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!
Monday, April 27, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Blue Syndrome at The Academy
Blue Syndrome
Kiss the girl E.P. Launch
The Academy
04/04/09
Angela Macari O’Looney
Rock Indie band Blue Syndrome hailing from North Dublin are a quartet who were recently recommended to me. They were performing at The Academy for the launch of their new E.P. ‘Kiss the Girl’, so I headed down to have a listen.
For such a young bunch of guys, this band has a polished sound. The lead vocalist Colm is a good front man who performs each song with great style, whether original stuff or covers. Band members are Colm – vocals/guitar, Tom - Drums, Stephen – Guitar vocals and Dan – Bass/ vocals. They have been compared to Mark Geary and Paramore. Influences also include Foo Fighters, Muse, The Frames and Iron Maiden.
On this night I was treated to three acts before Blue Syndrome. The first of these was a Pop/ Indie/ Rock band fronted by a fiery haired lead vocalist with a powerful voice and a great range. They were called The Problematic!
Band members include Gavin Wigglesworth – Lead Vox/guitar, Ian Mahon – Drums/ Vox and Noely Musgrave – Bass/ Vox. Influences are ;Jeff Buckley, Biffy Clyro, Kings of Leon, Pearl Jam.
They did seven numbers;
I thought it was over – has a catchy melody line, a sweet lead solo and excellent riffs.
Closer – A rhythmic number, well written with gorgeous bass throughout, close harmony and a catchy bit where Gavin sings ‘Closer, Closer’ that I absolutely adore!
Nothing Ever works – In this there are lots of interesting changes of tempo, yet another sweet melody line and generally it’s a feel good song!
You’re so sorry – This is by far the nicest of all the songs in The Problematic setlist. Fab baseline, catchy key change, memorable riff and the coolest chord combinations all go into making it so appealing. The chorus is memorable and the harmony and riffs are everything!
They did a song called No other Way with a quirky lead intro and it was more moody and slow than all the others. I liked this one!
The final song was If I don’t go. This has a fast bashing intro, with Noely playing a wonderful baseline, Gavin doing a great lead solo and they performed this as if it was their own favourite. They got a great response from the now slightly bigger audience!
Jon Dots
Next up was a singer/songwriter who looked very suave in a red velvet jacket and red shirt. Jon Dots reminded me of Mark from Take that to look at, but when he opened his mouth to sing I was reminded of early David Bowiemeets Radiohead, with that excitingly imaginative style that is removed from anything you heard before or will hear again!
On My Space Jon’s band are described as ‘an enigmatic rhythm section, along with a mysterious cohort of musicians’. He also describes his influences as ‘Muchly numerous’!
Put that in your pipe and smoke it!
However, this music made me sit up and take notice, for sure. I hung on to every note and line, fascinated as any lifelong lover of alternative music and Bowie might be!
It was like being in a time warp that took me back to those days when you could put glam make up on, spike your hair or donned a psychedelic jacket to perform music, that was an oral experience of abstract proportions and it was cool!
A treat indeed!
The first song Dance had a very haunting melody line, lots of distortion and that air of ‘genius–at-work’ about it!
He did Planets second which involves lots of sound effects created with guitar, an extraordinary melody line and the use of feedback from the mike to give the atmosphere an echoic, haunted touch!
Jon sings passionately, with two very good musicians helping to perfect the sound; a great bassist and a passionate stixman, who does cool percussion also!
A rumbling drum takes you into the calm acoustic intro of The Party. A song which involves a lot of tragic minor notes with big distortion packed chords and sound effects. There’s a kind of church organ sound going on and wonderful slides up and down the frets of the guitar. Chorus is dramatic and there’s a lazy sleepy quality to it.
The First beat was performed with emotion. It’s a slow sweet ballad with gorgeous chords and a very catchy tune!
He slides his voice up to falsetto for certain parts. Bass and rhythm are magical and generally this number has a laid back quality like the previous one.
Acoustic – This had a more cheerful beat, with an unpredictable style to it. Percussion gave an exotic feel to things and Jon performed some exciting lead guitar along with energetic, hair raising vocals!
He finished off with Hipster Dying which starts off with a choppy bass drum sound and what sounds like sampling. Then it builds up with bass coming in for the haunting verse. For a bassist who stepped in for the evening and isn’t Jon’s regular man, this guy wasn’t doing too bad!
Discords and a sense of mystery are the key factors in this popular number. It is more appealing and dynamic than all of the other songs and left me vowing to go and see this guy again soon!
Heritage Centre
This was some gig and the third support act were yet another high quality band that performed a great set. They are a rock/ Alt/ Pop band whose sound has been compared to that of Weezer and Blur. Conal – Lead vox/guitar, Brady - Drums, Liam – Sampling/Rhythm, Roge - Guitar and Stephen - Bass are a marked contrast to the current crop of Indie/ Buzz bands about.
They are building up a strong following and have recently recorded a new E.P. The City, The tree and The Fox!
Stars – This was an upbeat rock ‘n’ roll song. With sweet chords, Conal’s exciting vocals and a catchy melody line; they were on to a winner here!
Bassist does great backing vocals, there’s a thumping beat, and Liam does some great harmony too!
The chorus is fabulous and they have a very original style!
Lots of rocking lead guitar and there’s seductiveness in Conal’s vocals!
Very polished, their sound is new and with five members there’s fullness about each number. However I found a little bit of sameness at times in the set. Despite this they went on to do songs that involved a great opportunity to prove each member’s ability to play an instrument. This impressed me!
I will protect you – This has a big sound and Conal’s delivery of it was seamless!
He has a lovely stage presence and a deep but clear voice.
Leaders – This is a choppy number with closely sung harmony in the chorus. It has romantic lyrics. Liam did a nice bit on synth. The audience were a bit quiet for this band. But they are extremely special and although I wasn’t crazy about every song, I definitely found them quite captivating!
Whatever This has a nice riff intro with beats gradually drifting in. The riff continues for the verse and Stephen on bass performed backing vocals for this. Distortion in the guitars and lots of dramatic stops and starts added atmosphere!
They didn’t perform Losing Touch but it gets some serious praise from Alan Jacques on Limerick Live on 95fm. I feel that Heritage Centre will a band to watch out for!
Blue Syndrome
The stars of the show proved themselves worth the wait when they opened their set with a plucky guitar intro for the first number; Sign which got a huge response from the cheerful and now sizeable audience!
They have a way with their song writing whereby nothing is left out. Perfect riffs and hooks and lovely harmony seem to come naturally to them. Beat picks up speed in this song and then you are into a choppy chorus with one particularly catchy riff constant throughout!
Their set continued with Concerned, Just another Day, Come Alive, Over and out, Everything Eventually, New song(untitled), Tomorrow I’ll be gone, My Heart(Paramore cover) and Kiss the girl. I picked out my favourites!
Just another day is fast with a lovely chorus. They really come alive for this one and so did the audience. The lead solo is absolutely outstanding!
Guitars do an in synch riff. They do a bit of ‘I kissed a girl and I liked it’! Then they go back to the chorus ‘You showed me the rest of the world tonight and I thank you for that!’
Colm tells the crowd about the single launch and that they did a live gig at their old school in Malahide this week, which was pretty awesome. I think they’ll be playing in much bigger venues than their old school very soon!
Over and Out
A fab chorus in this one! Stephen shares vocals with Colm. What a voice and a seriously talented guitarist too!
I could feel the power of this bashing number hitting me like a clap of thunder! There’s a lovely choppy beat, the melody is catchy with a sweet lead solo too! Huge reaction from the crowd here!
Everything Eventually
This song has nice chord combinations, distortion packed and a great chorus!
It’s an exciting and fast moving rock ‘n’ roll number with a cheerful and memorable melody. This like the previous song involved two of the lads singing it together and the harmony in the chorus and catchy refrains are superb! Very Jaded Sun sound!
No Name
Stephen introduced the next song which as yet hasn’t a name. It opens up with a distortion packed guitar riff. It changes from a fast beat to a choppier one and they play lots of minor chords to add drama. I liked this one which has a nice line ‘So long, but I needed to be there tonight!’
Tomorrow I’ll be gone
This is the second song from the E.P. and is catchy, with acoustic guitar and a laid back tempo! The notation in the chorus is gorgeous and the beat alternates for the big dynamic Wait for me girl bit!
Guitar riffs divine and are done in synch with Dan’s baseline brilliant as in all songs!
There’s a pull back of instruments for the last chorus where Colm sings the first few lines, then gradually they come back in for a big crescendo finish!
They did a Paramore cover; My Heart!
Colm slides his voice up into falsetto for this. Pretty tricky but he handles it exceptionally well!
There’s a soothing rhythm to this number. Baseline is very noticeable and sweet. No drums here but Colm sings with great passion, doing it justice!
Kiss the girl
The big ‘Wo oh’ at the beginning of this song is the catchy part, to be followed by a sexy elaborate lead riff. Harmony is wonderful! A Powerfully sung verse! Distortion gives the fluently played guitars lots of oomph!
A lot of thought has gone into the arrangement of this song, with Colm singing the lead vocals and a constant refrain behind him for the chorus, almost like two songs being sung at the same time. They do a middle eight with the same idea of two separate refrains being sung in synch which makes it pretty special indeed! There’s a big sudden STOP!
Very effective before the final chorus which the crowd helped with. The roof was almost lifted off The Academy with everyone singing out ‘Wo oh, wo oh’!
Colm introduced the new bassist Dan before they did the inevitable encore. This quartet has taken some time to tame and tweak in order to achieve what I hope will be the sound that Blue Syndrome stay with, because they are without a doubt a class act!
My Hero (Foo Fighters cover)
This has a really appealing chorus where everyone sings the line; ‘There goes my hero’ along with Colm. I liked this choice for an encore and felt it was a perfect hat trick to bring a superb evening to a close!
Four fantastic young acts provided one brilliant night’s entertainment!
