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FEB-MAR 24 confidence and verve. The third song s
he performed, ‘Beaches’, was a standout. It saw her take control and the gentle subtlety and delivery set the ballast for the louder moments to come. An incredible song that needs to be heard from an artist with an extremely impressive vocal range. Attention For Rent look like a band that mean business. Front woman Abbey Addenbroke-Sheriff boasts electric stage presence and is the perfect salve for the wall of crashing guitars that infiltrate the January quiet in this propulsive set reminiscent of the very best Seattle grunge bands of yesteryear. A folk undertow lends their songs a gentle gothic imprint and it is very hard to comprehend that this accomplished group only formed in 2023. More fire in this performance than a bad November night on O’Connell Street. AM. Clay Pigeon Shooting stood out among the rest of the main stage sets - with main vocals from Aaron Lawlor, the style and diction that he brings to the stage is enchanting; it’s a raging fire that you really can’t look away from, and combined with the heavy post-punk guitar and drums in the back, it’s a set that you surely can’t miss. Digdeep was an amazing penultimate set for the main stage. If you enjoy good basement rock, dancing and overall high octane musical energy, then Digdeep is one to keep an eye on. DS. CABL - Sin É For Nina opened proceedings and the main element of their music that I loved is the guitar work by guitarist Ben Watson. From the amazing classic rock-esque riff in ‘Too Proud’ to the wailing/rock switch off throughout ‘Value’, the guitar work is commendable. The vocals and drumming were good as well and if you enjoy female vocalists in a similar style of Wolf Alice, you’d enjoy main vocalist Holly Owens. For Nina are definitely a band to look out for. Next up were Binmen who have recently reformulated their set and I firmly believe that this new vibe they’re putting out is just what the music scene here needs. Talking Heads-esque songs such as ‘Waking the Neighbours’ and ‘Raspberry Jam’ were some of my favourites. ‘Perpetual’ and ‘Babycakes’ were on opposite ends of the stylistic spectrum - ‘Perpetual’ is the one song they kept pre-reformulation, and it’s much more punky sounding than the rest of the set while ‘Babycakes’ employs a 50s Americana sound. Excellent stuff. Having recently released their new EP - See You In a Year and a Half - this was a highly anticipated gig for anyone who has been following the rise of CABL. Their style ranges from The Cranberries to Paramore, with vocals and guitar riffs to match both. ‘Movies’, a collaboration with Lifts violinist Clara Webster was definitely a standout on the night. The violin interwoven with their melodic style really hit as a reprieve in between their more intense songs. Another highlight was ‘Shoelaces’, a rather aptly named song. Beginning with a slow, steady series of chords, it’s reminiscent of other popular shoegaze bands like Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine. CABL have the potential to go far so it was great to catch this intimate show. DS. .. VIOLIN INTERWOVEN WITH THEIR MELODIC STYLE .. FRÄULEIN Fräulein - Whelan’s (Upstairs) This Northern Irish/Dutch duo are singer/guitarist Joni Samuels and drummer Karsten van der Tol. They have a sound that is probably most correctly described as grunge, with Samuels providing PJ Harvey-esque vocals. They open with October’s dreamier single ‘The Last Drop’, then launch into the superb ‘Wait and See’ released only days earlier. Samuels humbly admits “We didn’t expect there to be so many people so we’re really happy you’re here”. Track three is a new one, then we get a very emotive performance of ‘Golden Boy’ from their first EP. With Karsten backed into the corner on drums, Joni has the luxury of roaming about the stage and happily does so. Unfortunately a brisk return to the mic during ‘Brand New’ has Joni inform us after “I bust my lip on the mic and now I’m bleeding”. A crowd member immediately replies “Rock and Roll” so the show must go on. Older singles ‘Drag Behind’ and ‘Pretty People’ (which they “haven’t played in two years”) are heavier and more guttural, then Karsten provides a drum solo while Joni tends to her injuries. Samuels is at her most provocative singing new track ‘Feeling Good’ before a live debut of ‘Feels Like Flying’. Samuels voice is sensational during ‘Pet’ and closer ‘Big Cool’ and it’s notable how much they enjoy performing. Samuels often presses up against the drum kit, back to the audience as if they’re the only two there. I’m just glad that they’ve allowed us a window into their world. DC. PAGE 19