Reviews of Gigs by the CLUAS.com writing team http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/BlogId/25/Default.aspx en-US editor@cluas.com Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:00:15 GMT Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:00:15 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss Blog RSS Generator Version 4.0.0.0 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1344/C-O-D-E-S-live-in-the-Academy-Dublin.aspx <h2> C O D E S (live in the Academy, Dublin)</h2> <p> <u><strong>Review Snapshot:</strong></u>  C O D E S show once again why they are one of Ireland's best, if not best, live acts.</p> <p> <u><strong>The Cluas Verdict?</strong></u> 9 out of 10</p> <p> <img alt="" src="/indie-music/Portals/0/Blog/Files/25/1344/CODES.jpg " style="cursor: default; float: right; width: 400px; height: 533px; " /></p> <p> <u><strong>Full Review:</strong></u>  Hearing that one of your favourite bands have split is a lot like being told by the vet that your dog has to be put down. </p> <p> You realise that there must be a very good reason behind it, but you still don't want to accept it.  On hearing late last year that the <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Album_Reviews/tabid/87/EntryId/342/Future-Kings-of-Spain-Nervousystem.aspx">Future Kings of Spain</a> had abdicated their right to ascend the throne, I was devastated.  Never again would I be able to shout 'Play Meanest Sound!' during a set.  However, the blow was softened somewhat with the emergence of <a href="http://www.theblacktriangle.net/">The Black Triangle</a>, a band consisting of ex-members of the Future Kings of Spain (Karl Hussey and Bryan McMahon) and Bambi (Dan Barry).</p> <p> Now, while I'm still not sure whether their name refers to a particularly vehement branch of lesbian feminism or not (I doubt it), I am sure, from tonight's performance, that the three-piece are capable of producing a blend of angular rock consisting of the sharp, jagged guitar work and low-down-dirty drum and bass rhythms that define the scene. Songs such as <em>You Know It's Wrong</em>, <em>The Black Triangle</em> and <em>Daybreak</em> show a maturity and cohesiveness beyond their two gigs as a three-piece.  The Kings may be dead, but long live The Black Triangle.</p> <p> It says quite a bit about the upward trajectory of C O D E S that they could get a band like <a href="http://www.cluas.com/music/albums/delays.htm">Delays</a> to merely play support.  However, it becomes clear pretty quickly that, unlike the opening act, the Southampton band are very much an act whose best days are behind them. It's not for the want of trying mind.  The band, particularly lead singer Greg Gilbert, give it their all. Unfortunately, it is only bus journey favourite <em>Long Time Coming</em> that generates more than a polite response.</p> <p> The same can't be said for the audience reaction to <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Album_Reviews/tabid/87/EntryId/1166/C-O-D-E-S-Trees-Dream-in-Algebra.aspx">C O D E S</a>.  After being treated to a light show that, while undoubtedly spectacular, will do nothing to cease those dogged MUSE comparisons, the band surprise everybody by launching in to a new song rather than their traditional set openers <em>Malfunctions</em> and <em>This is Goodbye</em>.  As a live act, C O D E S adopt the form of a multi-limbed, multi-dimensional, multi-sensory behemoth, capable of transporting its audience light years from the Abbey Street building they entered just a few hours previously.  Tracks like <em>Cities</em>, <em>Trees Dream in Algebra</em> and <em>You are Here</em> are particularly well received but for me, I could die a happy man after hearing tonight's rendition of <em>Starry Eyed</em>.</p> <p> There is no denying that C O D E S have their detractors, <em>indier than thou</em> types who consider their sound 'too mainstream'.  There are none of those here tonight though, probably at home listening to an obscure Icelandic folk band whose Mahican language debut album contains one song consisting entirely of the sound of three sheep relaxing in a sauna. That might be me being facetious but it becomes very tiresome hearing/reading people trying to out indie each other and so when a band like C O D E S comes along and produce songs and a live show as powerful and as fun - yeah, I used the f-word - as this one, it's great to be a part of it.</p> <p> I've said it before and I'll say it again, C O D E S are a band destined to fill stadiums.  Tonight they took one step closer.</p> <p> <span _fck_bookmark="1" style="display: none; "> </span></p> <p> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; "><a href="http://www.cluas.com/writer-profiles/steven-orourke.htm">Steve O'Rourke</a></span></p> <br /><a href=http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1344/C-O-D-E-S-live-in-the-Academy-Dublin.aspx>More ...</a> editor@cluas.com http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1344/C-O-D-E-S-live-in-the-Academy-Dublin.aspx#Comments 0 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1344/C-O-D-E-S-live-in-the-Academy-Dublin.aspx Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.cluas.comDesktopModules/BlogTrackback.aspx?id=1344 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1324/Midlake-live-in-Dublin.aspx <h2> Midlake (live in Vicar Street, Dublin)</h2> <p> <u><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "><img alt="Midlake live in Dublin" src="/indie-music/Portals/0/Blog/Files/25/1324/Midlake-live.jpg " style="cursor: default; border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; float: right; width: 283px; height: 425px; " /></span>Review Snapshot:</strong></u> Everything from the way the instruments sounded to the almost perfect set list, it was a night to remember.  <a href="http://www.cluas.com/venues/vicar-street-dublin/">Vicar Street </a>was the perfect venue for this walking anachronism. Bigger than their previous Dublin venue (<a href="http://www.cluas.com/venues/village-dublin/">the Village</a>) but not so big that it made us feel like strangers to them. Midlake: another act for concert lovers to add to the list of bands who are great live.</p> <p> <u><strong>The Cluas Verdict?</strong></u> 9 out of 10</p> <p> <u><strong>Full Review:</strong></u><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "> The opening act, Texan woman Sarah Jaffe, was the perfect warm-up for the main act. Her tones smooth and inviting, the drums a harsh and exciting contrast. The crowd of mainly students in grungy jumpers was only just beginning to form. </span></strong></p> <p> <strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; ">Shortly after her set Midlake ambled on. Unassuming, shy, even awkward, there was a real sense that the crowd’s welcome was unexpected. Their previous Dublin gig drew a much smaller crowd (which guitarist and vocalist Eric Pulidio joked about, saying “I’m glad to see you brought some friends this time”). Vocalist Tim Smith slowly led us into ‘Winter Dies’ from <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Album_Reviews/tabid/87/EntryId/1305/Midlake-The-Courage-of-Others.aspx">the new album</a>, followed by the whispering opening of ‘Small Mountain’ on flutes. The flutes, in fact, were out in force. Something welcomed with open arms.</span></strong></p> <p> The set list included just the right amount from <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/discussion/tabid/63/aff/6/aft/7680/afv/topic/Default.aspx">Van Occupanter</a>. Each track however, sounded new. Gone were the gentle intros on bass and snare, enter the screaming, electric guitar and forceful beats of the drum. ‘Bandits’ kicked in with fervor. They had led us down their path and now we were theirs. ‘Young Bride’ followed but then came the highlight ‘Roscoe’. Played with terrifying passion, it was as if they had forgotten we were there. We now felt less like concert-goers and more like the fly-on-the-wall at a personal Midlake jam session-play off, even. </p> <p> The last song of their main set, ‘Head Home’, was a treat. When they left the stage it was clear the crowd were going nowhere.  Their encore was perhaps the most exciting event of the night. Not just because we knew we’d be in for something special, but because for the first time we saw boy-like excitement light up their faces. Playing a delicious and romantic version of ‘Branches’, the band members looked at one another with a smile of contentment.</p> <p> Lead singer Tim Smith stood back at one point and surveyed his band-mates, proud and in awe. They had not expected a crowd like this in Dublin. Perhaps they feared it would be a repeat of last time. They did not let us down, but we didn’t let them down either. </p> <p> <strong><em>Elaine Peppard</em></strong></p><br /><a href=http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1324/Midlake-live-in-Dublin.aspx>More ...</a> editor@cluas.com http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1324/Midlake-live-in-Dublin.aspx Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.cluas.comDesktopModules/BlogTrackback.aspx?id=1324 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1306/Cluster-live-In-Dublin.aspx <h2> Cluster (Live in The Village, Dublin)</h2> <p> <u><strong>Review Snapshot:</strong></u> So-called “pioneers of ambient music” fail to light fires at Dublin venue, The Village, but perform a convincing showcase for the latest “relaxing bathing tunes” CD collection.</p> <p> <u><strong>The Cluas Verdict?</strong></u> <strong>4/10</strong></p> <p> <u><strong>Full Review:</strong></u></p> <p> <img alt="Cluster" src="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Portals/0/Blog/Files/25/1306/Cluster.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px; width: 170px; height: 113px" />Cluster are a German electronic/experimental group which are often referred to as the “pioneers of ambient music”. When preparing to see them perform live, this tag is likely to raise your expectations. Which will be significantly lowered once the duo (Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius) begin playing their less than exhilarating set list.</p> <p> It would be unfair to strip the group of their “pioneer” status, as they have clearly influenced bands that have helped to shape music in the last 15+ years such as Air and Röyksopp. However their live performance left a lot to be desired when they played Dublin's The Village on Saturday, 6th of February.</p> <p> Cluster played a mix of what some might call “classic” songs, from their older albums such as “Für Luise” and some tracks off their most recent works. In a live performance the music was unmoving, but it was clear that in other situations, it would have its benefits. “Bath Music” one reveller called it in a mumbled conversation by the bar.</p> <p> The room remained virtually still under the command of the duo's almost intimidating soft and arty music, as was it clearly divided into those who had an interest in German ambient music, and those who came for the experience. Those with a vested interest nodded approvingly at Cluster’s performance, those who were unused to this kind of gig experience stared, bemused at the ageing pioneers, or made confused faces to their companions.</p> <p> Unfortunately, there is little to say on the group's performance, as is generally expected from an electronic group, there was little or no interaction with the crowd and interaction with each other was also at a bare minimum. It was far from a thrilling experience for any gig-goers, no emotion, no hairs standing on end, and no stories to tell afterwards. All the essential elements of a worthwhile gig.