Kiss the girl E.P. Launch
The Academy
04/04/09
Angela Macari O’Looney
Rock Indie band Blue Syndrome hailing from North Dublin are a quartet who were recently recommended to me. They were performing at The Academy for the launch of their new E.P. ‘Kiss the Girl’, so I headed down to have a listen.
For such a young bunch of guys, this band has a polished sound. The lead vocalist Colm is a good front man who performs each song with great style, whether original stuff or covers. Band members are Colm – vocals/guitar, Tom - Drums, Stephen – Guitar vocals and Dan – Bass/ vocals. They have been compared to Mark Geary and Paramore. Influences also include Foo Fighters, Muse, The Frames and Iron Maiden.
On this night I was treated to three acts before Blue Syndrome. The first of these was a Pop/ Indie/ Rock band fronted by a fiery haired lead vocalist with a powerful voice and a great range. They were called The Problematic!
Band members include Gavin Wigglesworth – Lead Vox/guitar, Ian Mahon – Drums/ Vox and Noely Musgrave – Bass/ Vox. Influences are ;Jeff Buckley, Biffy Clyro, Kings of Leon, Pearl Jam.
They did seven numbers;
I thought it was over – has a catchy melody line, a sweet lead solo and excellent riffs.
Closer – A rhythmic number, well written with gorgeous bass throughout, close harmony and a catchy bit where Gavin sings ‘Closer, Closer’ that I absolutely adore!
Nothing Ever works – In this there are lots of interesting changes of tempo, yet another sweet melody line and generally it’s a feel good song!
You’re so sorry – This is by far the nicest of all the songs in The Problematic setlist. Fab baseline, catchy key change, memorable riff and the coolest chord combinations all go into making it so appealing. The chorus is memorable and the harmony and riffs are everything!
They did a song called No other Way with a quirky lead intro and it was more moody and slow than all the others. I liked this one!
The final song was If I don’t go. This has a fast bashing intro, with Noely playing a wonderful baseline, Gavin doing a great lead solo and they performed this as if it was their own favourite. They got a great response from the now slightly bigger audience!
Jon Dots
Next up was a singer/songwriter who looked very suave in a red velvet jacket and red shirt. Jon Dots reminded me of Mark from Take that to look at, but when he opened his mouth to sing I was reminded of early David Bowiemeets Radiohead, with that excitingly imaginative style that is removed from anything you heard before or will hear again!
On My Space Jon’s band are described as ‘an enigmatic rhythm section, along with a mysterious cohort of musicians’. He also describes his influences as ‘Muchly numerous’!
Put that in your pipe and smoke it!
However, this music made me sit up and take notice, for sure. I hung on to every note and line, fascinated as any lifelong lover of alternative music and Bowie might be!
It was like being in a time warp that took me back to those days when you could put glam make up on, spike your hair or donned a psychedelic jacket to perform music, that was an oral experience of abstract proportions and it was cool!
A treat indeed!
The first song Dance had a very haunting melody line, lots of distortion and that air of ‘genius–at-work’ about it!
He did Planets second which involves lots of sound effects created with guitar, an extraordinary melody line and the use of feedback from the mike to give the atmosphere an echoic, haunted touch!
Jon sings passionately, with two very good musicians helping to perfect the sound; a great bassist and a passionate stixman, who does cool percussion also!
A rumbling drum takes you into the calm acoustic intro of The Party. A song which involves a lot of tragic minor notes with big distortion packed chords and sound effects. There’s a kind of church organ sound going on and wonderful slides up and down the frets of the guitar. Chorus is dramatic and there’s a lazy sleepy quality to it.
The First beat was performed with emotion. It’s a slow sweet ballad with gorgeous chords and a very catchy tune!
He slides his voice up to falsetto for certain parts. Bass and rhythm are magical and generally this number has a laid back quality like the previous one.
Acoustic – This had a more cheerful beat, with an unpredictable style to it. Percussion gave an exotic feel to things and Jon performed some exciting lead guitar along with energetic, hair raising vocals!
He finished off with Hipster Dying which starts off with a choppy bass drum sound and what sounds like sampling. Then it builds up with bass coming in for the haunting verse. For a bassist who stepped in for the evening and isn’t Jon’s regular man, this guy wasn’t doing too bad!
Discords and a sense of mystery are the key factors in this popular number. It is more appealing and dynamic than all of the other songs and left me vowing to go and see this guy again soon!
Heritage Centre
This was some gig and the third support act were yet another high quality band that performed a great set. They are a rock/ Alt/ Pop band whose sound has been compared to that of Weezer and Blur. Conal – Lead vox/guitar, Brady - Drums, Liam – Sampling/Rhythm, Roge - Guitar and Stephen - Bass are a marked contrast to the current crop of Indie/ Buzz bands about.
They are building up a strong following and have recently recorded a new E.P. The City, The tree and The Fox!
Stars – This was an upbeat rock ‘n’ roll song. With sweet chords, Conal’s exciting vocals and a catchy melody line; they were on to a winner here!
Bassist does great backing vocals, there’s a thumping beat, and Liam does some great harmony too!
The chorus is fabulous and they have a very original style!
Lots of rocking lead guitar and there’s seductiveness in Conal’s vocals!
Very polished, their sound is new and with five members there’s fullness about each number. However I found a little bit of sameness at times in the set. Despite this they went on to do songs that involved a great opportunity to prove each member’s ability to play an instrument. This impressed me!
I will protect you – This has a big sound and Conal’s delivery of it was seamless!
He has a lovely stage presence and a deep but clear voice.
Leaders – This is a choppy number with closely sung harmony in the chorus. It has romantic lyrics. Liam did a nice bit on synth. The audience were a bit quiet for this band. But they are extremely special and although I wasn’t crazy about every song, I definitely found them quite captivating!
Whatever This has a nice riff intro with beats gradually drifting in. The riff continues for the verse and Stephen on bass performed backing vocals for this. Distortion in the guitars and lots of dramatic stops and starts added atmosphere!
They didn’t perform Losing Touch but it gets some serious praise from Alan Jacques on Limerick Live on 95fm. I feel that Heritage Centre will a band to watch out for!
Blue Syndrome
The stars of the show proved themselves worth the wait when they opened their set with a plucky guitar intro for the first number; Sign which got a huge response from the cheerful and now sizeable audience!
They have a way with their song writing whereby nothing is left out. Perfect riffs and hooks and lovely harmony seem to come naturally to them. Beat picks up speed in this song and then you are into a choppy chorus with one particularly catchy riff constant throughout!
Their set continued with Concerned, Just another Day, Come Alive, Over and out, Everything Eventually, New song(untitled), Tomorrow I’ll be gone, My Heart(Paramore cover) and Kiss the girl. I picked out my favourites!
Just another day is fast with a lovely chorus. They really come alive for this one and so did the audience. The lead solo is absolutely outstanding!
Guitars do an in synch riff. They do a bit of ‘I kissed a girl and I liked it’! Then they go back to the chorus ‘You showed me the rest of the world tonight and I thank you for that!’
Colm tells the crowd about the single launch and that they did a live gig at their old school in Malahide this week, which was pretty awesome. I think they’ll be playing in much bigger venues than their old school very soon!
Over and Out
A fab chorus in this one! Stephen shares vocals with Colm. What a voice and a seriously talented guitarist too!
I could feel the power of this bashing number hitting me like a clap of thunder! There’s a lovely choppy beat, the melody is catchy with a sweet lead solo too! Huge reaction from the crowd here!
Everything Eventually
This song has nice chord combinations, distortion packed and a great chorus!
It’s an exciting and fast moving rock ‘n’ roll number with a cheerful and memorable melody. This like the previous song involved two of the lads singing it together and the harmony in the chorus and catchy refrains are superb! Very Jaded Sun sound!
No Name
Stephen introduced the next song which as yet hasn’t a name. It opens up with a distortion packed guitar riff. It changes from a fast beat to a choppier one and they play lots of minor chords to add drama. I liked this one which has a nice line ‘So long, but I needed to be there tonight!’
Tomorrow I’ll be gone
This is the second song from the E.P. and is catchy, with acoustic guitar and a laid back tempo! The notation in the chorus is gorgeous and the beat alternates for the big dynamic Wait for me girl bit!
Guitar riffs divine and are done in synch with Dan’s baseline brilliant as in all songs!
There’s a pull back of instruments for the last chorus where Colm sings the first few lines, then gradually they come back in for a big crescendo finish!
They did a Paramore cover; My Heart!
Colm slides his voice up into falsetto for this. Pretty tricky but he handles it exceptionally well!
There’s a soothing rhythm to this number. Baseline is very noticeable and sweet. No drums here but Colm sings with great passion, doing it justice!
Kiss the girl
The big ‘Wo oh’ at the beginning of this song is the catchy part, to be followed by a sexy elaborate lead riff. Harmony is wonderful! A Powerfully sung verse! Distortion gives the fluently played guitars lots of oomph!
A lot of thought has gone into the arrangement of this song, with Colm singing the lead vocals and a constant refrain behind him for the chorus, almost like two songs being sung at the same time. They do a middle eight with the same idea of two separate refrains being sung in synch which makes it pretty special indeed! There’s a big sudden STOP!
Very effective before the final chorus which the crowd helped with. The roof was almost lifted off The Academy with everyone singing out ‘Wo oh, wo oh’!
Colm introduced the new bassist Dan before they did the inevitable encore. This quartet has taken some time to tame and tweak in order to achieve what I hope will be the sound that Blue Syndrome stay with, because they are without a doubt a class act!
My Hero (Foo Fighters cover)
This has a really appealing chorus where everyone sings the line; ‘There goes my hero’ along with Colm. I liked this choice for an encore and felt it was a perfect hat trick to bring a superb evening to a close!
Four fantastic young acts provided one brilliant night’s entertainment!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
C.D review/ Simon Fagan
Simon Fagan
Hired and Fired
It’s feel good music with gorgeous melodies! This E.P. hits you like a thunderbolt from the get-go with its four tracks powerfully performed by this young man, who has a voice that is like a well toned cocky jazz instrument!
