The Goo 1
Live Reviews Whelan’s Ones To Watch - Whelans - J
ohn Brereton/ Ryan Kelly/ Jack McBain The latest edition of Whelan’s Ones to Watch, a showcase for emerging Irish music, kicked off with a superb set from one of the country’s best emerging acts, And He, The Fool, a seven piece who trade in art rock with elements of funk & yacht rock thrown into the mix. When they hit their groove they are enthralling. Softdrink Millionaire offer a laconic soundstorm and have cool and grit in equal amounts, I loved them. iNNUENDO followed and were a delight, Nora Ronan’s vocals/ keyboards giving them a strong focal point with a sound that has Blondie/Kate Bush vibrations a go go. Another fine Blowtorch Records signing. Cable Boy ooze confidence and class and are surely on the verge of a breakout. Their finely honed indie dream pop is a joy and live Semilore and the boys genuinely look like they are having the time of their lives. My (too) short dip into the future ended with Admed, With Love’s excellent main stage set. This boy is going places and tonight he had the crowd in the palm of his hand as he rapped through his biggest bangers ‘WHATCIMACALLIT’ and ‘Yes, Of Course’ to great acclaim. JB The buzz was strong around Madra Salach, an absolute must-see folk band, headed by lead vocalist Paul Banks. It was a simple set-up, with the 5-piece playing a type of musical chairs, trading positions 28 and instruments between tunes. The only man who stayed still throughout was Dara Duffy, glued to his cajon. Banks delivered the kind of impassioned vocal performance we’ve come to expect from him: a booming voice that reaches every corner of a venue, with that touch of raspiness to let you know he’s giving it everything. It was quite the genre switch-up from previous acts, but it’s safe to say it went down well. At one stage it felt the crowd were willing Banks on, pushing his voice to near breaking point. They performed brilliant renditions of ‘Schooldays Over’ and ‘Spancil Hill’, wellknown to many through Luke Kelly and The Dubliners, who have surely been a great inspiration for the Madraí Salach. The short set rounded up with a brilliant original in ‘The Man Who Seeks Pleasure’. With such a spirited performance, Madra Salach set a high bar for the rest to follow. RK I kicked things off with Pebbledash who were a lovely calming presence and a nice way to start a long night with melodic tunes that have a distinctly Irish touch to them. Up next a band that I have been big on for a while now that’s Ten Hail Mary’s who took to the stage a day after releasing their debut EP ‘Faults I May Have’ and they have never sounded better. Their sound has really developed since the last time I seen them now adding Jamie O’Rourke to the band on synths they have perfected a mix of heavy guitar riffs with distorted walls of sounds that work perfectly. Lead vocalist Adam Cullen breaking out into the ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ riff when performing their tune ‘I Still See Your Face’ is worth the admission fee alone and always brings a smile to my face. Next up was BBFT who were a late upgrade to the main stage at Whelans and by god did they take this opportunity and put on a show. A mainly instrumental band that mix elements of techno, noise rock and everything in between. This has to be one of the most technical bands I have seen in a long time with drummer and vocalist Noah McCarthy-Dunne reminding me of a young Zach Hill one of the finest drummers to live. I was really impressed with BBFT and they define the term ‘one to watch’ for this year. And finally, a performance that had me speechless. It was my first time seeing the raucous Peer Pleasure and it was a performance I will never forget. Im not really sure where to start but when I see the frontman leap into the crowd and when I say leap I mean leap, into the crowd not soon after walking onto the stage I knew I was in for a good time. The best way I can describe Peer Pleasure is a mix between Viagra Boys and the Rubberbandits. From start to finish this was a high octane high energy chaotic performance that blew the roof off the Whelan’s main room. Peer Pleasure are an absolute blast and a breath of fresh air in the Irish music scene with a unique sense of chaos which is sometimes missing in a lot of bands. JMcB