</p> <p> From song to song the music was good, if a little samey, although in a reasonably filled room, it did not make much of live performance. Instead of feeling like you were at a gig in one of Dublin's more prestigious venues, it felt as though you were sitting in a shamelessly trendy nightclub with a shamelessly repetitive soundtrack playing in the background.</p> <p> Perhaps it would have been a better idea to spend the €20 on a Cluster album, and have a relaxing night in a bubble bath instead.</p> <p> <strong><em>Claire Kane<br /> </em></strong></p> <br /><a href=http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1306/Cluster-live-In-Dublin.aspx>More ...</a><div class="category">Category: <a href=http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/CatID/10/Default.aspx>Claire Kane</a></div> editor@cluas.com Claire Kane http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1306/Cluster-live-In-Dublin.aspx#Comments 2 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1306/Cluster-live-In-Dublin.aspx Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.cluas.comDesktopModules/BlogTrackback.aspx?id=1306 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1296/Way-to-Blue-The-Songs-of-Nick-Drake-live-in-London.aspx <h2> Way to Blue - The Songs of Nick Drake (live in the Barbican Theatre, London)</h2> <p> <u><strong><img align="right" alt="Nick Drake" border="1" height="245" src="/indie-music/Portals/0/Blog/Files/25/1296/NickDrake.jpg " width="400" /></strong></u></p> <p> <u><strong>Review Snapshot:</strong></u> Curated by Joe Boyd, various musicians gather to pay tribute to Drakes unique songwriting.</p> <p> <u><strong><strong>The Cluas Verdict?</strong></strong></u> 7 out of 10</p> <p> <u><strong><u><strong>Full Review:<br /> </strong></u></strong></u>Way to Blue has just completed a three date tour of the UK, featuring a five-piece house band and seven-piece string section. The Barbican theatre was sold out on Saturday night with the show taking on the same format as the <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Blogs/Short_Cuts/tabid/79/EntryId/930/Neil-Young-and-Leonard-Cohen-live-in-Sydney.aspx">Leonard Cohen</a> tribute a few years ago – everyone takes a turn, one or two songs each, and then collaborations at the end.</p> <p> The singers featured on the show were chosen to display the versatility in Drake’s material. Robyn Hitchcock performs “Parasite” with electric guitar, Vashti Bunyan turns “Which Will” into a jaunty baroque string led piece, <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Interviews/tabid/106/EntryId/1112/Lisa-Hannigan.aspx">Lisa Hannigan</a> transforms “Black Eyed Dog” into an upbeat stomper and pianist Zoe Rahman gave “One of These Things First” the jazz instrumental treatment, which worked really well, sounding a little like something from Vince Guaraldi’s Charlie Brown soundtrack.</p> <p> One of the highlights of the night was an unannounced guest, who turned out to be Harper Simon. I’d never heard of this guy before but it didn’t take long to connect the dots and realize he was the son of Paul. Apart from having a similar guitar and vocal technique, he was short and stout like his old man. He did a beautiful version of “From The Morning” that made you imagine what could have happened if Simon had teamed up with Drake rather than Garfunkel.</p> <p> Another highlight was tribute show darling <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Blogs/Sound_Waves/tabid/78/EntryId/767/Return-to-the-Legions-of-the-Jazzed.aspx">Teddy Thompson </a>who performed “River Man” and “Poor Boy”, aided by four of his co star female singers for the chorus. Songs like these, played with full band in a large theatre gives you even more of an appreciation for Drake’s song writing. He didn’t simply write songs which could then be tarted up with a band. He had an ear for hooks and was more than capable of writing songs for large rooms, given the right direction. But as we know, his talent as a songwriter was not matched as a performer. Vashti Bunyan seemed swamped in her performance on the night; her voice, soft and breathless, could not rise above the house band, despite them playing as muted as possible. As a result, the focal point of the performance failed to make an impression. This may well have been the case with Drake as well, had he undertaken an ambitious tour.</p> <p> The low point of the night belonged to Scott Mathews. A popular draw with the crowd, but he showed the least sensitivity to Drakes material. Performing “Day Is Done”, at times the song veered too much into Rick Astley territory. Some singers rely too much on the “Whoa Bodyform!” moment.</p> <p> The showed ended with a beautiful performance of “Voice from the Mountain” with everyone returning to the stage and then finally Joe Boyd, the curator of the show, paying tribute to Drake, Robert Kirby (Drakes string arranger who passed away recently) and Kate McGarrigle.</p> <p> Plenty of cameras in the theatre on the night, expect a possible DVD release in the future.</p> <p> <u><strong><strong><em><a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Social/tabid/112/asuid/2926/Default.aspx">Peter Teehan</a></em></strong></strong></u></p> <br /><a href=http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1296/Way-to-Blue-The-Songs-of-Nick-Drake-live-in-London.aspx>More ...</a><div class="category">Category: <a href=http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/CatID/16/Default.aspx>Peter Teehan</a></div> editor@cluas.com Peter Teehan http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1296/Way-to-Blue-The-Songs-of-Nick-Drake-live-in-London.aspx#Comments 7 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1296/Way-to-Blue-The-Songs-of-Nick-Drake-live-in-London.aspx Sun, 24 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.cluas.comDesktopModules/BlogTrackback.aspx?id=1296 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1293/Peter-Doherty-Live-in-Dublin.aspx <h2> Pete Doherty, live in The Academy, Dublin</h2> <p> <u><strong>Review Snapshot:</strong></u><strong> </strong>I didn’t expect him to show up. Nor indeed did I expect him to show up with two ballerinas in tow. But show up he did. He was on form too.</p> <p> <u><strong>The Cluas Verdict?</strong></u> 9/10</p> <p> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><u><strong><img align="right" alt="Peter Doherty" border="1" height="182" src="/indie-music/Portals/0/Blog/Files/25/1293/Peter Doherty.jpg " width="150" /></strong></u></span></p> <p> <u><strong>Full Review:</strong></u> Pete Doherty packed The Academy last night, along with fellow Babyshambles member Adam Ficek, otherwise known as Roses Kings Castles, who was supporting. After an enjoyable albeit low key warm-up courtesy of Mr. Ficek, the Reverend Doherty kicked off around nine-ish. The crowd religiously belted out the opening numbers, which included ‘The ha ha wall’, ‘Kilamangiro’ & ‘Don’t look back into the sun’.</p> <p> Next was ‘Arcadia’, a popular tune from Doherty’s latest solo effort ‘Grace/Wastelands’, released last March. Those bizarre ballerinas I mentioned drifted in and out of the entire set. But I don’t think anyone paid any attention to them. I didn’t. Most of the audience were transfixed and delighted with Doherty’s fluid, energetic performance. ‘Beg, steal or borrow’, ‘New love grows on trees’ and ‘Time for Heroes’ where next up. The energy level amongst the crowd did not drop for a moment. Pete occasionally sat on his stool, flanked by two amps, wiping off sweat with a scarf discarded by some adoring fan. He ploughed on happily, by playing ‘In love with a feeling’ and Libertines’ crowd pleaser ‘Can’t stand me now’, strutting around the stage, occasionally pausing to stalk the front row.</p> <p> Then the house lights went up. A hush went through the venue as the music stopped. Pete walked up to the mic; ‘Just stepping out for a fag’ he quipped, ‘back in a mo’. Roars and roars of ecstatic appreciation immediately followed. The Academy was way beyond what can be described as hot last night. He returned to round off his show playing ‘F*ck forever’, that one throwing the crowd over the cliff edge with excitement, ‘Delivery’ and a slightly altered version of ‘Down in Albion’. The English cities mentioned in that song were replaced with Irish ones. That drew the set too a close.</p> <p> All in all a very entertaining gig. I had hoped too include some criticism, but the performance was faultless. It's good too see that when Pete can keep himself out of the red-tops for a few months and busy himself with music, things come back together quickly. He isn’t a spent force. In fact, if he keeps playing like he is now, he’s in real danger of getting even better.</p> <p> <em><strong>Donal Armstrong</strong></em></p> <ul> <li> Note from Editor: Corrections made to some song titles after some errors were pointed out in the comments below.</li> </ul> <br /><a href=http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1293/Peter-Doherty-Live-in-Dublin.aspx>More ...</a> editor@cluas.com http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1293/Peter-Doherty-Live-in-Dublin.aspx#Comments 7 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1293/Peter-Doherty-Live-in-Dublin.aspx Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.cluas.comDesktopModules/BlogTrackback.aspx?id=1293 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1268/Somadrone-and-Twinkranes-live-in-Dublin.aspx <h2>Somadrone and Twinkranes (live in Mill Street Studios, Dublin)</h2> <p><img width="300" height="225" border="1" align="right" alt="somadrone" src="/indie-music/Portals/0/Blog/Files/25/1268/somadrone.jpg " /><u><strong>Review Snapshot:</strong></u> Twinkranes fused frenetic drumming and looped bass, while Somadrone saturated the studios with a luminosity of noise, discord and ambient musings. A night I won't be forgetting any time soon.</p> <p><u><strong>The Cluas Verdict?</strong></u> 8.5 out of 10</p> <p><u><strong>Full Review:<br /> </strong></u>I like beards. When I walked around Mill Street Studios last night, I noticed it held a bearded-population of roughly 62.5%. This was going to be a good night. <br /> <br /> And what a venue. Stooping in through a small stable door, we were greeted by a candle-lit walkway leading into the two rooms of the studios. This clandestine venue made me feel special – while everyone else was dancing to The Prodigy, I was sipping a can of Preszky and sitting in front of a white petal net. There were couches and fairy lights and a lamp that looked like it was made out of coconut and mushrooms. <br /> <br /> This was the perfect setting for experimental rockers Twinkranes, who began decisively with a blend of electronica and a strong math-rock feel. Their use of organ reminded me of the 60s, which made me think of Andy Warhol and it was then that I realised how the group would have been the perfect accompaniment for a Warhol party. This is a band that works hard. The drummer was frantic and his intense stare of concentration was spellbinding. What a machine. ‘The Charmer’ was the standout track that resonated throughout the studio. Modern, exhilarating, and laced with moments of pleasant disease. <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1130/Castlepalooza-2009-Day-1-live-in-Charleville-Castle-Tullamore.aspx">Somadrone</a> took to the stage and at this stage the atmosphere in the studios had intensified. Expectations were fulfilled as Neil et al showered the venue with otherworldly sounds that ranged from controlled and tempered to explosive and chaotic. This musical project has been compared to <a href="http://www.cluas.com/music/albums/byrne-brian-eno-life-bush-ghosts.htm">Brian Eno</a> and rightly so, but the association is only skin-deep. Somadrone draws from a wide range of influences, each giving it an energy that is incisive, varied and fervent. <br /> <br /> The only criticism I have of this wonderfully unique event is that sections of Somadrone’s set would have been better suited to a bit of a sit down, or even a lie down. Granted, at that stage the cans were taking effect. But when I listen to Fuzzing Away to a Whisper’s second CD, Let’s Depart, I am usually relaxing rather than head-nodding. Next time, I’ll look for the couch. <br /> <br /> I was once told, ‘A man with a beard has something to hide.’ Well maybe, just maybe, he is hiding the talents of Somadrone’s Neil O’Connor, who created a glowing atmosphere that evolved into a deafening climax. Fin.</p> <p><strong><em><a href="http://www.cluas.com/writer-profiles/niamh-madden.htm">Niamh Madden</a></em></strong></p><br /><a href=http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1268/Somadrone-and-Twinkranes-live-in-Dublin.aspx>More ...</a> editor@cluas.com http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1268/Somadrone-and-Twinkranes-live-in-Dublin.aspx#Comments 0 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1268/Somadrone-and-Twinkranes-live-in-Dublin.aspx Sat, 19 Dec 2009 18:47:00 GMT http://www.cluas.comDesktopModules/BlogTrackback.aspx?id=1268 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1258/The-Antlers-Cymbals-Eat-Guitars-live-in-Paris.aspx <h2>The Antlers, Cymbals Eat Guitars (live at the Nouveau Casino, Paris)</h2> <p><u><strong>Review Snapshot:</strong></u> Two loud doses of U.S. alt-rock, which may be surprising for some fans of 'Hospice'. But at high volume and with lots of reverberating bass, The Antlers reveal even more of the emotions that inspired that fabulous album. Cymbals Eat Guitars, at war with your eardrums, are an uncomplicated pleasure.</p> <p><u><strong>The Cluas Verdict?</strong></u> 9 out of 10</p> <p><u><strong>Full Review:<br /> </strong></u>Every band on tour will stop in Paris - but alternative rock and pop have a relatively small audience in the French capital. So tonight two great American bands, Cymbals Eat Guitars and The Antlers, are playing on the same bill in a small venue in the hip Oberkampf district at only 15 euro a ticket. And still the place isn't even two-thirds full. (It was a similar story for another cracking double bill, <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1033/DM-Stith-The-Acorn-live-in-Paris.aspx">DM Stith and The Acorn, that we reviewed for you</a> back in May.)</p> <p>Tonight's show is part of the Custom series organised by French culture magazine <a href="http://www.lesinrocks.com">Les Inrockuptibles</a>, so it's only politic to have a local band kick off proceedings. However, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/liquidarchitecture">Liquid Architecture</a> are a low-rate plod-rock band trying too hard to be electro-funky like The Gossip. We needn't dwell on them.</p> <p>Visually, with their check shirts and woollen hats, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/cymbalseatguitars">Cymbals Eat Guitars</a> recall early '90s slacker rock and grunge. Guitar, bass and drums are all wielded as blunt instruments and Joseph D'Agostino seems to finish most songs by shredding his voice.</p> <p>Fortunately, CEG have melody and personality running through them like veins of colour in a block of marble. D'Agostino, when not tearing his vocal cords into strips of bacon, has a warmth to his voice on the quieter moments of songs like 'And The Hazy Sea'. And on 'Wind Phoenix' bassist Matthew Whipple is almost jaunty. Cymbals Eat Guitars are a likeable bunch of lads who show that indie rock can be charming, thoughtful and tuneful. But they're still bloody loud, which is always great.</p> <p><img width="366" height="333" align="right" src="/indie-music/Portals/0/Blog/Files/25/1258/antlers.jpg " alt="Peter Silberman of The Antlers live in concert" /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/theantlers">The Antlers</a> have a more cerebral appeal - as the house lights dim we hear several impatient 'SHHH!'-ers at work. <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Album_Reviews/tabid/87/EntryId/1241/The-Antlers-Hospice.aspx">'Hospice'</a>, one of the year's best albums, carefully conjures up nightmarish visions and spectral sounds. How would Peter Silberman (right) and his band replicate live such mercurial and introspective music?</p> <p>First impressions are worrying - The Antlers are as loud as Cymbals Eat Guitars. For a band with no bassist, they have an overwhelming level of bass in the sound mix tonight; opener 'Kettering' rumbles like a juggernaut over a bridge and Silberman's voice is almost drowned out.</p> <p>However, this might be part of the plan. 'Hospice' captures the sickening helplessness and frustration we feel when a loved one is in hospital - and tonight's show is a release of those emotions. That low, rumbling sound swirls across the room like dark stormclouds gathering, while Michael Lerner's frequent and careful use of his splash cymbals gives a nervous fizz to our synapses.</p> <p>Silberman's voice is too low in the mix for us to make out his words, but his taut vocal melodies are sufficient to tell his story. He never forces or exaggerates the sentiment of his lyrics; his delivery is emotionally honest and recognisably human. The narrator of 'Hospice' is an ordinary person who must endure something traumatic yet banal - we will all face the same situation at some point in our lives. So too, by analogy, the tumultuous music contrasts with the heartfelt vocals: here is the dramatic force of songs like 'Bear', 'Two' and 'Sylvia'. (For this show The Antlers play a short, seven-song set, all from the current album but leaving out the Prologue, Epilogue and 'Shiva'.)</p> <p>Tonight's live performance of tracks from 'Hospice' complements their recorded versions and brings something new to our appreciation of them. The Antlers have created something of enduring beauty, humanity and artistic value.</p> <p><strong><em><a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Blogs/French_Letter.aspx">Aidan Curran</a></em></strong></p><br /><a href=http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1258/The-Antlers-Cymbals-Eat-Guitars-live-in-Paris.aspx>More ...</a> editor@cluas.com http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1258/The-Antlers-Cymbals-Eat-Guitars-live-in-Paris.aspx#Comments 2 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1258/The-Antlers-Cymbals-Eat-Guitars-live-in-Paris.aspx Sun, 29 Nov 2009 00:11:00 GMT http://www.cluas.comDesktopModules/BlogTrackback.aspx?id=1258 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1251/Fleetwood-Mac-live-in-Dublin.aspx <h2>Fleetwood Mac (live in the O2, Dublin)</h2> <p><img width="300" height="410" border="1" align="right" alt="Lindsey Buckingham Fleetwood Mac" src="/indie-music/Portals/0/Blog/Files/25/1251/lindsey-buckingham-fleetwood-mac.jpg " /><u><strong>Review Snapshot:</strong></u> A band that has been on the go for over 40 years, albeit with changes in personnel along the way. While the band may be deteriorating, the music stands the test of time, even without the absent Christine McVie.</p> <p><u><strong>The Cluas Verdict?</strong></u> 8 out of 10</p> <p><u><strong>Full Review:</strong></u><br /> Opening with 'Monday Morning' from the pre-Rumours days, it was 'The Chain' and 'Dreams' that got the O2 Arena in a frenzy from the start. "Dublin, you're beautiful, why don't we get this party started" shouted Nicks, before Buckingham and Nicks took it in turns to sing, giving us 'I Know I'm Not Wrong', 'Gypsy', 'Go Insane' and 'Rhiannon' in the early part of the show.<br /> <br /> Nicks spoke about forming a band in 1965, "a hard rock San Francisco Band" she proclaimed. "We learnt our trade supporting Jimi Hendrix and Janice Joplin. We want to put our experience back into a song, back to the gypsies that we were" was how she introduced the aforementioned Gypsy.<br /> <br /> Lindsey then told us about the recording of Rumours "it's not a bad little album" he joked, going on to tell us about all the friction in the band at that time and how they all poured their hearts out into the songs. "Fleetwood Mac has had a very complicated history but we said we'd have fun”. He goes on to say that "seen as we don't have a new album to promote yet, let's do all the songs we love and I hope you like them too. This is the first song we recorded for Rumours" was his intro to the brilliant 'Second Hand News'. He gave it his all on 'Tusk' shouting and chanting his way all over the stage, before taking a short breather while Nicks delivered 'Sara', after which she gave Buckingham a big hug as they embraced.<br /> <br /> Introducing 'Big Love' Lindsey explained that "this was the first single from Tango In The Night, and it was an important song for me as it described the person I was at that time, when it was written in 1987" he said profoundly.<br /> <br /> Nicks returned, wearing a red dress and said "this song is dedicated to you [the fans], because everyone needs a song like this” before delivering 'Landslide' with just Lindsey on acoustic guitar. If that performance was brilliant, Buckingham exceeded it on 'Never Goin Back Again' with a slowed down version of the Rumours classic on acoustic guitar and dominant vocals.<br /> <br /> Stevie discussed the rehearsals for the tour adding "when we met up on January 5th this year, to start rehearsing for this tour we wanted to do a song that we hadn't performed before. We like to call this I Have Always Been a Storm" she added, while Mick came to the front of the stage to perform the percussion accompaniment.<br /> <br /> 'Say You Love Me' and 'Gold Dust Woman' were next, with Stevie now wearing a gold coloured shawl and single black glove for the latter, while Lindsey stayed behind the scenes on this one. 'Oh Well' was truly fantastic. The sound in the o2 Arena was brilliant for the concert, but it shone through on this number as the three lads gave it everything.<br /> <br /> Another elaborate guitar solo from Buckingham followed on 'I'm So Afraid', while Nicks (now wearing a white shawl and black dress) done her infamous dance during 'Stand Back' and they closed with 'Go Your Own Way'. The encore comprised of 'World Turning' which put Mick Fleetwood in the spotlight for 10 minutes, and they finished the night with 'Don't Stop' which got everybody on their feet.<br /> <br /> You couldn't fault this performance on any level, but this is the Lindsey Buckingham band, and the rest are really only here for the ride. Without him they are nothing, and while Mick and John might share the bands name, it's Buckingham's Palace.<br /> <br /> <strong><em>Mick Lynch</em></strong></p><br /><a href=http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1251/Fleetwood-Mac-live-in-Dublin.aspx>More ...</a> editor@cluas.com http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1251/Fleetwood-Mac-live-in-Dublin.aspx#Comments 0 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1251/Fleetwood-Mac-live-in-Dublin.aspx Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:16:00 GMT http://www.cluas.comDesktopModules/BlogTrackback.aspx?id=1251 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1228/Day-Two-Hard-Working-Class-Heroes-2009.aspx <h2> Oliver Cole, Escape Act & Others (live in Temple Bar, Dublin)</h2> <p> <u><strong>Review Snapshot:</strong></u>  Day two of Hard Working Class Heroes involved quite a bit of venue shifting but was all the better for it. </p> <p> <u><strong>The Cluas Verdict?</strong></u> 8.5 out of 10</p> <p> <u><strong>Full Review:<br /> </strong></u>Thankfully, my leg felt a great deal better and so venue-hopping was not going to be as much of a problem as it was on Day One of Hard Working Class Heroes 2009.  </p> <p> <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1009/Oliver-Cole-Alphastates-live-in-Dublin.aspx"><strong><em>Oliver Cole</em></strong></a> <em>- <a href="http://www.cluas.com/venues/button-factory-temple-bar-music-centre-tbmc-dublin/">The Button Factory</a></em><br /> Oliver Cole certainly knows how to write a tune.  Tonight, Cole's set consists of songs taken from his yet to be released debut solo LP such as <em>Little Bad Dream</em>, <em>A Drug Song</em> and, the title track, <em>We Albatri</em>.  His ear for melody is second to none and it would be impossible to watch an Oliver Cole gig without wanting to sing-a-long and tap your foot.  That being said,  it was such a shame that Cole was on so early as his stage presence and interaction with the crowd is much more suited to later in the night.  Indeed, it's almost worth checking out Cole the next time you can just to hear the story behind <em>We Albatri</em>.</p> <p> <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Blogs/Key_Notes/tabid/93/EntryId/852/Free-Escape-Act-Download.aspx"><strong><em>Escape Act</em></strong></a> <em>- 4 Dame Lane</em><br /> 2009 has been a bit of a revelation for me in terms of bands from Northern Ireland.  <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Blogs/Key_Notes/tabid/93/EntryId/1091/HWCH-09-Call-For-Bands.aspx">And So I Watch You From Afar</a> and <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1103/Day-Two-Oxegen-2009-live-in-Punchestown-Co-Kildare.aspx">General Fiasco</a> both blew me away at <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Blogs/Key_Notes/tabid/93/EntryId/1110/Oxegen-2009-The-Good-The-Bad-The-Ugg-Boots.aspx">Oxegen</a> but it was Belfast's Escape Act that started the trend earlier in the year with their excellent debut album, <em>Loosely Based on Fiction</em>.  Tonight's set, in the gorgeous surroundings of 4 Dame Lane (why aren't more gigs held here?), consists of a mixture of tracks from that record and the band's sophomore LP, to be released in 2010.  Of the newer tracks, <em>Salt in Your Eye</em> is my favourite but it's interesting to hear how the band have grown organically into their new sound without losing the qualities that caught my attention in the first place.</p> <p> <strong><em>C!ties </em></strong><em>- Twister Pepper</em><br /> There was a lot of firsts involved in this particular set.  My first time venturing to the Northside during HWCH 2009, my first time in Twisted Pepper and my first time to see/hear C!ties.  The instrumental 3 piece, from Ennis, look about 12 but don't let that fool you.  Despite the number of gigs I go to, I've always thought that people who wear ear plugs to gigs just don't have the aural fortitude that I do.  Tonight, I wish I had ear plugs.  Perhaps it is the venue's small size, but C!ties are possibly the loudest band I've heard live.  I could literally feel the sound waves emanating from the speakers.  Behind the wall of sound and veil of chaos; C!ties are a band fully in possession of any number of finely crafted songs.  Definitely a band to watch out for.</p> <p> <strong><em>The Poormouth </em></strong>- Think Tank<br /> I had intended on waiting around Twisted Pepper for The Holy Roman Army, but it took them so long to set up that, when they finally started, I couldn't forgive them for how poor they sounded.  Maybe soundcheck the mic in future, yeah? Anyway, as luck would have it, I was told that The Poormouth in Think Tank might be worth checking out.  They certainly were; the band's blend of lo-fi melodic rock was the perfect way to counter the sonic onslaught of C!ties.  There's more than a hint of <a href="http://www.cluas.com/music/albums/bright_eyes.htm">Bright Eyes</a>, <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Blogs/Short_Cuts/tabid/79/EntryId/930/Neil-Young-and-Leonard-Cohen-live-in-Sydney.aspx">Neil Young</a> and <a href="http://www.cluas.com/music/gigs/smog.htm">Smog</a> about what The Poormouth do but, as influences go, they're not bad reference points by which to chart your musical journey.  Indeed, The Poormouth prove to be the perfect way to end the evening. </p> <p> <strong><em><a href="http://www.cluas.com../../../../../../writer-profiles/steven-orourke.htm">Steve O'Rourke</a></em></strong></p> <p> It should be noted that I also saw Cutaways and Fionn Regan this evening but not enough of either to give a fair review.</p> <br /><a href=http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1228/Day-Two-Hard-Working-Class-Heroes-2009.aspx>More ...</a><div class="category">Category: <a href=http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/CatID/6/Default.aspx>Steven O'Rourke</a></div> editor@cluas.com Steven O'Rourke http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1228/Day-Two-Hard-Working-Class-Heroes-2009.aspx#Comments 4 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1228/Day-Two-Hard-Working-Class-Heroes-2009.aspx Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.cluas.comDesktopModules/BlogTrackback.aspx?id=1228 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1225/Hard-Working-Class-Heroes-2009-Day-1.aspx <h2>Villagers, The Ambience Affair & Others (live in Temple Bar, Dublin)</h2> <p><u><strong>Review Snapshot:</strong></u>  </p> <p><u><strong>The Cluas Verdict?</strong></u> 8.5 out of 10</p> <p><u><strong>Full Review:<br /> </strong></u>While my intention had been to make my way between various venues during the first day of Hard Working Class Heroes 2009, a strained muscle (one week before my first marathon) meant that I was restricted in my endeavours.  It was clear early on that the place to be was Andrew's Lane which featured three of the four bands I <em>really</em> wanted to see tonight anyway.  While it was disappointing not to be able to see Dark Room Notes' set in The Button Factory, the intensity of Subplots and the raw talent of both The Ambience Affair and Villagers more than made up for it.</p> <p><a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Album_Reviews/tabid/87/EntryId/1034/Subplots-Nightcycles.aspx"><strong><em>Subplots</em></strong></a><br /> There was quite a chatty crowd in place as Subplots took to the stage in Andrew's Lane.  The band's record, <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Album_Reviews/tabid/87/EntryId/1034/Subplots-Nightcycles.aspx"><em>Nightcycles</em></a>, is one of my favourites this year.  However, I was worried that their carefully crafted songs might struggle to make an impact in a live arena.  Not for the first time, I was wrong.  Indeed, such was the level of intensity in their performance that those same songs I described earlier this year as being not 'instantly accessible' stood tall and screamed for both your attention and adulation.  Despite this, there was a nagging sense that the band would have benefited from a later time-slot, when the audience might not have been more interested in discussing making blind dates through Facebook, but that is hardly their fault.</p> <p><strong><em>Dead Flags</em></strong><br /> I can appreciate pop music as much as the next person.  I also appreciate comedy.  Why then, did I find this band so objectionable?  Perhaps it was because every song, from <em>Too Much Love to Give</em> through to <em>Let's Start A Fire</em> seemed to contain nothing but thinly veiled sexual innuendo; single entendres were the order of the day.  One song, the aforementioned <em>Let's Start A Fire</em> was actually irritatingly catchy but so too is Take That's (a band probably never mentioned on CLUAS before now) <em>Patience</em>, that doesn't mean I'd be rushing out to see them live either.  If Dead Flags want lessons on being a comedy band, they could do worse than check out the new(ish) Flight of the Conchord's DVD.</p> <p><a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/818/So-Cow-New-Amusement-and-more-at-HWCH-night-3.aspx"><strong><em>The Ambience Affair</em></strong></a><br /> Ever since I saw this two-piece playing Road Records at the launch of <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Blogs/Key_Notes/tabid/93/EntryId/1091/HWCH-09-Call-For-Bands.aspx">HWCH 2009</a>, I was desperate to see them live again.  I wasn't disappointed.  Jamie Clarke and Marc Gallagher build sonic walls on stage that bands three times their size could only dream of.  For those of you not familiar with The Ambience Affair, Clarke builds songs with endless looping of both his acoustic guitar and vocals while Gallagher (a contender for Ireland's best drummer) provides the heartbeat for their musical behemoth.  Songs such as <em>Fragile Things</em> and the newly written <em>Lost at the Start</em> could not fail but to absorb the audience who, by this stage, seemed much more appreciative of the fact that there was a band on stage.</p> <p><a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Interviews/tabid/106/EntryId/922/Conor-OBrien-of-Villagers.aspx"><strong><em>Villagers</em></strong></a><br /> It was pretty clear from 20 minutes before they came on stage that Villagers were <em>the </em>band to see at this year's Hard Working Class Heroes.  If the pressure of being hotly tipped by almost every musical publication in the country is weighing on Conor O'Brien and his band mate's shoulders, they're doing a very good job of hiding it.  Indeed, the former Immediate frontman appears to be completely at home in front of his enraptured audience; wielding his guitar like some emotional shotgun, taking musical pot shots at the souls of his faithful. Given the contrasting power and delicacy of O'Brien's voice, it can be all too easy to overlook the important contribution of his fellow Villagers.  Their role is crucial here, providing the flesh to O'Brien's lyrical bones.  Stand-out for me tonight is <em>Home</em> with its multi-part vocal harmonies and red raw lyrics.  For once, believe the hype.</p> <p><strong><em><a href="http://www.cluas.com/writer-profiles/steven-orourke.htm">Steve O'Rourke</a><br /> </em></strong></p><br /><a href=http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1225/Hard-Working-Class-Heroes-2009-Day-1.aspx>More ...</a> editor@cluas.com http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1225/Hard-Working-Class-Heroes-2009-Day-1.aspx#Comments 4 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1225/Hard-Working-Class-Heroes-2009-Day-1.aspx Sat, 17 Oct 2009 11:57:00 GMT http://www.cluas.comDesktopModules/BlogTrackback.aspx?id=1225 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1224/Joshua-Radin-live-in-Dublin.aspx <h2> Joshua Radin (live in The Academy, Dublin)</h2> <p> <u><strong>Review Snapshot:</strong></u> It was always going to be interesting to see if Radin’s quiet yet absorbing melodies along with his whispery vocals could translate well to the stage. Unexpectedly but brilliantly, it transcended into an appreciated and intimate gig as you could hope to see, in a criminally underrated venue. </p> <p> <u><strong>The Cluas Verdict?</strong></u> 9 out of 10</p> <p> <u><strong>Full Review:</strong></u><br /> <img align="right" alt="" border="1" height="267" src="/indie-music/Portals/0/Blog/Files/25/1224/joshua radin.jpg " width="400" />Like many others, I discovered Joshua Radin’s music playing in the background of the more touching scenes in the TV show <em>Scrubs</em>. (Hey, good music can be found anywhere, right?) And good music is exactly what I found; some say the answer to <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Blogs/Key_Notes/tabid/93/EntryId/154/Dying-A-Great-Career-Move.aspx">Elliott Smith</a>’s sad departure in 2003. But Radin is a breath of fresh air on his own with an addictive folk ethic on debut album “We Were Here” which is now improved by a pop-rock element on his more recent release “Simple Times”. It was quite a happy coincidence recently getting hooked on his music to discover only a couple of weeks later he’s playing in the Academy.  </p> <p> As “Simple Times” demonstrated a surge in Radin’s confidence, it’s fitting that he looks thrilled to be here, playing with vigor and opening with “One of Those Days”, the opening track to his latest offering. That’s soon followed by new material not due for release till next year, (unfortunately). Obvious highlights include “Closer” and “Winter” along with “Brand New Day”. </p> <p> As so many of his songs would suggest but never quite confirm, Radin is a storyteller and every song is preceded by a story, the crowd charmed no doubt by his tale of playing in Doyle’s pub on Fleet Street some years ago. Quite often, Radin’s whispered, wistful vocals so commonplace on his records remain just that playing live but he has an audience to appreciate it, some being told to shut up while he’s playing when all they were doing was ordering a drink! To prove the point, he compared the audience to a New York audience, who are never quiet during a performance, but he enjoyed the attention so much, he had his band unplug all the instruments and descend into the middle of the crowd for a song. No electrics, no mics, and the crowd never missed a beat.</p> <p> Radin’s influence by Dylan also plays a part as the show goes on as new material and “Free of Me” are played with a more upbeat tempo and acoustic ring before finishing off with the entire band semi-circling 2 microphones, jamming and loving it. </p> <p> Those of you don’t know should get to know Radin’s music, its delicious melodies, catchy finger-picking and unassuming lyrics are enough to capture the imagination of any serious music lover. To witness this performance in front of such an appreciative audience (not to mention the staggeringly cheap ticket price of €17) in such an intimate setting was nothing short of a thrill.  </p> <p> An immersive, intimate and above all else, essential gig. </p> <p> <em><strong>Jimmy Murphy</strong></em></p> <br /><a href=http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1224/Joshua-Radin-live-in-Dublin.aspx>More ...</a> editor@cluas.com http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1224/Joshua-Radin-live-in-Dublin.aspx#Comments 0 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1224/Joshua-Radin-live-in-Dublin.aspx Sat, 17 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.cluas.comDesktopModules/BlogTrackback.aspx?id=1224 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1204/The-Frank-and-Walters-An-Brog-Cork.aspx <p><img width="400" height="368" border="1" align="right" alt="Frank and Walters live in Cork" src="/indie-music/Portals/0/Blog/Files/25/1204/franks_paul.jpg " /><u><strong>Review Snapshot:</strong></u> Cork's finest take to the stage in their home city and quite literally blow the pants off the punters and the roof off the venue...not sure if that's legal, but it's mighty craic!</p> <p><u><strong>Full Review:</strong></u> Well, what a night! Murphy’s! Magic! The Mrank and Malters! Everything began with an M! Remember M for Michael later on!<br /> <br /> In a hothouse sauna renamed The Brog for the night, the Murphy’s Nice ‘n Nasty season continued with “Cork’s favourite sons” (© The Frank and Walters) allowing us to enter their world. Indeed, even in their 20th year, the Franks have never seemed as relevant to the masses who are force-fed Lady Gaga, Peter Andre and the Continuity Wolfe Tones (or whoever they are this week)!<br /> <br /> Take a string quartet, 2 original Franks, a new Frank and part-time Frank, lashings of free Murphy’s and music, sweat Fred West would have worked up. Mix it all together with a touch of madness. Ta-da! A night to remember, that’s for sure!<br /> <br /> Divided into two parts, "Nice" and then "Nasty showcased the Franks at their best – Engaging! Edgy! Entertaining! Extravagant! Excellent! The 4 lassies that made up the Murphy’s Quarter (string quartet) provided superb support to the reworking of seven of the Franks' most appropriate songs for the night. For those who attended last year’s Speigel tent celebration of the Grand Parade album, this was second helpings with Landslide, Little Dolls, Russian Ship and How Can I Exist all being reproduced to a staggering high quality. The evening kicked off with Miles and Miles and it was great to see the lead single from <a href="http://www.cluas.com/music/albums/frank-walters-renewed-interest-happiness-691.htm">A Renewed Interest In Happiness</a> being well received. Throw in the obligatory After All, the reaction of the crowd (and look on the Quartet’s faces) was classic as the anthemic choruses raised the roof! The Nice element ended with This Is Not A Song and as I queued at the bar, it was clear the crowd was in good fettle for the next half of the performance. Again, the punters went in full voice here and took the interval to have a healthy cigarette and kebab at the 4* Istanbul restaurant.<br /> <br /> The "Nasty" session kicked off to the sound of THE best version of Fast Anthony the reviewer has heard – bar one. The one fault with the prior "Nice" set was the sound on the left of the stage was poor; methinks down to trying to keep 15 microphones in check. The second half sound never waved as Cian Corbett gave a rasta/indie keyboard effect to the speeded up Tony Cochrane. Fashion Crisis and Country Boy followed, both book ending the 20 great Franks year so far. With Darren Mullin standing in for Kevin P who was attending a wedding (calm down girls, not his own) in Italy, we knew Fight would be on the set list – and so it was! A rip-snorting animal which couldn’t be tamed was unleaded and the explosiveness of Mullin’s geetar playing mean we tripped over nicely into Colours and Indian Ocean, further proof of the greatness of the Grand Parade album. A special song then made its way onto the list and the sound of Underground completed Flood’s engineering from all those years ago – who remembers the video for this one???!!!<br /> <br /> The last song could only be Time To Say Goodnight. There is only one song to end with Len Cremin remarked – and I agree. Again with pounding sticks-works from Drum Keating and Paul giving it all, we knew the evening was nearly at a close. The shout went up <em>"we are... we are... we are the Frank and Walters..."</em> as the band returned for a well deserved encore. What could it be? Remember at the start? Yep, it was Michael and with the man whom this song was written about being in the audience, I can assure you that Paul, Ash, Cian and Darren brought down the house with a fantastic version of the classic!! We Care!!<br /> <br /> So, the DJ came on and we all carried on. A great night. Lots of regular Franks with folk coming from as far away as Manchester, London and <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music-scene/limerick/">Limerick</a> for the concert. One fan dressed head to toe in Franks gear summed it up, "it’s before payday, I borrowed a tenner from my ma, I am going to have 10 free pints of Murphy’s this evening, I am here with 400 friends and tonight I got to see my favourite band free! Where else would you get that?" I don’t know either but it would have to be special … so f**king special!<br /> <br /> After note: Geelong beat St Kilda to win the Australian Football League Final, and Michael and I made our ways into the sunlight sometime on Saturday morning! We care Michael, we care!</p> <p><em><strong>Dan Foley</strong></em></p><br /><a href=http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1204/The-Frank-and-Walters-An-Brog-Cork.aspx>More ...</a> editor@cluas.com http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1204/The-Frank-and-Walters-An-Brog-Cork.aspx#Comments 0 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1204/The-Frank-and-Walters-An-Brog-Cork.aspx Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:32:00 GMT http://www.cluas.comDesktopModules/BlogTrackback.aspx?id=1204 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1183/Day-Three-Cois-Fharraige.aspx <h2>Live in Kilkee, Co. Clare, 13th September 2009</h2> <p><img width="400" height="450" border="1" align="right" alt="" src="/indie-music/Portals/0/Blog/Files/25/1183/Stereo_MCs.jpg " /><u><strong>Review Snapshot:</strong></u> Due to a tyre puncture on the way back from a surf session in neighbouring Doonbeg, yours truly was unavoidably delayed en route to the evening festivities in Kilkee, arriving in the Big Top just in time to see Stereo MCs walk on stage. Whew!</p> <p><u><strong>The Cluas Verdict?</strong></u> 9 out of 10</p> <p><u><strong>Full Review:</strong></u><br /> <u>Stereo MCs:</u> Looking around at the young wans who were waving their hands in the air to dance anthems such as ‘Black Gold’ and ‘Step it Up’ it was sobering to realise that a good proportion of them probably weren’t<br /> born when Stereo MCs released their first album. Once again the crisp, clean and loud sound mix that was a hallmark of this year’s festival proved a boon to the groovy tunes of a group who mix infectious beats with upfront, if stripped down, political statements. The only question was, why schedule them on the Sunday, when so many attendees were heading home for work on the Monday morning, instead of the Saturday night when they would have elevated an already party hearty crowd? Nonetheless, if you stayed around for them, you got yours.<br /> <br /> <u>The Zutons:</u> In a nutshell, I loved this band, delivering a razor sharp performance, The Zutons ‘s unique sound nonetheless managed to channel elements of bands as diverse as the <a href="http://www.cluas.com/music/gigs/macca.htm">The Beatles</a> and The E Street Band. Their note perfect, steam train rock and roll was the perfect end to what was a weekend of great music in a setting that has so much to offer, provided you don’t keep your arse parked on the grass with a pint in your hand. Yes, the Zutons duly played hits such as, ‘Valerie’, ‘Why Won’t You Give Me Your Love?’ and, as a finale, a storming version of, ‘You Will You Won’t’, but to be honest the whole set was a highlight and, yes, Abi Harding was looking particularly fine in a red dress, but it was great to hear four great musicians just go out there and play their socks off, get the crowd involved and turn the Big Top into the sort of party that <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1125/Bruce-Springsteen-live-in-Dublin.aspx">Bruce Springsteen</a> rhapsodises about. Transcedent.</p> <p><em><strong>Rev Jules</strong></em></p><br /><a href=http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1183/Day-Three-Cois-Fharraige.aspx>More ...</a> editor@cluas.com http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1183/Day-Three-Cois-Fharraige.aspx#Comments 1 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1183/Day-Three-Cois-Fharraige.aspx Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:52:00 GMT http://www.cluas.comDesktopModules/BlogTrackback.aspx?id=1183 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1180/Cois-Fharraige-2009-Day-Two-live-in-Clare.aspx <h2>Cois Fharraige Day Two (live in Kilkee, Co. Clare)</h2> <p><u><strong>Review Snapshot:</strong></u> There were thousands of people walking around Kilkee on Saturday sporting the latest in surf fashion but in the water at Lahinch, Spanish Point and Doonbeg you could count the surfers on two hands. Meanwhile back at the festival, The Hold Steady, Noah and The<br /> Whale and Newton Faulkner served up some savage musical entertainment</p> <p><u><strong>The Cluas Verdict?