At least this is what went through my mind when I first listened to Simon Fagan and his wonderful band; Anthony Gibney – lead guitar, Paddy Joyce – Bass, Dara Munnis – Keys, James Mackin – Drums, Niall O’Sullivan – Trumpet and John Byrne –Sax/Clarinet.
Simon, who was originally a professional Trumpet player, decided he wasn’t comfortable with the formalities involved in that life. He joined one or two bands, but eventually decided to go it alone, writing and producing his own work.
His music has elements of jazz, Soul, Rock and acoustic which when fused together in the right measures, can sound really good. If you listen to these magical numbers, you will understand this!
Influences include big names such as Jeff Buckley, The Doors, Tom Waits, Elvis Presley, and Duke Special. What I love about his songs is the way he seems to break boundaries and marry together an unthinkable mix of genres! But instead of it coming out like a clash of styles, it becomes a bright and beautiful creation that makes you smile with fascination!
This is real genius!
This E.P. was produced by Simon himself and Martin Quinn. Having opened for both Lionel Ritchie and Smokey Robinson, as well as performing in the National Concert Hall and on The Ryan Tubridy Radio Show on Radio 1, this exciting multi-talented guy’s star looks set to rise indeed!
Hired and Fired
The title track from this E.P. this slinky finger clicking number begins with a seductive piano riff, along with cymbal and snare. Lyrics are poignant considering the current global recession. There’s a ragtime mood painted by the carefree clarinet solo. Barely there backing vocals add to the sound and the big ‘HEY’ in the chorus gives it great punch!
This song might be based on an economic downturn theme, but listening to the choppy beat and cheerful melody sung powerfully by Mr. F turns my spirits up!
Bring the dance
Beginning with a tambourine, this is another uplifting number, which goes from minors to majors and is gradually raised from a simple verse, to a big thumping chorus complete with brass section an all!
Simon’s vocal prowess is showed off to great advantage, as he moves jazzily from line to line, with the backing vocalists helping in the rise and fall of the dynamics.
The way a woman should
This is a nice change of mood in this small collection of music. It has a jazz waltz tempo and has a yesteryear quality to it. It would bring to mind theme music from films like ‘Bullet’ or ‘The Saint’. It’s my personal favourite on the E.P. because of the beautiful key change and the overall melody line. The acoustic guitar throughout is lovely and that dramatic infusion as it develops, of trumpet and sax. The piano eventually joins in the profusion of sound. I keep playing this song over and over. The last verse becomes choppy and the piano and trumpet are doing a delightful riff and are then joined by a sax which also plays exciting riffs. Simon’s emotional and confident delivery of this piece de la resistance is of course flawless!
Falling into You
A song I’d need to cha cha to!
This gorgeous number is laid backed, with a gutsy sax riff that wins the thumbs up from me as it brings back memories of my own father who was an accomplished saxophonist.
The melody of ‘Falling into you’ would bring to mind for me, the style of music synonymous with Michael Buble with its lovely jazzy mood and big band sound.
Throughout this whole E.P I found I was grinning like a mad thing, clicking my fingers and vowing to learn the lyrics of all the songs. Simon Fagan’s stuff is what I would term real music. This fabulous collection of songs is only the first step paving his road to success.
Angela Macari O’Looney
Hired and Fired
It’s feel good music with gorgeous melodies! This E.P. hits you like a thunderbolt from the get-go with its four tracks powerfully performed by this young man, who has a voice that is like a well toned cocky jazz instrument!
At least this is what went through my mind when I first listened to Simon Fagan and his wonderful band; Anthony Gibney – lead guitar, Paddy Joyce – Bass, Dara Munnis – Keys, James Mackin – Drums, Niall O’Sullivan – Trumpet and John Byrne –Sax/Clarinet.
Simon, who was originally a professional Trumpet player, decided he wasn’t comfortable with the formalities involved in that life. He joined one or two bands, but eventually decided to go it alone, writing and producing his own work.
His music has elements of jazz, Soul, Rock and acoustic which when fused together in the right measures, can sound really good. If you listen to these magical numbers, you will understand this!
Influences include big names such as Jeff Buckley, The Doors, Tom Waits, Elvis Presley, and Duke Special. What I love about his songs is the way he seems to break boundaries and marry together an unthinkable mix of genres! But instead of it coming out like a clash of styles, it becomes a bright and beautiful creation that makes you smile with fascination!
This is real genius!
This E.P. was produced by Simon himself and Martin Quinn. Having opened for both Lionel Ritchie and Smokey Robinson, as well as performing in the National Concert Hall and on The Ryan Tubridy Radio Show on Radio 1, this exciting multi-talented guy’s star looks set to rise indeed!
Hired and Fired
The title track from this E.P. this slinky finger clicking number begins with a seductive piano riff, along with cymbal and snare. Lyrics are poignant considering the current global recession. There’s a ragtime mood painted by the carefree clarinet solo. Barely there backing vocals add to the sound and the big ‘HEY’ in the chorus gives it great punch!
This song might be based on an economic downturn theme, but listening to the choppy beat and cheerful melody sung powerfully by Mr. F turns my spirits up!
Bring the dance
Beginning with a tambourine, this is another uplifting number, which goes from minors to majors and is gradually raised from a simple verse, to a big thumping chorus complete with brass section an all!
Simon’s vocal prowess is showed off to great advantage, as he moves jazzily from line to line, with the backing vocalists helping in the rise and fall of the dynamics.
The way a woman should
This is a nice change of mood in this small collection of music. It has a jazz waltz tempo and has a yesteryear quality to it. It would bring to mind theme music from films like ‘Bullet’ or ‘The Saint’. It’s my personal favourite on the E.P. because of the beautiful key change and the overall melody line. The acoustic guitar throughout is lovely and that dramatic infusion as it develops, of trumpet and sax. The piano eventually joins in the profusion of sound. I keep playing this song over and over. The last verse becomes choppy and the piano and trumpet are doing a delightful riff and are then joined by a sax which also plays exciting riffs. Simon’s emotional and confident delivery of this piece de la resistance is of course flawless!
Falling into You
A song I’d need to cha cha to!
This gorgeous number is laid backed, with a gutsy sax riff that wins the thumbs up from me as it brings back memories of my own father who was an accomplished saxophonist.
The melody of ‘Falling into you’ would bring to mind for me, the style of music synonymous with Michael Buble with its lovely jazzy mood and big band sound.
Throughout this whole E.P I found I was grinning like a mad thing, clicking my fingers and vowing to learn the lyrics of all the songs. Simon Fagan’s stuff is what I would term real music. This fabulous collection of songs is only the first step paving his road to success.
Angela Macari O’Looney
Marz Roche
Marz Roche
Crawdaddy 03/04/09
Angela Macari O’Looney
Having heard about this special singer/songwriter and watched his performances on-line, I was eager to experience his live show. Therefore I made my way down to Harcourt Street on a rainy Friday evening to get a proper listen to Marz Roche!
Born and raised in Mayo, Marz came to Dublin at the tender age of eighteen to study. Having played with a band in his native Mayo, he developed his own sound and began writing his own material. He has performed his piano and acoustic guitar based songs at various venues around Dublin such as ‘The Zodiac Sessions’ and is a unique musician and composer.
A modest audience filed into the venue for the first act of the evening Wayne Brennan, who is also a well known veteran of ‘The Zodiac Sessions’ in Bruxelles. I believe I saw Wayne when I was reviewing another act there last summer and definitely felt I’d seen and heard him before. One thing is certain; having heard him this night, I won’t forget him easily. Wow!
Wayne is an exceptionally talented guitarist and vocalist and meshes styles drawn from his extensive travels around Europe. He has panache for eclectic melody lines and an ability to blend Spanish guitar into his performances. His band includes Andrew Healy- Drums/ percussion and Martin Quinn-Bass/ Keyboards.
From his forthcoming album In My Hands due for release in May, his first song was And I Love. A wonderfully harmonic song, it has a seductive tempo and complex guitar throughout. It is a catchy number with a jazzy riff repeated intermittently which is sweet.
Please Please is equally memorable with a vibrant baseline and gorgeous riffs throughout. The melody in the chorus is so appealing and Wayne’s emotional performance a delight to watch!
She’s the one
An acoustic number, this song has a lovely melody line, with Andrew doing backing vocals. Sung sweetly it has an easy going tempo.
This song was followed by Make you smile. In this Wayne’s vocals are passionate at the beginning as he sings the wonderfully romantic lyrics. It picks up to a slinky beat and involves a catchy refrain. I really like the arrangement of this piece!
Wayne introduced Connor who was on Bass this night. Also he introduced Andrew on drums. Wayne has a polished way about him and a lovely stage manner!
He then began to play a flamenco piece on guitar; Peace in your mind. There had been a little bit of chatter about the place before this, but I noticed how quickly it stopped once this began. You could almost feel the audience catch its breath!
This was such a fabulous break in mood and as Mace was added to the scene, and then bass I could imagine a flamenco dancer in full dress, castanets raised dramatically, and feet tapping to this music!
The intensity gradually built up and all three musicians blended beautifully. Such skill!
In My Hands
The theme song from Wayne’s album which is to be released in May begins as a slow ballad. It then changes to a Latino beat and he continues with the Spanish guitar theme in this. The melody is exotic, with lovely close harmony in the chorus.
He got a tumultuous response from the small audience for a really enjoyable set. Wayne Brennan is a busy man with constant invitations from many well known artists such as The Gypsy Kings, Alabama, The Coronas and Brian Kennedy, to perform as ‘Special guest’. This comes as no surprise to me having heard what he can do at this gig!
Marz Roche
Indie/ Acoustic/ Folk rock is the description of Marz’s music on My Space. However, it involves this absolutely excellent song writing technique and listening to his powerful melodies and the way he pours each song out from his very soul, makes me want to cry with emotion!
Yet he has some faster numbers in his repertoire which merit praise and because he tends to do so many moody, soulful pieces those splashes of rock here and there add the perfect contrast!
Band members are; Mark Murphy – Lead guitar, Robin Ball – Drums/ Percussion, Adam Taylor – Bass.
