The Goo 1
Reviews Live Reviews ETHAN GOLDING EX:OH PRESENTS
: ONION BOYS, ACID GRANNY & JULIA LOUIS KNIFEFIST Workmans Cellar PUNCHY, CAUSTIC PUNK ROCK PAGEANTRY Death Grips have misplaced their Adderall script. Understandably chaotic given how dense the music is and that Julia Louis Knifefist is currently one solitary flailing individual. Captivating and hilarious, JLK is one brave producer away from taking the music scene by storm. There’s enough pop appreciation to sucker anyone onto the dance floor and a suitable amount of chaos to make you fear for your life. Acid Granny was the usual mess of acid jazz dance and chaotic performance art. The crowd’s attention waned slightly toward the end GARRY BAYLON WHOZYERMAN? Workman’s Cellar I was lucky enough to catch O Emperor live a couple of times, last time being as far back as 2015, so after the band’s decision to call it a day, I was delighted to hear shortly after that Paul Savage would be embarking on a solo project, that was way back in 2019. The debut EP was released in 2020, but the pandemic and lockdown struck, two singles followed and the debut album Blink eventually released in February this year, but a debut live performance was delayed, until now, the official album PAGE 16 launch, in very busy Workman’s Cellar venue. We were left to wait a little longer, as start time was running a little late, with some understandable nerves on show as the last details of setting up instruments, cables, wires, were being undertaken, but eventually the band got underway and we were not left disappointed. Softly tapping out the feedback on the neck of his guitar, Paul, along with the rhythm section and keys, slowly built up the atmosphere, with textured layers of sound being placed upon each other for a super opening number. We were then treated to more songs in a similar vein taken from Blink, with a plethora of influences and genres on show, electronica, psychedelia, pop/ rock. Spacious effect laden guitar, mixed with 70’s space-age style keys and Paul’s minimalist dead-pan vocals, created an overall ambience, with hints of Jazz and even Afrobeat, influences such as early Talking Heads, Lou Reed, Air and Stereolab could be heard. At times it was almost fully instrumental, at times almost like a laid back seedy Las Vegas lounge set, but at all times intriguing and impressive. Unfortunately it was all over far too soon, leaving the audience not to ask “who’s yer man?”, but when can we get to see ‘whozyerman?’ again? as the meta stage performance continued to spiral and those more familiar with Acid Granny moved to the bar in preparation for the forthcoming Onion Boys. A reasonable occurrence considering their presence as a last minute substitution for I Am The Main Character. At one point they had incited a meandering runaway conga line which about sums up Acid Granny as a live act. A night which started with one lonely soul on stage ended with a celebration of community and collaborative effort. Following 40 minutes of punchy, caustic punk rock pageantry, Onion Boys (who already sport Acid Granny members) were joined on stage by the remainder of Dublin’s most musical trolley pushers as well as the young pup Julia Louis Knifefist. A bottle of Buckfast and a tray of shots summed up a bill which set out to blend community and music. Throughout the night the audience rotated in and out as friends and members of each band swapped sides from spectator to creator. At times messy and chaotic, there was a certain glean created by the fluidity of the night.