</strong></u> 9 out of 10</p> <p><u><strong>Full Review:<br /> </strong></u><em><strong>The Hold Steady</strong></em><br /> Looking like the cast of Seinfeld decided to form a band, the anxious nerd rock of <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Discussion/tabid/63/aff/9/aft/47069/afv/topic/Default.aspx">The Hold Steady</a> proved the perfect antidote to the mellow<br /> sunlit vibes that have blessed the festival thus far, with ‘Stay Positive’ being a crowd highlight. Th<img width="400" height="603" border="1" align="right" alt="" src="/indie-music/Portals/0/Blog/Files/AnonymousBlogAttachments/Noah.jpg " />e band’s hard chugging sound and neuroses laced lyrics were an unusual counterpoint to a festival that, thus far, has aimed for a balance between very serious rock and music that you can drink to. If you are the sort of person who curses the sunshine and stays indoors with a book by Albert Camus then this may just be your kind of band.<em><strong><br /> </strong></em><br /> <em><strong> Noah & The Whale</strong></em><br /> The opportunity to see <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/854/Noah-and-the-Whale-live-in-Dublin.aspx">Noah and The Whale</a> perform live versions of tracks from their new album, ‘<a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Album_Reviews/tabid/87/EntryId/1153/Noah-And-The-Whale-The-First-Days-Of-Spring.aspx">The First Days of Spring</a>’ which the Sunday Times has described as a ‘masterpiece’, was a bona fide must see for this reviewer but for anyone expecting a game of throw the inflatable chair around the crowd to ‘Five Years Time’ then this set would have been a bit of a surprise. The band walked onstage with the confident gait that musicians adopt when they realise they may have produced an album to match ‘Astral Weeks’ or ‘Transformer’ and then, dour to the point of uncommunicative, proceeded to play the highlights of, ‘The First Days of Spring’, their only nod to their audience being to tell us their name.</p> <p>Given the emotional punch and musical delicacy of Noah and The Whale’s music, I’m not sure the party atmosphere of the Big Top at Kilkee was the best forum to for this performance, the audience only engaging with them to sing along with their hit single ‘Five Years Time [Sun, Sun, Sun], but for this reviewer at least ‘Blue Skies’ was a highlight and I can imagine people who spent the day drinking down by the beach later claiming that they were here for this gig, tough if you weren’t.<br /> <em><strong><br /> <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Discussion/tabid/63/aff/1/aft/48565/afv/topic/Default.aspx">Newton Faulkner</a></strong></em><br /> Based on the love shown to the dreadlocked Faulkner when he appeared on stage, it looks like the Irish are going to do for him what they have previously done for Chris Rea, David Gray and Josh Ritter. Mixing new tracks from his new, as yet unreleased album ‘Rebuilt by Humans’,<br /> with favourites from his hit debut ‘Hand built by Robots’, Faulkner was clearly playing to a crowd that knew and loved his work.</p> <p>Supporting himself with a variety of unusual musical instruments such as a cassette tape player and a keyboard that he played with his feet,<br /> Faulkner’s guitar style owes more to Bobby McFerrin and Stanley Jordan then it does the standard white bloke with an acoustic guitar. It is<br /> also fortunate that Faulkner is an excellent showman, whipping the crowd up at one point with a routine in which he asked them to imagine<br /> themselves as a crew of pirates suffering from rabies, on a ship headed to shore, to confront their arch enemies the barbarian hordes.  Having said that, Faulkner’s self penned material to date does not match the quality of his brilliant reworking of Massive Attack’s ‘Teardrop’ which affords him the perfect vehicle to showcase his musical abilities.</p> <p><strong><em><a href="http://www.cluas.com/writer-profiles/jules-jackson.htm">Rev Jules</a> </em></strong></p><br /><a href=http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1180/Cois-Fharraige-2009-Day-Two-live-in-Clare.aspx>More ...</a> editor@cluas.com http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1180/Cois-Fharraige-2009-Day-Two-live-in-Clare.aspx#Comments 0 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1180/Cois-Fharraige-2009-Day-Two-live-in-Clare.aspx Sun, 13 Sep 2009 13:44:00 GMT http://www.cluas.comDesktopModules/BlogTrackback.aspx?id=1180 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1178/Cois-Fhrarraige-Day-One-live-in-Kilkee.aspx <h2>Day One of Cois Fharraige (live in Kilkee, Co. Clare)</h2> <p><u><strong>Review Snapshot:</strong></u> A beautiful sunny day ended with a blistering set by epic rockers Doves, grooves from Laura Izibor and post punk larking around courtesy of The Blizzards).</p> <p><u><strong>The Cluas Verdict?</strong></u> 9 out of 10</p> <p><u><strong>Full Review:<br /> </strong></u><em><strong>Laura Izibor</strong></em><br /> Presently touring with a crack American band, Izibor delivered a pumping set of beefed up versio<img width="400" height="560" align="right" alt="" src="/indie-music/Portals/0/Blog/Files/25/1178/blizzards3.jpg " />ns of the highlights of her debut album. The live setting and the crisp, clear sound gave added power to crowd favourites, ‘From My heart To Yours’, ‘Carousel’ and ‘Yes, I’ll be Your Baby’, but it was a stonking version of ‘Shine’, transformed from a feel good summer tune to a grooving, funky anthem that best demonstrated Izibor’s ability to transfer her mellow, laid back soul into a live arena.<br /> <em><strong><br /> The Blizzards</strong></em><br /> Coming on stage bathed in purple light and accompanied by moody background music, the cheeky chappies of The Blizzards wasted no time in getting the party started right. Mixing tracks such ‘Silence is Violence’ and ‘Postcards’ [dedicated to the memory of those who lost their lives on 9/11] with a thumping cover version of ‘Black & Gold’, a tribute to The Specials and a sneaky riff on Michael Jackson’s ‘Beat It’, The Blizzards delivered a set that buoyed up the party attitude of the crowd without betraying their Ska/Punk roots.<br /> <strong><em><br /> Doves</em></strong><br /> I had never seen this band live before and was unprepared for the relentless, pounding sonic assault that they delivered. Indeed, so overpowering was their music that two songs in I realised that the thumping in my chest was not caused by my own heart but by the waves of sound coming from the speakers. In a nutshell, with live favourites including ‘Snowden’ and ‘The Last Broadcast’, Doves make music akin to a giant beating a whale to death with a tree trunk in a canyon. What<br /> an utterly glorious epic racket.  An encore that climaxed with the band all playing percussion instruments together left me staggering out into the crisp, cold night feeling dazed, confused and exhilarated.</p> <p><strong><em>Rev Jules<br /> </em></strong></p><br /><a href=http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1178/Cois-Fhrarraige-Day-One-live-in-Kilkee.aspx>More ...</a> editor@cluas.com http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1178/Cois-Fhrarraige-Day-One-live-in-Kilkee.aspx#Comments 0 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1178/Cois-Fhrarraige-Day-One-live-in-Kilkee.aspx Sat, 12 Sep 2009 16:20:00 GMT http://www.cluas.comDesktopModules/BlogTrackback.aspx?id=1178 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1177/Glasgowbury-2009-Eagles-Rock-Co-Derry.aspx <h2>Glasgowbury 2009, live in Derry</h2> <p><img width="250" height="362" border="1" align="right" src="/indie-music/Portals/0/Blog/Files/25/1177/glasgowbury09.jpg " alt="" /></p> <p><u><strong>Review snapshot:</strong></u> Two thousand five hundred music fans with a liking for mountainous flora and fauna descend upon Eagles Rock for another feast of ceol agus craic.</p> <p><u><strong>Full review:</strong></u><br /> Mud, sticky mud, deep mud, all very brown, and, well, everywhere. Well, it's Ireland, it's summertime, what you gonna do? Put the head down and stick two wet fingers up to it. Early Saturday, the sky's blue, the birds chirping, signs for a dry day were good. Fast forward a few hours, tents erected, first beer started and Zeus decided to fart on us. Well, macks and wellies packed, up yours Zeus</p> <p>As the festival site dried out on Sunday morning, the 2500 (the first sell out) weary troopers left Eagles Rock a bit battered and the worse for wear, but happy of heart. <strong><a href="http://www.glasgowbury.com">Glasgowbury 09</a></strong>, the tenth festival was again, an unmitigated success.</p> <p>Over 60 bands played throughout the Saturday on 4 stages. The best of the North’s burgeoning talent, along with some new pretenders, mixed with a smidgen of oldin’ goldies, including the only Irishman to play the original Woodstock, 'Sir' <strong><a href="http://www.myspace.com/henrymccullough">Henry McCullough</a> </strong>(take a bow sir) wowed the muddy masses. And lest we forget, local dance heroes, the <a href="http://www.myspace.com/deepfriedfunkderry"><strong>Deep Fried Funk</strong> </a>ensemble provided a few late night beats and the <strong><a href="http://www.myspace.com/inishowengospelchoir">Innishowen Gospel choir</a></strong> along side <strong><a href="http://www.belfastcarnival.com/">The Beat Initiative</a></strong>, the North’s carnival arts collective bringing a bit of culture to the proceedings.</p> <p>As with most folk and festivals, the best laid plans and itinerarys often get slightly altered, or in this case completely reworked as a few sociable beers were shared with old and new acquaintances in the very picturesque campsite.</p> <p>We eventually did make it into the festival proper; we were greeted with the dirty rock tones of Derry's <strong>Skruff</strong>. A whirlwind set of fine riffs and sky punching rock beats got the day off to a good start.</p> <p><a href="http://www.myspace.com/skruffderry"><strong>Skruff</strong> </a>stable-mates,<strong> <a href="http://www.myspace.com/herecomesthelandedgentry">Here Comes the Landed Gentry </a></strong>took on the baton with an hour of wondrous grunt fueled rock and hillbilly blues. HCTLG have been become a bit of an institution in the north of the island and it isn’t hard to see why, the tunes, the energy, the peerless front man, Marty Doherty, aka Mort Van Cleef Dortenson and their inimitable rapport with the crowd. HCTLG will be playing Dublin's <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Blogs/Key_Notes/tabid/93/EntryId/1159/Hard-Working-Class-Heroes-Line-Up-Announced.aspx">'Hard Working Class Heroes'</a> festival in October, go check, you won’t be disappointed.</p> <p><strong><a href="http://www.myspace.com/generalfiasco">General Fiasco</a></strong> have been touring extensively of late and on the back of a storming set at <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1103/Day-Two-Oxegen-2009-live-in-Punchestown-Co-Kildare.aspx">Oxegen</a>, took to the main stage and showed the masses just why they have been touted for great things. They are as tight as they are confident and assured with a set of blistering pop infused rock in their youthful armoury.</p> <p><strong><a href="http://www.myspace.com/andsoiwatchyoufromafar">And So I Watch You From Afar</a></strong> as this year’s headliners finished off the night, and the festival, in style. As the night sky embraced Eagles Rock, Ireland's answer to Explosions in the Sky took to the main stage with a sonic array of building instrumental rock tunes.</p> <p>Nobody does loud-quiet-loud quite like these guys, and the crowd react, oh how the crowd react. This gig had everything, the tunes, a stage invasion, even some vocals (!), all lapped up by a few thousand smiling, and spoiled Irish folk... Legendary.