Influences include The Beatles, Beachboys, David Gray, Coldplay, O.C.S., Tom Petty, and Jackson Brown.
Better Late than ever
Marz plays the lovely intro on piano and sings to the silent audience. He is sweet and has the most soothing quality in his delivery of this melodic and emotional number!
Big chords and trickling piano notes along with a slight grittiness in his voice create such a moving performance, of what I feel must be one of the most superior love songs from an Irish artist!
What you don’t know
Before continuing the set, Marz thanked Wayne Brennan. He asked the audience to move a little bit closer to the stage. Things seemed very quiet at this point. But it was a cosy night and somehow people seemed quite happy to sit and listen for the moment.
Acoustic guitar and the other guitars create a subtle effect here. There’s a poignant message in the lyrics; ‘Some things are better left unsaid’!
Lovely melody line as in all of his songs! This is a slow number and one that stays in your mind it is so pretty. It has gorgeous plucked guitar throughout and there’s a really excellent middle eight with beautiful chords, which increase the dynamics before the final chorus. There’s a sweet guitar riff throughout this song that lifts everything!
Final Curtain
This number was more upbeat and I liked it immensely! A choppy tempo and a luscious melody line, I found it a cheerful song. The chorus is catchy and has a beat that you’d want to tap your feet too. His voice has a touch of Chris Martin from ‘Coldplay’ coming through, in my opinion with that way he has of lamenting the words which are a little sad; ‘As the final whistle blows and as the curtain draws to close, baby it’s you and me and a handful of loose change. I guess that’s how our story goes’. There’s a delightful riff in there too, with bending notes played on the acoustic guitar.
Stay
This has a beautiful piano intro and I couldn’t but admire his touch on the ivories! The lead guitar comes in with a sustained noted. Bass and beats join in!
Moody melody line with a chorus that is more hopeful and sweet! As I watched Marz perform this song, I could imagine how good he’d be at a big open air gig doing this number, with the crowd swaying from side to side!
This song becomes more dynamic as it progresses and with it being so powerful, it seemed to lift the atmosphere at Crawdaddy to a higher level!
The chorus is absolutely riveting, with such amazing hooks and riffs just perfectly injected into it. Mark on lead guitar does a fab solo in this one too!
The audience had finally woken up and were moving up near the stage and what began as a quiet gig, began to be more like a small intimate party!
Summer Flame
This is done by Marz alone with his acoustic guitar. It begins with a quiet trickling riff that’s divine and against soothingly sung lyrics a scene is painted, of a beach and the romantic sound of the ocean as lovers walk along!
Seven Years
This was a pleasant change with a three four beat. He began with just his acoustic and gradually the rest of the quartet joined in. The chorus is the highlight of this one. Marz goes into falsetto and Mark adds some nifty riffs on his lovely black Gibson, Adam adding just enough bass. It’s a sleepy number but so beautiful that I felt it to be one of my favourites of the night!
O.K. and Alright
The chorus is the star of the show in this song. It’s a little faster than all the previous songs and includes lots of exciting guitar riffs. This got a great response from the crowd.
Greenday
This began with a three four tempo and then seemed to burst into a dramatic chorus. It has a really nice arrangement, with the guitarist singing a little bit of harmony and he also does a lovely riff. Bassist well blended throughout and definitely has a sensitive way of blending into the scene!
Follow me down
This was the last song in Marz’s set. People sang along with the chorus and backing vocals were lovely. It had much more pizzazz than all of the songs put together. He sings it with just keyboards and it builds up again for the last chorus for the line; ‘Follow me down’ which by now everyone sang, including myself!
It was lovely the way as everyone sang it, Marz went on singing a verse that fitted with it perfectly and there was such a fantastic atmosphere altogether!
There was no way he was getting away without an encore and as the audience shouted ‘One more song’ Marz introduced the other members of his band. Then he surprised me with his final song of the night which has to become a number one if there’s any justice in the world.
Serious Girl
This number begins with a sung intro of Bop bah na na na which he gets everyone singing. The guitar begins to play the riff and soon the rolling pace gets everyone clapping. There’s lots going on in this song and it went on for a long time. People were delighted every time the riff was played because it was the cute bit where we got to sing Bop bah na na na!
There’s something very humble about his personality and he and his band gel so seamlessly that every thing they produce sounds good. But if you’ve played guitar since the age of twelve and performed live as often as Marz has, the stage is probably where you feel most at home!
I would like to hear a few faster songs in his repertoire. But apart from this he surpassed my expectations. I feel that although this was my first live ‘Marz Roche’ gig it won’t be my last!
Crawdaddy 03/04/09
Angela Macari O’Looney
Having heard about this special singer/songwriter and watched his performances on-line, I was eager to experience his live show. Therefore I made my way down to Harcourt Street on a rainy Friday evening to get a proper listen to Marz Roche!
Born and raised in Mayo, Marz came to Dublin at the tender age of eighteen to study. Having played with a band in his native Mayo, he developed his own sound and began writing his own material. He has performed his piano and acoustic guitar based songs at various venues around Dublin such as ‘The Zodiac Sessions’ and is a unique musician and composer.
A modest audience filed into the venue for the first act of the evening Wayne Brennan, who is also a well known veteran of ‘The Zodiac Sessions’ in Bruxelles. I believe I saw Wayne when I was reviewing another act there last summer and definitely felt I’d seen and heard him before. One thing is certain; having heard him this night, I won’t forget him easily. Wow!
Wayne is an exceptionally talented guitarist and vocalist and meshes styles drawn from his extensive travels around Europe. He has panache for eclectic melody lines and an ability to blend Spanish guitar into his performances. His band includes Andrew Healy- Drums/ percussion and Martin Quinn-Bass/ Keyboards.
From his forthcoming album In My Hands due for release in May, his first song was And I Love. A wonderfully harmonic song, it has a seductive tempo and complex guitar throughout. It is a catchy number with a jazzy riff repeated intermittently which is sweet.
Please Please is equally memorable with a vibrant baseline and gorgeous riffs throughout. The melody in the chorus is so appealing and Wayne’s emotional performance a delight to watch!
She’s the one
An acoustic number, this song has a lovely melody line, with Andrew doing backing vocals. Sung sweetly it has an easy going tempo.
This song was followed by Make you smile. In this Wayne’s vocals are passionate at the beginning as he sings the wonderfully romantic lyrics. It picks up to a slinky beat and involves a catchy refrain. I really like the arrangement of this piece!
Wayne introduced Connor who was on Bass this night. Also he introduced Andrew on drums. Wayne has a polished way about him and a lovely stage manner!
He then began to play a flamenco piece on guitar; Peace in your mind. There had been a little bit of chatter about the place before this, but I noticed how quickly it stopped once this began. You could almost feel the audience catch its breath!
This was such a fabulous break in mood and as Mace was added to the scene, and then bass I could imagine a flamenco dancer in full dress, castanets raised dramatically, and feet tapping to this music!
The intensity gradually built up and all three musicians blended beautifully. Such skill!
In My Hands
The theme song from Wayne’s album which is to be released in May begins as a slow ballad. It then changes to a Latino beat and he continues with the Spanish guitar theme in this. The melody is exotic, with lovely close harmony in the chorus.
He got a tumultuous response from the small audience for a really enjoyable set. Wayne Brennan is a busy man with constant invitations from many well known artists such as The Gypsy Kings, Alabama, The Coronas and Brian Kennedy, to perform as ‘Special guest’. This comes as no surprise to me having heard what he can do at this gig!
Marz Roche
Indie/ Acoustic/ Folk rock is the description of Marz’s music on My Space. However, it involves this absolutely excellent song writing technique and listening to his powerful melodies and the way he pours each song out from his very soul, makes me want to cry with emotion!
Yet he has some faster numbers in his repertoire which merit praise and because he tends to do so many moody, soulful pieces those splashes of rock here and there add the perfect contrast!
Band members are; Mark Murphy – Lead guitar, Robin Ball – Drums/ Percussion, Adam Taylor – Bass.
Influences include The Beatles, Beachboys, David Gray, Coldplay, O.C.S., Tom Petty, and Jackson Brown.
Better Late than ever
Marz plays the lovely intro on piano and sings to the silent audience. He is sweet and has the most soothing quality in his delivery of this melodic and emotional number!
Big chords and trickling piano notes along with a slight grittiness in his voice create such a moving performance, of what I feel must be one of the most superior love songs from an Irish artist!
What you don’t know
Before continuing the set, Marz thanked Wayne Brennan. He asked the audience to move a little bit closer to the stage. Things seemed very quiet at this point. But it was a cosy night and somehow people seemed quite happy to sit and listen for the moment.
Acoustic guitar and the other guitars create a subtle effect here. There’s a poignant message in the lyrics; ‘Some things are better left unsaid’!
Lovely melody line as in all of his songs! This is a slow number and one that stays in your mind it is so pretty. It has gorgeous plucked guitar throughout and there’s a really excellent middle eight with beautiful chords, which increase the dynamics before the final chorus. There’s a sweet guitar riff throughout this song that lifts everything!
Final Curtain
This number was more upbeat and I liked it immensely! A choppy tempo and a luscious melody line, I found it a cheerful song. The chorus is catchy and has a beat that you’d want to tap your feet too. His voice has a touch of Chris Martin from ‘Coldplay’ coming through, in my opinion with that way he has of lamenting the words which are a little sad; ‘As the final whistle blows and as the curtain draws to close, baby it’s you and me and a handful of loose change. I guess that’s how our story goes’. There’s a delightful riff in there too, with bending notes played on the acoustic guitar.
Stay
This has a beautiful piano intro and I couldn’t but admire his touch on the ivories! The lead guitar comes in with a sustained noted. Bass and beats join in!
Moody melody line with a chorus that is more hopeful and sweet! As I watched Marz perform this song, I could imagine how good he’d be at a big open air gig doing this number, with the crowd swaying from side to side!
This song becomes more dynamic as it progresses and with it being so powerful, it seemed to lift the atmosphere at Crawdaddy to a higher level!
