R.S.A.G. (live in Dublin)
May
4
Written by:
Monday, May 04, 2009
R.S.A.G. (live in Whelans, Dublin)
Review Snapshot: Big fan of drum solos? Nah, me neither. Fortunately Jeremy Hickey, spotted above ground on a drum stool last weekend, kept the solos to a minimum.
The Cluas Verdict? 7 out of 10
Full Review:
Sure, there were lots of great fills and extravagant percussion but almost always with the backing of his very own
phantom band. This is where the visuals come in. On a projected screen behind the drums was the reverse silhouette of Hickey accompanying himself on bass, acoustic guitar, handclaps and whatever else was called for. Not a brand new concept -- of all people
Paul McCartney did a similar thing on TFI Friday about 15 years ago, but completely lacking Hickey's style or visual impact. Hickey's visuals were creepy and expressionless figures, one of them hooded, looking like a funky drop-out Ewok. A more interesting sight than most bands could muster.
His voice is a sort of cross between
John Martyn's mumble and a throaty
Ian Curtis yelp. It's fairly low in the mix and if you weren't already familiar with his
Choice nominated album "Organic Sampler" you'd struggle to work out what he's singing. So the songs can get a little samey. The drums are obviously centre stage and the rest of the instruments act more as foundations for the song rather than the other way around. It's a fresh way of approaching the 4/5 piece band, though I'm not sure it can hold a crowd for an hour plus.
Among the highlights of the night were "Talk Back Crawl Back", "Stick To Your Line" and "It Over", which got a good cheer from the crowd when that infectious acoustic riff kicked in, doubled by the bass.
RSAG is undoubtedly a great talent; he has enough good songs to cement a decent set and the visuals give a memorable impact to the show. However for one hour plus, the one man groove might be spread a little too thin.
Peter Teehan
2 comment(s) so far...
Re: R.S.A.G. (live in Dublin)
Spot on for me: I saw him live a few months ago and was v. disappointed. As you said, the vocals were so low in the mix as to be almost insignificant - and the novelty of his live set-up wore off fairly quickly once the songs started to sound samey. Seeing him live discouraged me from checking out the album: sales-pitch fail.
By aidan on
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
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Re: R.S.A.G. (live in Dublin)
f*** you, RSAG is the Best !!!!!!
By dancer on
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
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