</p> <p>Roll on 2010.</p> <p><em><strong>Sig Doherty</strong></em></p><br /><a href=http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1177/Glasgowbury-2009-Eagles-Rock-Co-Derry.aspx>More ...</a> editor@cluas.com http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1177/Glasgowbury-2009-Eagles-Rock-Co-Derry.aspx#Comments 0 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1177/Glasgowbury-2009-Eagles-Rock-Co-Derry.aspx Fri, 11 Sep 2009 08:52:00 GMT http://www.cluas.comDesktopModules/BlogTrackback.aspx?id=1177 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1151/Grizzly-Bear-Telepathe-Bill-Callahan-live-in-St-Malo.aspx <h2>Grizzly Bear, Telepathe, Andrew Bird and Bill Callahan(live at la Route du Rock, St Malo, France)</h2> <p><u><strong>Review Snapshot:</strong></u> Telepathe's cracking NY electro gets lost in a large theatre; all hail Bill Callahan; neither Andrew Bird nor Grizzly Bear have a good game.</p> <p><u><strong>The Cluas Verdict?</strong></u> 7 out of 10</p> <p><u><strong>Full Review:<br /> </strong></u>So far we've focused on the main festival venue at the old fort a few miles outside St Malo. But there's also a second site - a hall on the seafront back in town. We decide, then, to start day three of La Route du Rock by checking it out. This isn't just a whim or for the sake of variety; we want to see Telepathe.</p> <p>For the festival, the Palais du Grand Large has been rather crassly renamed after a well-known mobile phone manufacturer. It's a large, plush, modern theatre that has headphone sockets and volume knobs in the armrests. Telepathe's gear is set up compactly in the middle of the vast stage, like a small car parked on the Wembley pitch. The usher brings everyone to a seat - there'll be no dancing or young people's antics today.</p> <p>Despite the slightly incongruous venue this New York pair, Busy and Melissa, are just as exciting live as on record. Telepathe exude spiky personality and robotic sang froid at the same time - for instance, they sing in unison rather than harmony and on 'Sinister Militia' Busy drums live in accompaniment to the machine beats. And in contrast to rigid Euro electro, their music has the same eclectic looseness and openness as other North American dance acts like <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/673/Dan-Deacon-and-Jape-live-in-Dublin.aspx">Dan Deacon</a> and Tiga. In a proper music venue with a dancefloor and no seats, Telepathe must be fantastic live.</p> <p>Now for the classic festival dilemma: if we stay here to see Gang Gang Dance we probably won't make it back out to the old fort in time to see Bill Callahan. Though we've never followed the erstwhile <a href="http://www.cluas.com/music/gigs/smog.htm">Smog/(Smog)</a> closely, we've been persuaded to see him. Gang Gang Dance get the elbow, then, and we hop on the shuttle to the main stage.</p> <p>And we did good: Callahan is a revelation to us. Once you get over the usual perception of Callahan as dour and monotonous, you find that his songs are tuneful and poetic and really beautiful. His dark, soft croon is quite melodic, charged with feeling and even sexy on 'Diamond Dancer', which he starts with a bluesy solo and keeps up a slinky Stones riff throughout. His songs aren't necessarily sad but have a bruised romanticism that can't fail to move you: in particular, 'Too Many Birds' and 'Eid Ma Clack Shaw' have a gruff, world-weary tenderness to them.</p> <p><img width="400" height="266" align="right" alt="Ed Droste and Daniel Rossen of Grizzly Bear" src="/indie-music/Portals/0/Blog/Files/25/1151/grizzly bear.jpg " />Callahan's band features a violinist and cellist who supply succinct and graceful accompaniment. And the drummer is a funny guy: he keeps the setlist on a piece of paper folded in his shirt pocket and must take it out to check that 'The Wind And The Dove' is next. He calmly gives Callahan the nod; we're good to go. Lengthy retuning between several songs is the only black mark against Callahan today - he wastes at least five minutes in total and has to chop a song off his intended playlist so as to finish on time. This was the saddest thing for us, in fact.</p> <p>After Callahan, our two other chosen acts seem to pale a little. Andrew Bird, for example, feels whimsical and forced. There's a stuffed toy and kitsch two-horned gramophone on a speaker stack at the back, like some indie equivalent of the old farm contraptions and roadsigns to Dingle that are meant to give character to plastic Irish bars abroad. But this is essential gear: at various points during Bird's set, the two-horned beast spins.</p> <p>Dressed in denim and sporting stubble, Bird belies the foppishness usually attributed to him. He switches energetically between violin and guitar, sings forcefully and even his whistling seems functional rather than faddish. Unfortunately, he doesn't play 'Plasticities', perhaps his best-known song, but newer songs like 'Fitz And The Dizzy Spells' are still greeted warmly.</p> <p>However, Bird has little charisma or stage presence. And because of this his songs, with their elaborate melodies and thesaurus-chewing wordplay, feel more like intellectual exercise than heartfelt expression. Tonight his material gives the fleeting pleasure of a witty quip rather than the enduring insight of Callahan's poeticism. (Bird offers a sprightly version of 'Cold Blooded Old Times' tonight.) Andrew Bird is likeable and his songs are entertaining, but live he reveals his limitations.</p> <p>On to tonight's big name, Grizzly Bear (above right). And we must report that we find them disappointing too - more drizzly than grizzly. This isn't just the Bill Callahan after-effect again - the band don't attempt to replicate the dense, multi-layered swirl of 'Veckatimest' but merely omit the more abstract parts to leave a sparse, disjointed sound that never catches fire. 'Two Weeks', for instance, is tonight carried mainly by Daniel Rossen's electric piano and loses most of the vocal harmonies. Ed Droste's soaring voice is also a notable highlight but for much of the set Grizzly Bear come across as a muso Beach Boys. 'Southern Point', with Rossen's sun-drenched folk-pop guitar picking, is an exception and one of the rare times tonight when this band are engaging or evocative.</p> <p>It doesn't help the band, of course, that this festival crowd is subdued and slightly underwhelmed, perhaps disappointed that they can't dance to Grizzly Bear. A more attentive audience of dedicated fans would surely help create a better atmosphere. Still, we suspect that their upcoming Dublin show will be stolen by <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1150/St-Vincent-Papercuts-Camera-Obscura-live-in-St-Malo.aspx">their support act, Saturday's star turn here in St Malo</a>. Those of you who prefer Department Of Eagles may have a point.</p> <p><strong><em><a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Blogs/French_Letter.aspx">Aidan Curran</a></em></strong></p><br /><a href=http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1151/Grizzly-Bear-Telepathe-Bill-Callahan-live-in-St-Malo.aspx>More ...</a> editor@cluas.com http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1151/Grizzly-Bear-Telepathe-Bill-Callahan-live-in-St-Malo.aspx#Comments 4 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1151/Grizzly-Bear-Telepathe-Bill-Callahan-live-in-St-Malo.aspx Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:05:00 GMT http://www.cluas.comDesktopModules/BlogTrackback.aspx?id=1151 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1150/St-Vincent-Papercuts-Camera-Obscura-live-in-St-Malo.aspx <h2>St Vincent, Papercuts and Camera Obscura (live at La Route du Rock, St Malo, France)</h2> <p><u><strong>Review Snapshot:</strong></u> A sensational performance from Annie Clark is the highlight of day two and perhaps eventually the entire festival. Papercuts shore up their alt-folk sound for maximum festival effect, while Camera Obscura are sheer pop fun.</p> <p><u><strong>The Cluas Verdict?</strong></u> 9 out of 10</p> <p><u><strong>Full Review:<br /> </strong></u>The second day of La Route du Rock promised more subtle charms than <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1148/My-Bloody-Valentine-Deerhunter-Tortoise-live-in-St-Malo.aspx">last night's sonic thunderstorm</a>. While headliners My Bloody Valentine eventually left many people cold, today the festival's first real star appeared. More of that later.</p> <p>First, though, we were impressed by San Franciscan Jason Quever and his band Papercuts. If you like the haziness of their album, 'You Can Have What You Want', you may be surprised to hear them live. On record their songs are alt-folk shuffles but tonight they have a sturdier indie-rock shape to them - the pulsing bass of 'Future Primitive', for instance, is complemented by tight riffing and a chilly synth. But Quever's voice still has a faraway dreaminess that blurs those clear lines. Perhaps they rock up for outdoor festivals and alt-folk down in more intimate venues.</p> <p>No rocking up for Camera Obscura, as indie-pop as you can get without still being in Belle And Sebastian. We understand that their recent Dublin show was somewhat spoiled by Traceyanne Campbell's touch of 'flu, but tonight everyone seems in full health - their set is so jaunty and tuneful that the otherwise sedate Saint Malo crowd starts bouncing around. (Jason Quever had remarked during Papercuts' set on how quiet the crowd were. For her part, Campbell observes how "non-paralytic" the French crowd are compared to beer-frenzied UK festival-goers.)</p> <p>The Scots band's live trumpet gives off a summery vibe - and a fizz of excitement passes though the crowd on the organ intro to 'Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken', still their best song and a definite crowd favourite here.</p> <p>But that fizz is nothing compared to the electrifying effect of St Vincent. Annie Clark's performance is thrilling, the talk of the festival site for the rest of the evening.</p> <p><img width="400" height="266" align="right" src="/indie-music/Portals/0/Blog/Files/25/1150/St Vincent.jpg " alt="St Vincent" />Alone on stage with an electric guitar and a drum machine beside her on a table, Clark (right) stands behind a hanging black cloth that comes up to her knees. This cloth hides what we believe are pedals but may well be something far more complex and sinister - as her shredded guitar chords fade out 'Your Lips Are Red', she ducks down out of view behind the cloth and produces strange noises. You expect an assistant to whip away the cloth and reveal the singer levitating or sawn in two.</p> <p>Clark is a fantastic guitarist. Drenched in reverb and effects, her sound is nonetheless piercingly direct and her playing is sparse and intense, with each note carefully chosen and clearly heard. Whether claw-picking a mix of bass and high notes, as on 'Marry Me', or tearing out the savage opening riff of 'Your Lips Are Red', Clark adds tension to songs that are already fraught with drama. By stripping her sound down to a tightly-wound electric guitar, she has recast her songs and found new ways to reveal their magic. 'Marrow', on record sounding like a Hollywood musical waking up hungover on Timbaland's couch, is tonight wiry and funky like Talking Heads or early Prince.</p> <p>And her voice conveys the same directness and intensity - by not showboating or emoting, she adds sincerity and believability to the drama of her songs, as if she were an innocent bystander caught up in extraordinary turmoil. The 'actor' of her new album's title is not Clark herself but her music, which can flit in a second from doe-eyed romantic yearning to frenzied romantic despair, even within one song: 'The Strangers' starts gently but suddenly explodes like a supernova.