The chorus is absolutely riveting, with such amazing hooks and riffs just perfectly injected into it. Mark on lead guitar does a fab solo in this one too!
The audience had finally woken up and were moving up near the stage and what began as a quiet gig, began to be more like a small intimate party!
Summer Flame
This is done by Marz alone with his acoustic guitar. It begins with a quiet trickling riff that’s divine and against soothingly sung lyrics a scene is painted, of a beach and the romantic sound of the ocean as lovers walk along!
Seven Years
This was a pleasant change with a three four beat. He began with just his acoustic and gradually the rest of the quartet joined in. The chorus is the highlight of this one. Marz goes into falsetto and Mark adds some nifty riffs on his lovely black Gibson, Adam adding just enough bass. It’s a sleepy number but so beautiful that I felt it to be one of my favourites of the night!
O.K. and Alright
The chorus is the star of the show in this song. It’s a little faster than all the previous songs and includes lots of exciting guitar riffs. This got a great response from the crowd.
Greenday
This began with a three four tempo and then seemed to burst into a dramatic chorus. It has a really nice arrangement, with the guitarist singing a little bit of harmony and he also does a lovely riff. Bassist well blended throughout and definitely has a sensitive way of blending into the scene!
Follow me down
This was the last song in Marz’s set. People sang along with the chorus and backing vocals were lovely. It had much more pizzazz than all of the songs put together. He sings it with just keyboards and it builds up again for the last chorus for the line; ‘Follow me down’ which by now everyone sang, including myself!
It was lovely the way as everyone sang it, Marz went on singing a verse that fitted with it perfectly and there was such a fantastic atmosphere altogether!
There was no way he was getting away without an encore and as the audience shouted ‘One more song’ Marz introduced the other members of his band. Then he surprised me with his final song of the night which has to become a number one if there’s any justice in the world.
Serious Girl
This number begins with a sung intro of Bop bah na na na which he gets everyone singing. The guitar begins to play the riff and soon the rolling pace gets everyone clapping. There’s lots going on in this song and it went on for a long time. People were delighted every time the riff was played because it was the cute bit where we got to sing Bop bah na na na!
There’s something very humble about his personality and he and his band gel so seamlessly that every thing they produce sounds good. But if you’ve played guitar since the age of twelve and performed live as often as Marz has, the stage is probably where you feel most at home!
I would like to hear a few faster songs in his repertoire. But apart from this he surpassed my expectations. I feel that although this was my first live ‘Marz Roche’ gig it won’t be my last!
Monday, March 30, 2009
The View at the Academy, Dublin
The View at The Academy
24 / 02 / ‘09
Angela Macari O’Looney
‘The View, The View, The View are on Fire! This is the chant you’ll hear from the fans of one of the best and most notorious Punk/Indie bands of this century!
Why?
With Kyle Falconer at the helm as lead vocalist/ rhythm guitar, Pete Reilly – Lead guitarist extraordinaire, Kieran Webster – Bass/guitars/ backing vocals and Steven Morrison – Drums/Percussion, this band are exceptionally creative, with a knack for delightful riffs and catchy melodies. They posess wit which they use to the limit and also an accent that is hard to understand, but adds charm to their music. Young, energetic and loveable, they get under your skin and once there, will have you whistling or humming those sweet and cheerful melodies and Tayside shanties non-stop!
Beginning as a bunch of friends who played at school concerts and talent competitions, The View developed their sound and became a huge success in a short time. Having toured extensively, appeared in numerous Festivals, claimed quite a few awards and released their eponymous E.P., they went on to do an album Hats off to the Buskers in 2007.
This band has matured and honed their style, without losing the originality which gave them that edge. This year has seen the release of ‘Which Bitch’, a new collection of music that is even more entertaining and slightly more serious instrumentally than the previous album.
They may be a bunch of Clowns, but beneath that 'couldn’t care less’ surface, lies a remarkable raw genius that remains unscathed by commercialism. Their ability to come up with fun, enjoyable material is uncanny and continues to go from strength to strength.
Discovering on My Space that ‘The View’ were coming to Dublin, I decided that wild horses couldn’t keep me away. So I headed into Abbey Street to see Kyle & Co., have a pint or three and a good night out. My only complaint was that it was too short. I could have listened to this band all night and considered going back for the second gig the next night!
A good few people were already there when we arrived and I was pleasantly surprised at the age group of the audience. There were plenty in my own age group (not teenagers) and enough young guys and gals up the front, to add to the party atmosphere!
Opening up the show were an Irish Rock/Indie band; The Brothers Movement, previously Mainline.
Members are Neill Plaxton-Guitar vocals, Danda-Guitar/vox/ Harmonica, Scott Glennon- Electric Guitar, Conor Plaxton-Bass and Andy Parks-Drums.
They have a soothing sound and are currently promoting their album Blind. Neill has a pleasant voice which is well suited to the type of anthemic rock numbers they do. They did March of the Brothers, Is God Dead, Open Arms, Sister, War &Peace, Blind and Stand Still. Harmony is really subtle in the slower songs such as ‘Blind’, which is an anthem with a U2 quality in it. Guitar riffs are great in the faster numbers and lots of distortion is used too. Danda does nice harmonica in spates here and there!
This set made a good appetiser for the night ahead, but for me it was hard to concentrate on anything else but the fact that I was finally going to see the fab four from Dundee next!
The View
Glass Smash with its haunting intro almost sung in a choral ‘oh’ then bursting into a galloping beat opened up the main show.
A bashing beat, exciting melody and a fabulous seductive ‘Hey’ sung by Kyle in the chorus makes this a lovely number. Pete Reilly is a class act with his characteristic riffs and sliding smartass lead throughout and of course the throbbing bass bits and backing vocals provided by Kieran and Pete give this song a great sense of movement and anticipation!
5 Rebeccas followed and received a warm welcome from the crowd! F..ing amazing chord combinations, a delightful key change in the middle eight and although there is a poignant message in the verse ‘Solvent abuse can kill’ it also has a punch line that’s really funny in the chorus;5 Rebeccas all of them are close to me/ One of them’s a cook, the other one does history/ One of them’s my niece and one lives close to me/ The one I love the most has turned into a Junky!
The wonderful unique View-esque riffs from beginning to end of this number, along with gorgeous close harmony injected in just the right places, made it an unforgettable experience. They do these fab harmonic ‘Ohs’ as it’s coming to the last chorus that are just the biz!
Steven Morrison(The Drummer) stripped to the waist which didn’t upset me at all! I admired the way that they just jammed away, enjoying the gig themselves without any airs and graces. It was as if they were making themselves at home right there with the crowd at the Academy and it was a joy to encounter!
Wasted li’l Djs which was first released as a single, also included in Hats off to the Buskers was third. With a fast rock beat, bashing intro and a delightful guitar riff it’s one of the nicest View numbers. It has a lovely melody and a distinctive key change midway through plus a sweet lead solo. Backing vocals add to the sound as in all songs and the arrangement is such that there seems to be loads going on throughout.
Kyle switched places with bassist Kieran Webster for one or two songs. Webster has a thick accent but a really nice voice!
Realisation was one of these with gorgeous riffs, a choppy beat and delightful harmony. In certain numbers keyboards were played by Owen Morris. This guy is kinda like a fifth member of the band and has been producer and co-ordinater for all of The View’s recordings. When Kyle returned to the lead mike he played his beautiful blonde semi-solid guitar held in what I term ‘McCartney’ fashion. He does it justice too and despite his characteristic cool attitude, he seemed to enjoy this gig!
They did Wasteland, which the crowd went mad for and then the new version of Typical Time; ‘Typical time 2’ a sweet ditty with a cute piano riff intro and nice harmonica too. Short and candy sweet, this melody is really lovely no matter what the words are!
In my excitement I got the set list all confused, plus it was supposed to be a fun night out and I’d had a couple of drinks. Quite a few of the newer songs were played including Double Yellow lines which is a fabulous sing-along number. Also the quirky Temptation Dice which is a really memorable song was performed. The One off Pretender which is a rap with amazing lead riffs brought British band ‘Oasis’ to mind for me. This one has a great line in the chorus; ‘Shout it from the rooftops!’ Shock Horror which has great punch was done too!
I think Distant Doubloon was in there too, one of my personal favourites from ‘Which Bitch’ it’s a magical song with flourishing piano riffs, a concerto-style tempo and a melody a little like a song from a musical comedy!
Like all of the songs on the new c.d. it is surprisingly mature and involves some fabulous changes of tempo and key to delight the senses. However it has cryptic lyrics and that arrogant cheek that a band like this not only gets away with, but make into a kind of signature in their song writing!
Favourites such as Superstar Tradesman, The Don, Skag Trendy and Same Jeans were performed on the night. The audience seemed a tad tame in comparison to what I have seen at The View’s gigs in videos. This gal certainly wasn’t tame seeing these numbers performed live!
On hearing the intros and wonderful riffs a la Pete Reilly, magical beats drummed out by Steve (Mo) Morrison and distinctive baselines played on that gorgeous blue guitar by Kieran Webster, I found myself singing out the songs from the old album word for word and punching the air with delight. Manchester United were playing their first leg of the Champions league on the same night and although I’m quite partial to the Red Devils, I wouldn’t have swapped this fabulous gig for a front row at the match.
On the way out, I bought myself a huge souvenir T-Shirt and had no voice the next day; the sign of a very satisfied customer!
Bravado upstairs at Whelan's of wexford St.
Bravado
Upstairs at Whelan’s
16/03/09
Angela Macari – O’Looney
I’ve been to quite a few gigs at this popular venue in Wexford Street. However, this was my first gig upstairs in the smaller part. Bravado, who I’ve seen play support on two previous occasions were starring on this occasion Having had a taste of their interesting and lively music, I felt it was time I saw them at their own show.
This group of young men have a ‘couldn’t care less’ approach, or so it seems. But beneath the Joke-a-minute personality of each member lies a true musician. You only have to hear one or two of their particularly special numbers to recognise this!
