the frontman from Scotland was a bit of a comedian, interacting well with the audience.

Rainbows

The guitarist played an electric mandolin styled instrument and his riffs were delightful. A harmonic sung break lifted the dynamic and the lads each contributed to the vocals greatly. They have a charm all their own and with a bit of tambourine thrown in, this folk/Country styled song had a nice ring to it.
They continued with Pearls on a String. The crowd seemed to love these lads and this laid back number was cool, with a catchy chorus.

I like Birds was next. This involves tongue in cheek lyrics and is performed by the guitarist. It’s a cheerful, choppy number. As in all their songs, harmony was close and effective.

Ordinary Man
This number was inspired by the movies. I like the chorus and charming riffs throughout.

They finished with a fast song called You can make him like you, which was by far their best number. With blasting acoustic guitars and a particularly memorable chorus where the lads sing one line in sync, this Jam type song was a great choice to take their set to a close.

Niall O’Shea

The fast moving opening track from Niall’s album, Dogs was instantly recognisable from the wonderful guitar intro. Lead filtering in here and there is appealing and bassline is busy. Backing vocals for the middle eight and the choppy alternating rhythm all add to this fab number.

Onstage with Niall were members of Inner City Dogs; Alan Behan- Lead guitar, Drums-Sean Geraghty and Bass-Stephen Ryan.
Niall’s influences include greats such as Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, The Doors, Bob Marley.

Land of Talk – The chorus in this is delectable, with explosive guitars, an outstanding lead solo and an exciting bassline.

Better Days- I love the chorus in this song. The crowd sang along with Niall. It involves a fabulous lead guitar solo with lots of note bending and a lovely harmonious refrain. Trickling guitar throughout also adds to this melodic number.

Chrissy- Jason Douglas was invited up onstage for this popular song from Niall’s album. A powerful riff intro takes you into this number which is upbeat, with a great melody line and a seriously catchy chorus, where the sax takes the entire sound right up to full blast.
There’s a soothing bit where instruments pull back, then they do a few choruses that include amazing harmony too. I’m particularly impressed with that final jazzy crescendo chord!

From Niall’s band days with Columbia, Red Horizon featured Jay on Sax again. His tenor adds to the mood. Guitars throughout are outstanding, especially a tricky lead riff that continues from the intro. Niall’s voice is so well suited to this kind of number and there are moments where splashes of harmony come in. Niall’s own guitar ability is astounding.

No Water Flows was next. Niall performs some unique chords on his acoustic for this. Melody line is wonderful, but quite complex. The sense of movement is brilliant, with lots of cymbal used. Things alternate from a choppier pace to slow down for a bit, and then lead comes in with an elaborate break that is magical. Gradually the dynamic builds up again, taking this vibrant song to a close.

Heavy Hooley Minestrone - This new number comes from the rockier side of Niall’s material. It starts off with a strut style beat, becoming more powerful and features Niall performing some awesome lead guitar. This song has lots of chops and changes in it. Chord combinations are fab and they lifted the roof with it!

Wild One (Thin Lizzy cover)

Guitars are amazing in this and also harmony. Niall totally shines on lead guitar, fingers flying across the frets. He plays left handed, but is gob smacking to watch, as his guitar comes to life. In synch riffs throughout are brilliant. Both he and Alan blow the roof off the place with their twin lead bits. His vocal ability is also proven, as he makes this great number his own.

Warm under the Sun

This number is a tad more grunge than previous ones. Guitars use distortion and the melody is really catchy, with a harmonic chorus that is brilliant. Lead guitar is fantastic, Niall doing some exciting stuff twinned with Alan’s guitar complimenting each riff with equally stunning bits. The place is up to ninety.

Crossroads was next, where Jason Douglas returned onstage. This classic style rock number is wonderful, with a busy bassline and elaborate lead throughout.
Sax lets loose with a gorgeous solo, followed by more lead, Niall playing rhythm. It all winds down to a big rolling finish.

The lads were called back for an encore and they obliged with two memorable songs. Too Long is a folky number, with acoustic chords and a cheerful chorus and has a Van Morrison ring to it.
Ever fallen in love (Buzzcocks cover)
This was a popular choice for one last blast from the lads. Niall seemed to really enjoy performing the fun number, once a favourite in the nightclubs and discos way back when!
He did a crazy solo and all guitars seemed to just go wild before the final chorus.

In this generous sized venue, Niall managed to get a full house and it turned out to be one unforgettable evening.