</p> <p>'Marry Me', by now an old favourite of St Vincent fans, gets the biggest crowd reaction. With deft timing Clark delivers its killer couplet: <em>"We'll do what Mary and Joseph did / But without the kid"</em>.</p> <p>As it happens, there's a district of Saint Malo called Saint Vincent. Tonight's visiting fans could be forgiven for assuming the place has only just been renamed in honour of Annie Clark. She's that good.</p> <p><strong><em><a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Blogs/French_Letter.aspx">Aidan Curran</a></em></strong></p><br /><a href=http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1150/St-Vincent-Papercuts-Camera-Obscura-live-in-St-Malo.aspx>More ...</a> editor@cluas.com http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1150/St-Vincent-Papercuts-Camera-Obscura-live-in-St-Malo.aspx#Comments 0 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1150/St-Vincent-Papercuts-Camera-Obscura-live-in-St-Malo.aspx Sun, 16 Aug 2009 11:03:00 GMT http://www.cluas.comDesktopModules/BlogTrackback.aspx?id=1150 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1148/My-Bloody-Valentine-Deerhunter-Tortoise-live-in-St-Malo.aspx <h2>My Bloody Valentine, Deerhunter and Tortoise (live at La Route du Rock, St Malo, France)</h2> <p><u><strong>Review Snapshot:</strong></u> Three cult acts share an impressive bill on the Breton coast. The excellent Deerhunter continue the fine tradition of VU and Sonic Youth alt-rock. Tortoise get loud and funky but once or twice go over the head of the more party-minded festival-goers. And MBV leave mixed feelings; while impressive in many respects the whole thing feels a little stale and there's so much more to their music than bludgeoning noise.</p> <p><u><strong>The Cluas Verdict?</strong></u> 8 out of 10</p> <p><u><strong>Full Review:<br /> </strong></u>The first day of <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Blogs/French_Letter/tabid/80/EntryId/1126/La-Route-du-Rock-2009.aspx">La Route du Rock</a>, and everyone is preoccupied by noise. The nearby village of Chateauneuf-de-Ille-et-Vilaine has been warned about the aural assault they can expect around midnight, and residents there are scowling slightly at any blow-ins collaborating with the forces of sonic blitzkrieg. On the festival site, there's a scramble for earplugs.</p> <p>And in the media zone all talk is of today being dedicated to 'noisy pop', the name that French rock fans give to the genre of shoegazing. One French journalist has even been gazing at Bradford Cox's shoes and socks, and during the pre-show press conference he criticises the sartorial tastes of Deerhunter's leader. "Only in France", Cox sighs.</p> <p>Despite their singer suffering from jetlag and lack of sleep, this evening Deerhunter are enthralling. For all the talk of MBV's influence on them, they're closer to good ol' U.S garage rock with a touch of <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Blogs/Beijing_Beat/tabid/81/EntryId/62/Sonic-Youth-play-Beijing.aspx">Sonic Youth</a>, though this could be because Cox in shades and pudding-bowl haircut looks like a ganglier Thurston Moore. The Velvet Underground are another obvious reference point - Deerhunter's rhythm section is tight and minimal, sometimes funky but more times steady and driving, especially in 'Nothing Ever Happened' where Cox adorns Josh Fauver's driving bassline with squally, angular riffs.</p> <p>But like tonight's headliners, Deerhunter's charm is in their subtle sense of melody, especially in tracks from 'Microcastle'. Their upcoming Dublin show on 23 August is <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/GOTF/tabid/104/EntryId/1142/Gigs-of-the-Fortnight-for-10-23-August.aspx">the current CLUAS Gig of the Fortnight</a>: you should be there.</p> <p>On first listen, the cerebral sounds of Tortoise appear to be out of place in this squall-fest. But while those Beach Boys-style xylophone parts sound sedate and tasteful, otherwise Tortoise (post-)rock. And they can be loud and sexy too: those funky basslines and breakbeat drums satisfy those punters who didn't come here to reflect on jazzy progressions. But perhaps the band misjudge the crowd slightly: at one point they expect us to clap along to a fairly complex time signature, 13/12 or something like that. One or two people try it but only last a bar or two. While Tortoise are impressive, by now everyone just seems to be hanging around for the main act.</p> <p><img width="240" height="267" align="right" src="/indie-music/Portals/0/Blog/Files/25/1148/kevin shields.jpg " alt="My dad's louder than your dad: Kevin Shields live onstage with My Bloody Valentine" />Earplugs in, then, for <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Blogs/French_Letter/tabid/80/EntryId/454/My-Bloody-Valentine-on-Rapido.aspx">My Bloody Valentine</a>. Kick-off is delayed by about ten minutes due to sound problems, and when Kevin Shields comes on he first does a quick "one-two" mic check - a rather redundant gesture, seeing as we won't be hearing much of his singing tonight. The problems continue: Shields and Colm Ó Cíosóig seem to screw up the intro to 'When You Sleep' between them and must start again.</p> <p>Onstage, MBV feel like two different bands stitched together. You have a drummer and bassist who put in enormous virtuosity and energy: Ó Cíosóig grimaces and flails while Debbie Googe stands side on with feet apart and bass on hip. The pair of them are sensational.</p> <p>Meanwhile, the two up front are anti-rockstars. Shields comes across as a <a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Album_Reviews/tabid/87/EntryId/1108/Graham-Coxon-The-Spinning-Top.aspx">Graham Coxon</a>-esque shy guitar-obsessed teen but Bilinda Butcher is the stereotypical shoegazer, even if she stares straight out over the crowd all night and seems constantly on the verge of tears. Shields exudes an awkward charm but Butcher is a charisma-free black hole. Also, both guitarists seem to work less than their colleagues: the two just jangle chords while the more ambient synths and effects are on playback.</p> <p>Let's face it: My Bloody Valentine in 2009 are a heritage act. The festival programme features an old photo of them, and fortysomething guys in the crowd try to revisit their youth by moshing as much as their bellies and ailing backs allow. But even they realise that they're trying too hard - many people in the crowd are visibly bored and slightly disillusioned. For one thing, MBV records are fantastic for their subtle melodies and dreamy romanticism, so by reducing everything to brute noise the band are deliberately downgrading what many people love about them. (Of course, having to wear earplugs doesn't help in appreciating the music.) Also, without new material the show feels slightly cynical, especially since many people here tonight have surely already seen the band elsewhere on their reunion tour.</p> <p>Yes, the 'holocaust' section of 'You Made Me Realise' is impressive but, given all the hype about it, when it finally arrives it feels as perfunctionary as when a one-hit wonder finally plays the one hit. Again, the emphasis on being the loudest feels like a hollow victory when so many of MBV's qualities are being subordinated to the decibel counter. You should see My Bloody Valentine live, but it's best to think of them as a separate entity from My Bloody Valentine on record. A corporate entity, if one were to be cynical.</p> <p><strong><em><a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Blogs/French_Letter.aspx">Aidan Curran</a></em></strong></p><br /><a href=http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1148/My-Bloody-Valentine-Deerhunter-Tortoise-live-in-St-Malo.aspx>More ...</a> editor@cluas.com http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1148/My-Bloody-Valentine-Deerhunter-Tortoise-live-in-St-Malo.aspx#Comments 2 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1148/My-Bloody-Valentine-Deerhunter-Tortoise-live-in-St-Malo.aspx Sat, 15 Aug 2009 13:39:00 GMT http://www.cluas.comDesktopModules/BlogTrackback.aspx?id=1148 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1138/The-Pains-Of-Being-Pure-At-Heart-live-in-Vancouver.aspx <h2>The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart (live in The Biltmore Cabaret, Vancouver)</h2> <p><u><strong>Review Snapshot:</strong></u> The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart put on a great show, marred only slightly by some odd song choices. The fun noise pop of the album translated excellently to their live show. Their debut is still one of my most highly recommended albums of the year thus far, and they did not disappoint in concert.</p> <p><u><strong>The Cluas Verdict?</strong></u> 8 out of 10</p> <p><u><strong>Full Review:<img width="400" height="300" border="1" align="right" src="/indie-music/Portals/0/Blog/Files/25/1138/POBPAH.jpg " alt="" /><br /> </strong></u>In a rather regal basement in an old hotel on the outskirts of downtown Vancouver, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart delighted and exhilarated the near-capacity crowd with their brand of indie pop. The ceilings are low and the bar sells cans. There are rugs on the floor and stag heads on the wall. The venue holds the atmosphere perfectly. The band took to the stage at eleven to greet their audience, already primed by the excellent <a href="http://www.myspace.com/girlssanfran">Girls</a>. They opened, oddly, on a track off their lesser known debut EP, leaving the crowd rather subdued until they rolled into the opening drum beat of ‘Young Adult Friction’. In an instant the crowd went wild. This frenzy rarely dampened throughout the show<br />  </p> <p>The band has many of the ingredients required for a successful indie band. They hail from New York. They have an Asian girl on keyboards, a hot guitarist sporting a grungy Nirvana t-shirt and floppy hair-do and a slightly nerdy bassist. They played naturally and with great verve, with each member having more than enough presence to be capable of holding a stage by themselves. ‘This Love Is F*cking Right’ and ‘Come Saturday’ receive the rapturous reaction as expected. Judging by the response of the audience in the Biltmore Cabaret, I would expect to see their eponymous debut album reaching the higher ranks of end of year lists.<br />  </p> <p>Pains also treated the crowd to new tracks that they have written for a forthcoming EP. They follow much of the same style as the previous releases, but when it sounds so glorious, I am not complaining one bit.<br />  </p> <p>The show did suffer from some odd setlist selections. Both ‘Contender’ and ‘Hey Paul’ were glaring omissions, and ending on the relatively subdued ‘Teenager In Love’ was an odd decision. Nevertheless, these mistakes are bred from inexperience. What I witnessed that night was a young band with the world at its feet; a band with bags of potential and songs to soundtrack many summers ahead.</p> <p><strong><em><a href="http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Social/tabid/112/asuid/2360/Default.aspx">Garret Cleland</a></em></strong></p><br /><a href=http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1138/The-Pains-Of-Being-Pure-At-Heart-live-in-Vancouver.aspx>More ...</a> editor@cluas.com http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1138/The-Pains-Of-Being-Pure-At-Heart-live-in-Vancouver.aspx#Comments 0 http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Gig_Reviews/tabid/96/EntryId/1138/The-Pains-Of-Being-Pure-At-Heart-live-in-Vancouver.aspx Tue, 11 Aug 2009 02:29:00 GMT http://www.cluas.comDesktopModules/BlogTrackback.aspx?id=1138