On this occasion the two support bands The Groove and Harrows were quite a contrast in styles and in their own rite provided the perfect warm up. Some of the supporters of all three bands went a little over the top to express their appreciation and knocked a speaker down, gave any poor sod near the front a beer bath and did this pushing game that seems to be part and parcel of being at a gig where fresh young music is played. Despite all of this, I had a really enjoyable night.
The Groove
Hailing from Coolock Dublin, this Alt/ Indie/ Rock band have built up quite a fanbase and are making great strides, with an up coming four track demo in the pipeline. Members are David McGorman/Vocals, Gary Fitzsimons/ Guitar, Darren Fitzsimons/ Drums, Sean O’Connor/ Guitar and Wade Courtney/ Bass.
Beginning with a short number involving lots of bass packed with distortion, they proved to have a pleasant sound. A sweet rhythmic riff, occasional harmony and free flowing lead riffs here and there made this a nice start to the night. Dave has a quiet, but likeable vocal style. This new song hasn’t a name as yet!
Cracks will emerge involves all guitars playing in sync with the vocals. Dramatic and choppy rhythm! Darren on drums sings backing vocals and is a real showman. Lots of big smiles and as a drummer he is impressive too!
This scene is obscene – Galloping beat! Lots of minor chords, distortion and a catchy chorus where Dave sings and his words are echoed by Darren ‘Going nowhere!’ I like the way the beat alters later on in this song to become choppy!
They did seven more songs. But my personal favourites were Don’t get your hopes up; Cheerful with a memorable melody line and catchy lead riffs. Also ‘I smiled when I first met you; With a Rock’n’Roll beat and a distinctive guitar riff which I loved.
I can’t forgive You – This has a brilliant bass intro, with wonderful riffs and a sweet melody. Dave’s vocals excellent here and the beat is fast and exciting too!
With really noticeable guitar solos and riffs throughout, all of their songs are catchy. They did a slow song; Yet we all soon will change which I thought was perhaps the nicest of the whole set. The highlight of this was definitely the interesting guitar riffs and chords.
People sang along with the last song The Boys Revenge which is energetic with lots of ‘Whoa’ in the chorus. From a nice bunch of lads this was a well performed first set!
Harrows
A five piece band with some seriously good guitarists and a charming vocalist in Ben Waddell arrived on stage to play the second set of the evening. ‘Harrows’ got tumultuous cheers from the crowd as they began to play. With two demos under their belt they are an Alt/Post Punk/ new wave act with a tuneful but heavy sound. With a wall of thundering drums, whining lead solos and a confident front man, they did their first number Kev’s Lama.
It wasn’t easy to hear with the noise and mayhem about, but generally they sounded polished and very talented. They did Winning Grin with a trickling intro to build up to a manic beat. They did a slightly slower song; Can’t be alright third. Guitars brilliant and this has a catchy melody too.
A Jungle drumbeat bashed out for Advertise really got the party going and although I’m sure it’s a great song, you could hear nothing!
Things began to get a little out of hand, with a shower of beer and an amp toppling over. But Ben handled the moment well and stopped until people settled down.
They exuded tonnes of N.R.G. and their music is really lively and memorable, when you can hear it. But the nicest song by far was Told. Beginning with a riff that reminds me of That’s Entertainment by ‘The JAM’ it has gorgeous chords, a catchy melody line and wonderful lead performed by Kevin Towey.
Ben’s vocals also would remind me of the singer from Irish band ‘The Flaws’. This band has something special but in such a confined venue, they were cramped.
They did At a Height which has a nice beat, gorgeous chord combinations, lots of distortion and a distinctive baseline throughout. Kev is one extremely good guitarist, but the extra guitar played by Alan Duggan made a huge difference to the big bashing sound that defines this act.
They did Don’t say a word with a snaking style guitar riff intro, and then it becomes choppy. In this song there is a lovely chorus.
To complete the riveting set, Harrows did Leave Again which has a bashing drumbeat, fantastic chorus and yet another exciting lead riff. Dan Fox on bass, Alan Duggan and Kevin Towey guitars, Ben Waddell vocals and Dara Kiely drums, this band and the music they conjure up won’t be too easy to forget!
BRAVADO
Starting out as a bunch of kids jamming together in Gaz’s shed to The Who, Arctic Monkeys and The Libertines; Bravado took the giant step of becoming an originals only band within a short time. They made the finals of Murphy’s Live ’08 and have played support to Cathy Davey, Future Kings of Spain and The Minutes. Brian/ Vocals, Kev and Milky/ Guitars/backing vocals, Corcy/ Bass and Gaz/ Drums have featured in two of my previous reviews.
They get around a lot and because of their total devotion to what they do, they have a huge following!
As they started with a new song without a name as yet, the place was hopping. A seductive melody line and a sweet baseline throughout, this choppy number was a treat!
One Day – I like the way the words are repeated after each line in the verse of this number. Great chord combinations, a strut style beat and a cheerful melody, it got the crowd even more mental than before!
Before the next song, Brian got a scarf thrown up at him. He duly wiped his brow and f…d it back to screams of delight. A real showman!
He’s big and bold, but has a great voice and defines the Bravado sound.
Sticks and Stones – This has lovely harmony done by Milky who has a good voice too!
Take your pick – With a trickling riff done by two guitars in sync, this has a memorable melody. It’s an easy going Rock’n’Roll song, with a delicious lead solo and fabulous percussion by Gaz!
The crowd, who had now packed the place like a sardine tin, were totally alive and the lads were enjoying it too. Somehow Brian always manages to keep the head and has a knack for focusing on the show. They did a really upbeat song next called Love fast die young.
This has cheeky riffs and a great lead solo and changes pace before the final chorus.
Artificial Angels – This is a classic and shows Brian’s vocal range off well. It’s a slow song with sweet harmony and a memorable melody.
Bag of Messages – This I feel must be one of their favourite numbers, the way they all get so involved!
It has a great intro with a fast beat and a sweet riff. Kev does backing vocals and Corcy plays gorgeous bass here too. I like the echo of Go Away in it.
Revenge is not enough – Brian plays tambourine in this slinky number and Kev sings the verse. Milky and Corcy create a lovely backdrop of bass and lead. And not forgetting Gaz; the man of many smiles, who supplies fab beats to all of Bravado’s songs. A right joker, but a nice guy and a good drummer!
Runnin’ – My absolute favourite Bravado song was next. That thumping intro, distortion packed magical chords just bursting out and energy infused riffs galore always make me want to stomp and clap!
They did The Break during which Milky donned a big leprechaun hat, ready for Paddy’s Day!
Any other Way – This is a nice number with a fast beat, a baseline that’s magic and a lovely lead intro. It’s young, exciting and has lots going on in it. This song always reminds me of wonderful Irish legends of rock Thin Lizzy, with percussion par excellence and moving into a choppy strut towards the end.
They finished with Too Tired to Sleep – A complex number, with flanger and lots of distortion used. Fire charged rhythm, energetic bass and a catchy melody; it was a perfect choice to close the set.
I had a great evening but found the smaller venue way too confined for a large crowd of young punters!
I started out being a skeptic about this band who don’t take themselves too seriously! But since giving them a proper listen I realize that you certainly shouldn’t judge a book by its cover!
Upstairs at Whelan’s
16/03/09
Angela Macari – O’Looney
I’ve been to quite a few gigs at this popular venue in Wexford Street. However, this was my first gig upstairs in the smaller part. Bravado, who I’ve seen play support on two previous occasions were starring on this occasion Having had a taste of their interesting and lively music, I felt it was time I saw them at their own show.
This group of young men have a ‘couldn’t care less’ approach, or so it seems. But beneath the Joke-a-minute personality of each member lies a true musician. You only have to hear one or two of their particularly special numbers to recognise this!
On this occasion the two support bands The Groove and Harrows were quite a contrast in styles and in their own rite provided the perfect warm up. Some of the supporters of all three bands went a little over the top to express their appreciation and knocked a speaker down, gave any poor sod near the front a beer bath and did this pushing game that seems to be part and parcel of being at a gig where fresh young music is played. Despite all of this, I had a really enjoyable night.
The Groove
Hailing from Coolock Dublin, this Alt/ Indie/ Rock band have built up quite a fanbase and are making great strides, with an up coming four track demo in the pipeline. Members are David McGorman/Vocals, Gary Fitzsimons/ Guitar, Darren Fitzsimons/ Drums, Sean O’Connor/ Guitar and Wade Courtney/ Bass.
Beginning with a short number involving lots of bass packed with distortion, they proved to have a pleasant sound. A sweet rhythmic riff, occasional harmony and free flowing lead riffs here and there made this a nice start to the night. Dave has a quiet, but likeable vocal style. This new song hasn’t a name as yet!
Cracks will emerge involves all guitars playing in sync with the vocals. Dramatic and choppy rhythm! Darren on drums sings backing vocals and is a real showman. Lots of big smiles and as a drummer he is impressive too!
This scene is obscene – Galloping beat! Lots of minor chords, distortion and a catchy chorus where Dave sings and his words are echoed by Darren ‘Going nowhere!’ I like the way the beat alters later on in this song to become choppy!
They did seven more songs. But my personal favourites were Don’t get your hopes up; Cheerful with a memorable melody line and catchy lead riffs. Also ‘I smiled when I first met you; With a Rock’n’Roll beat and a distinctive guitar riff which I loved.
I can’t forgive You – This has a brilliant bass intro, with wonderful riffs and a sweet melody. Dave’s vocals excellent here and the beat is fast and exciting too!
With really noticeable guitar solos and riffs throughout, all of their songs are catchy. They did a slow song; Yet we all soon will change which I thought was perhaps the nicest of the whole set. The highlight of this was definitely the interesting guitar riffs and chords.
People sang along with the last song The Boys Revenge which is energetic with lots of ‘Whoa’ in the chorus. From a nice bunch of lads this was a well performed first set!
Harrows
A five piece band with some seriously good guitarists and a charming vocalist in Ben Waddell arrived on stage to play the second set of the evening. ‘Harrows’ got tumultuous cheers from the crowd as they began to play. With two demos under their belt they are an Alt/Post Punk/ new wave act with a tuneful but heavy sound. With a wall of thundering drums, whining lead solos and a confident front man, they did their first number Kev’s Lama.
It wasn’t easy to hear with the noise and mayhem about, but generally they sounded polished and very talented. They did Winning Grin with a trickling intro to build up to a manic beat. They did a slightly slower song; Can’t be alright third. Guitars brilliant and this has a catchy melody too.
A Jungle drumbeat bashed out for Advertise really got the party going and although I’m sure it’s a great song, you could hear nothing!
Things began to get a little out of hand, with a shower of beer and an amp toppling over. But Ben handled the moment well and stopped until people settled down.
They exuded tonnes of N.R.G. and their music is really lively and memorable, when you can hear it. But the nicest song by far was Told. Beginning with a riff that reminds me of That’s Entertainment by ‘The JAM’ it has gorgeous chords, a catchy melody line and wonderful lead performed by Kevin Towey.
Ben’s vocals also would remind me of the singer from Irish band ‘The Flaws’. This band has something special but in such a confined venue, they were cramped.
They did At a Height which has a nice beat, gorgeous chord combinations, lots of distortion and a distinctive baseline throughout. Kev is one extremely good guitarist, but the extra guitar played by Alan Duggan made a huge difference to the big bashing sound that defines this act.
They did Don’t say a word with a snaking style guitar riff intro, and then it becomes choppy. In this song there is a lovely chorus.
To complete the riveting set, Harrows did Leave Again which has a bashing drumbeat, fantastic chorus and yet another exciting lead riff. Dan Fox on bass, Alan Duggan and Kevin Towey guitars, Ben Waddell vocals and Dara Kiely drums, this band and the music they conjure up won’t be too easy to forget!
BRAVADO
Starting out as a bunch of kids jamming together in Gaz’s shed to The Who, Arctic Monkeys and The Libertines; Bravado took the giant step of becoming an originals only band within a short time. They made the finals of Murphy’s Live ’08 and have played support to Cathy Davey, Future Kings of Spain and The Minutes. Brian/ Vocals, Kev and Milky/ Guitars/backing vocals, Corcy/ Bass and Gaz/ Drums have featured in two of my previous reviews.
They get around a lot and because of their total devotion to what they do, they have a huge following!
As they started with a new song without a name as yet, the place was hopping. A seductive melody line and a sweet baseline throughout, this choppy number was a treat!
One Day – I like the way the words are repeated after each line in the verse of this number. Great chord combinations, a strut style beat and a cheerful melody, it got the crowd even more mental than before!
Before the next song, Brian got a scarf thrown up at him. He duly wiped his brow and f…d it back to screams of delight. A real showman!
He’s big and bold, but has a great voice and defines the Bravado sound.
Sticks and Stones – This has lovely harmony done by Milky who has a good voice too!
Take your pick – With a trickling riff done by two guitars in sync, this has a memorable melody. It’s an easy going Rock’n’Roll song, with a delicious lead solo and fabulous percussion by Gaz!
The crowd, who had now packed the place like a sardine tin, were totally alive and the lads were enjoying it too. Somehow Brian always manages to keep the head and has a knack for focusing on the show. They did a really upbeat song next called Love fast die young.
This has cheeky riffs and a great lead solo and changes pace before the final chorus.
Artificial Angels – This is a classic and shows Brian’s vocal range off well. It’s a slow song with sweet harmony and a memorable melody.
Bag of Messages – This I feel must be one of their favourite numbers, the way they all get so involved!
It has a great intro with a fast beat and a sweet riff. Kev does backing vocals and Corcy plays gorgeous bass here too. I like the echo of Go Away in it.
Revenge is not enough – Brian plays tambourine in this slinky number and Kev sings the verse. Milky and Corcy create a lovely backdrop of bass and lead. And not forgetting Gaz; the man of many smiles, who supplies fab beats to all of Bravado’s songs. A right joker, but a nice guy and a good drummer!
Runnin’ – My absolute favourite Bravado song was next. That thumping intro, distortion packed magical chords just bursting out and energy infused riffs galore always make me want to stomp and clap!
They did The Break during which Milky donned a big leprechaun hat, ready for Paddy’s Day!
Any other Way – This is a nice number with a fast beat, a baseline that’s magic and a lovely lead intro. It’s young, exciting and has lots going on in it. This song always reminds me of wonderful Irish legends of rock Thin Lizzy, with percussion par excellence and moving into a choppy strut towards the end.
They finished with Too Tired to Sleep – A complex number, with flanger and lots of distortion used. Fire charged rhythm, energetic bass and a catchy melody; it was a perfect choice to close the set.
I had a great evening but found the smaller venue way too confined for a large crowd of young punters!
I started out being a skeptic about this band who don’t take themselves too seriously! But since giving them a proper listen I realize that you certainly shouldn’t judge a book by its cover!
Friday, March 20, 2009
gig in The Greysones Theatre
More Tiny Giants
At
The Greystones Theatre
6/ 03/ ‘09
I’ve been quite curious about this new gig venue. So on hearing that my good friends ‘More Tiny Giants’ were coming out of hibernation, with a new sound and a bigger line-up, I ventured down the M50 to Wicklow.
This band, an explosive combination of raps, beats and melody has become my all time favourite unsigned act. I was looking forward to the unveiling of some new material, extra instruments and even more oomph added to an already unique Alt/ Punk sound!
On arrival I had a drink in the small but cosy bar. From three or four people, the number increased within a short space and before long there was a nice crowd waiting to go inside. The Theatre is very modern and although small, is excellently designed to be compact and comfortable. It’s simple, with the auditorium surrounding a large floor space, where cubic wooden benches were placed for further seating. I picked a good vantage point for both listening to the music and taking one or two photos.
The first set was performed by a funky blues band; Almost Funk Band. Slapping baselines, husky male vocals and jazzy discords expertly played on guitars, created an appealing sound.
They did a song; Blues by the man where the singer uses falsetto notes for a high pitched ‘Why’. I liked the jazz riffs which were blurted out intermittently by the fabulous lead guitar. The small crowd lapped this act up and with this band’s cool charisma, I wasn’t too surprised.
They did a choppy number; Who’s the bomb. Jazzy at the beginning, it included this amazing Jimi Hendrix screaming lead solo in the middle that blew me away and somehow diverted the whole mood away from jazz to rock. Very interesting!
What the f..ck was a fun number which put a smile on people’s faces. It had a catchy chorus which was easy to sing to. There’s a line that I love; Would you give a dog a number, would you give a dog a bone.
Swishing cymbals, distortion packed guitars and rhythmic bass continued throughout the song.
They did quite a few more songs, but I particularly enjoyed one called Everybody’s good. This has jazz chords, bending guitar riffs and each instrument including the jazzy voice of the lead singer, was well and truly put through its paces!
Next up were Zealots, with a female vocalist Ruth who plays keyboards too. From the minute they got up onstage, I was intrigued. This lady is so young, in neat black attire and along with her band, made a big impression on all present.
Scully – Drums, Colum – Bass and Dan – Guitar are in the line-up, which has been tweaked a little since this act started off. Now happy with their sound, they seem to blend very well and definitely could not be termed boring.
Depeche Mode/Interpol/Muse- inspired creations kept me mesmerised. Rhythmic notes combined with Ruth’s Toyah Wilcox-style of singing were a treat to the senses.
They did nine songs beginning with ‘Go to drive’, which has a sweet riff with an echo effect in it. Ruth’s voice is light here as she sings the chorus; I can see your head’s on fire!
Contrition – I find that Ruth brings to mind all of my heroines from yesteryear. In this song she reminds me of Debbie Harry from Blondie, with that ability to perform the chorus seductively, yet maintaining certain indifference in her attitude. Dan’s baselines are very audible as are his backing vocals which I find a bit iffy. Riffs on keyboards are catchy too!
And So They Shivered – This number is fast, with lovely chords and a delicious distortion packed riff. Keyboards amazing!
The beat is fast and then becomes choppy after the first chorus, which involves Ruth’s vocals sliding up to falsetto notes giving a creepy effect. This style is really unique I have to say!
Eva was fourth with a tick tock style of beat in it. Dramatic chords and a baseline that’s almost like the throbbing of a heartbeat, lends to the atmosphere!
They followed this with Chalklines, Kontract, Exitbag, Fastone and The Glitch. Of these my favourites were Exitbag and The Glitch.
Exitbag – A fan of Fight like Apes, I found this number remarkably similar to that type of sound but perhaps a tad tamer. Emotionally sung lyrics and a haunting melody plus delicious riffs played on guitars made this number, with electronic beeps and blips on boards constantly hypnotising the audience!
The Glitch – With ten times more punch than all of the set, this song was outstanding!
It starts with a simple keyboard riff that is so catchy. Then there’s an explosion of sound to take you into the verse. The riff continues throughout this number and Ruth sings the line ‘They put a big star beside your name’ with such expression!
Thumping drumbeats and weird guitar riffs add drama, then the chorus; ‘This is my survival’ starts out being sung in a normal way, gradually increasing in emphasis until Ruth actually screams it out. If this didn’t wake us all up for the headliners, I don’t know what could!
From such a cool calm looking young woman, she transforms herself to a manic banshee when she sings. I’d like whatever she’s having barman!
More Tiny Giants
With new bassist Ben onboard, Stevie and Rian on guitars, Oisin on drums and Paul Finan on vocals and piano/organ and rhythm guitar, the stage was filled up for the main attraction of the night.
They have come a long way since the ‘Wolves at the Door’ debut E.P. two years ago. Having explored new sounds and genres, they have injected hip-hop and jazz into the Punk/ Folk rock music that has been their signature to date.
They started off with a new song; King Heshame which has an intro performed on trombone by Paul himself. This is followed by a big burst of sound from all instruments. The verse is quiet, but the chorus is really catchy. I was impressed with it and thought it a great opener.
War on my Back – This song has a Fairground style intro, with a strange tempo in it. Haunting discords and a mysterious feel to the melody made it memorable, but a little weird.
Hocus Pocus – I felt this was more like what I have come to like about the M.T.G. sound. Rian went on keyboards for this one and Paul took his guitar up. It’s fascinating how effortlessly these guys can switch from one instrument to another and play both excellently!
Mr. Universe – This I really loved! Close harmony in the chorus, a creepy part in the middle and great backing vocals created great drama and interest. The lyrics mentioned something about ‘Dancing in circles’ and it changed tempo for that bit, to a three four fast waltz. There was a catchy guitar riff and with the simple melody and the full band sound, this was really enjoyable.
A church Organ type of intro took us into Burn us all, which commanded the audiences attention. Thumping drums, close harmony and brilliant riffs again stole the show. A delightful mandolin solo was performed here by Rian. Paul’s vocals passionate!
Paul did the count in for Buxton Blues next, to the delight of all in the theatre, especially yours truly!
We all sang (shouted) the chorus along with the band. That baseline is magic and the lyrics are ‘Crazy’!
Stevie used a slider on the lead guitar which was really sweet and added a Cowboy twang to the equation!
They of course did a few more old favourites such as Heroes and Buildings with its dramatic chorus and complex discords. This number always reminds me of Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust days.
Wolves at the Door – With its slinky intro, the creepy song as my son refers to it began. Paul’s vocals slide up and down in a wolf like way, bass is absolutely amazing and those words of warning in the chorus; I’ll make you so cold you’ll scare the blossoms away are the components of this band’s most popular song.
I don’t like Formulas was the last oldie and was as enjoyable as ever. They finished with a new song called Aqua. Huge shouts of ‘One more song’ went up as they left the stage.
I’ve clocked up quite a few M.T.G.gigs and never yet saw them perform an encore!
But as I was about to go to the bar for a 7up, lo and behold out they came!
They played the choppy intro to You wanna sell and with its threatening lyrics, the fab build up sung by the backing vocals and then the fun ‘Bah bah’ in the middle eight, it sounded better than ever!
The new material will probably become as popular as the older songs in time. There is definitely a huge improvement with the extra musicians and the way they have expanded their sound. Anything this fun bunch of geniuses produced would draw my attention. I like to hear something that absolutely nobody can copy. Plus it is done well and with conviction!
Greystones from Rathcoole was a bit of a journey for me. But I’d hop a shuttle to outer space to see them, because they definitely hit a nerve for me every time I hear them on my mp3, or see them live!
A lovely venue, three quirky but brilliant bands!
Angela Macari O’Looney
At
The Greystones Theatre
6/ 03/ ‘09
I’ve been quite curious about this new gig venue. So on hearing that my good friends ‘More Tiny Giants’ were coming out of hibernation, with a new sound and a bigger line-up, I ventured down the M50 to Wicklow.
This band, an explosive combination of raps, beats and melody has become my all time favourite unsigned act. I was looking forward to the unveiling of some new material, extra instruments and even more oomph added to an already unique Alt/ Punk sound!
On arrival I had a drink in the small but cosy bar. From three or four people, the number increased within a short space and before long there was a nice crowd waiting to go inside. The Theatre is very modern and although small, is excellently designed to be compact and comfortable. It’s simple, with the auditorium surrounding a large floor space, where cubic wooden benches were placed for further seating. I picked a good vantage point for both listening to the music and taking one or two photos.
The first set was performed by a funky blues band; Almost Funk Band. Slapping baselines, husky male vocals and jazzy discords expertly played on guitars, created an appealing sound.
They did a song; Blues by the man where the singer uses falsetto notes for a high pitched ‘Why’. I liked the jazz riffs which were blurted out intermittently by the fabulous lead guitar. The small crowd lapped this act up and with this band’s cool charisma, I wasn’t too surprised.
They did a choppy number; Who’s the bomb. Jazzy at the beginning, it included this amazing Jimi Hendrix screaming lead solo in the middle that blew me away and somehow diverted the whole mood away from jazz to rock. Very interesting!
What the f..ck was a fun number which put a smile on people’s faces. It had a catchy chorus which was easy to sing to. There’s a line that I love; Would you give a dog a number, would you give a dog a bone.
Swishing cymbals, distortion packed guitars and rhythmic bass continued throughout the song.
They did quite a few more songs, but I particularly enjoyed one called Everybody’s good. This has jazz chords, bending guitar riffs and each instrument including the jazzy voice of the lead singer, was well and truly put through its paces!
Next up were Zealots, with a female vocalist Ruth who plays keyboards too. From the minute they got up onstage, I was intrigued. This lady is so young, in neat black attire and along with her band, made a big impression on all present.
Scully – Drums, Colum – Bass and Dan – Guitar are in the line-up, which has been tweaked a little since this act started off. Now happy with their sound, they seem to blend very well and definitely could not be termed boring.
Depeche Mode/Interpol/Muse- inspired creations kept me mesmerised. Rhythmic notes combined with Ruth’s Toyah Wilcox-style of singing were a treat to the senses.
They did nine songs beginning with ‘Go to drive’, which has a sweet riff with an echo effect in it. Ruth’s voice is light here as she sings the chorus; I can see your head’s on fire!
Contrition – I find that Ruth brings to mind all of my heroines from yesteryear. In this song she reminds me of Debbie Harry from Blondie, with that ability to perform the chorus seductively, yet maintaining certain indifference in her attitude. Dan’s baselines are very audible as are his backing vocals which I find a bit iffy. Riffs on keyboards are catchy too!
And So They Shivered – This number is fast, with lovely chords and a delicious distortion packed riff. Keyboards amazing!
The beat is fast and then becomes choppy after the first chorus, which involves Ruth’s vocals sliding up to falsetto notes giving a creepy effect. This style is really unique I have to say!
Eva was fourth with a tick tock style of beat in it. Dramatic chords and a baseline that’s almost like the throbbing of a heartbeat, lends to the atmosphere!
They followed this with Chalklines, Kontract, Exitbag, Fastone and The Glitch. Of these my favourites were Exitbag and The Glitch.
Exitbag – A fan of Fight like Apes, I found this number remarkably similar to that type of sound but perhaps a tad tamer. Emotionally sung lyrics and a haunting melody plus delicious riffs played on guitars made this number, with electronic beeps and blips on boards constantly hypnotising the audience!
The Glitch – With ten times more punch than all of the set, this song was outstanding!
It starts with a simple keyboard riff that is so catchy. Then there’s an explosion of sound to take you into the verse. The riff continues throughout this number and Ruth sings the line ‘They put a big star beside your name’ with such expression!
Thumping drumbeats and weird guitar riffs add drama, then the chorus; ‘This is my survival’ starts out being sung in a normal way, gradually increasing in emphasis until Ruth actually screams it out. If this didn’t wake us all up for the headliners, I don’t know what could!
From such a cool calm looking young woman, she transforms herself to a manic banshee when she sings. I’d like whatever she’s having barman!
More Tiny Giants
With new bassist Ben onboard, Stevie and Rian on guitars, Oisin on drums and Paul Finan on vocals and piano/organ and rhythm guitar, the stage was filled up for the main attraction of the night.
They have come a long way since the ‘Wolves at the Door’ debut E.P. two years ago. Having explored new sounds and genres, they have injected hip-hop and jazz into the Punk/ Folk rock music that has been their signature to date.
They started off with a new song; King Heshame which has an intro performed on trombone by Paul himself. This is followed by a big burst of sound from all instruments. The verse is quiet, but the chorus is really catchy. I was impressed with it and thought it a great opener.
War on my Back – This song has a Fairground style intro, with a strange tempo in it. Haunting discords and a mysterious feel to the melody made it memorable, but a little weird.
Hocus Pocus – I felt this was more like what I have come to like about the M.T.G. sound. Rian went on keyboards for this one and Paul took his guitar up. It’s fascinating how effortlessly these guys can switch from one instrument to another and play both excellently!
Mr. Universe – This I really loved! Close harmony in the chorus, a creepy part in the middle and great backing vocals created great drama and interest. The lyrics mentioned something about ‘Dancing in circles’ and it changed tempo for that bit, to a three four fast waltz. There was a catchy guitar riff and with the simple melody and the full band sound, this was really enjoyable.
A church Organ type of intro took us into Burn us all, which commanded the audiences attention. Thumping drums, close harmony and brilliant riffs again stole the show. A delightful mandolin solo was performed here by Rian. Paul’s vocals passionate!
Paul did the count in for Buxton Blues next, to the delight of all in the theatre, especially yours truly!
We all sang (shouted) the chorus along with the band. That baseline is magic and the lyrics are ‘Crazy’!
Stevie used a slider on the lead guitar which was really sweet and added a Cowboy twang to the equation!
They of course did a few more old favourites such as Heroes and Buildings with its dramatic chorus and complex discords. This number always reminds me of Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust days.
Wolves at the Door – With its slinky intro, the creepy song as my son refers to it began. Paul’s vocals slide up and down in a wolf like way, bass is absolutely amazing and those words of warning in the chorus; I’ll make you so cold you’ll scare the blossoms away are the components of this band’s most popular song.
I don’t like Formulas was the last oldie and was as enjoyable as ever. They finished with a new song called Aqua. Huge shouts of ‘One more song’ went up as they left the stage.
I’ve clocked up quite a few M.T.G.gigs and never yet saw them perform an encore!
But as I was about to go to the bar for a 7up, lo and behold out they came!
They played the choppy intro to You wanna sell and with its threatening lyrics, the fab build up sung by the backing vocals and then the fun ‘Bah bah’ in the middle eight, it sounded better than ever!
The new material will probably become as popular as the older songs in time. There is definitely a huge improvement with the extra musicians and the way they have expanded their sound. Anything this fun bunch of geniuses produced would draw my attention. I like to hear something that absolutely nobody can copy. Plus it is done well and with conviction!
Greystones from Rathcoole was a bit of a journey for me. But I’d hop a shuttle to outer space to see them, because they definitely hit a nerve for me every time I hear them on my mp3, or see them live!
A lovely venue, three quirky but brilliant bands!
Angela Macari O’Looney
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