https://www.cluas.com/indie-music RSS feeds for CLUAS Irish Indie Music 60 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/575/Kate-Bush-50-Words-For-Snow#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=575 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=575&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/575/Kate-Bush-50-Words-For-Snow Review Snapshot: The release of new music from Kate Bush is always a monumental event. Seldom is wonderful, but '50 Words For Snow' is her second release this year, and her first studio album of new material in seven years - and as always with Kate, it’s quality not quantity that matters. The CLUAS Verdict: 9 out of 10 Full Review: The album title says it all. This isn’t a Christmas cash-in, but a seasonal album and the topic is definitely snow. The opening number ‘Snowflake’ sets the tone for the album with Kate playing piano while duetting with her son Albert (Bertie) who takes on the soprano role of Aled Jones singing “we’re over a forest / there’s millions of snowflakes” while Kate’s beautiful voice only adds to the mystique and beauty, with a sense of motherly love throughout. On ‘Misty’ Kate falls in love with the Snowman. While some might suggest double entendres to some of the lyrics “I can feel him melting in my hand “or “the sheets are soaking” this really is a harmless, beautiful love-song with no sexual innuendos intended as the snowman enters her bedroom and makes love to her. Kate doesn’t do censored music The first single, ‘Wildman’, is probably the weakest track here, and at the same time, the only track that will possible get airplay as most of the tracks range from 7 – 10 minutes in length. There is a constant catchy riff throughout, while Kate tells the tale of the Yeti that she doesn’t want killed: “We found your footprints in the snow / We brushed them all away”. Perhaps she’s fallen in love with him as she sings “they want to hunt you down / you're not an animal”, and a guest appearance from Andy Fairweather Low The standout piece here is her love duet with Elton John, ‘Snowed In At Wheeler Street’. While it’s no ‘Don’t Give Up’ it is a beautiful story of two lovers meeting up again and regretting letting each other go in the past, and reminiscing about their time from ancient Rome through World War II in Paris and London. Elton gives one of his best vocal performances. His memory is “Can't we just stay there forever? We were so happy! I'd live that day over and over” while Kate’s says “Come with me, I'll find some rope / I'll tie us together”. This could be the soundtrack to Casablanca. 'Among Angels' is trademark Bush, with just her tinkling at the piano doing what she does best. No whistles and bells, just vocals and piano and that haunting technique of hers. “I can see angels standing around you /they shimmer like mirrors in summer” she sings. The title track does exactly what it says on the tin. Stephen Fry makes a surprise appearance trying to come up with literally 50 words for snow while Kate counts them down. From “drifting …avalanche… ..mountainsob” Kate comes in at various intervals with “Come on Joe, you've got 32 to go / let me hear your 50 words for snow”. Some of Fry’s words are a bit dubious though including “anklebreaker", "boomerangablanca", and "bad for trains". This shouldn’t really work, but it does somehow. Only Kate could make it work. This is yet another masterpiece from the woman nobody knows anything about, and this concept album won’t reveal anything more personal about her. It doesn’t have the hit singles that 'Hounds of Love' had, but Kate’s in her 50s now, not her 20s. Fans will love this, and for them this year, December will be magic again. Mick Lynch Mick Lynch Sat, 26 Nov 2011 16:30:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:575 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/559/Prince--Malahide-Castle-Dublin-30-July-2011#Comments 2 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=559 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=559&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/559/Prince--Malahide-Castle-Dublin-30-July-2011 Review Snapshot: His Royal Purpleness fulfils his appointment in Dublin, at the second time of asking, and makes it up to those disappointed fans first time round, with a show packed with classic hit after hit. The Cluas Verdict:9 out of 10 Full Review: Easily the most eagerly awaited gig in Ireland this year, Prince was determined to make it up to the Irish fans on Saturday night, and he did so, in front of almost 30,000 fans at Malahide castle. Wearing a creamed coloured poncho he walked on stage and started taking photographs of the crowd before opening with ‘Gold’. “I’m sorry it took so long to come to you” he said as an apology before immediately kicking in a storming collection of ‘80s classics. ‘Let’s Go Crazy’, ‘Delirious’, ‘1999’, ‘Little Red Corvette’ and ‘Take Me With U’ followed in quick succession and there was no doubt that he was determined to make this his greatest Irish performance ever. For ‘Raspberry Beret’, one of his female guitarists proceeded to sketch a picture of a beret on a drawing board, and ‘Cream’ brought us into the 90’s for a few minutes. A couple of covers followed, with ‘Don’t Stop Til You get Enough’, and The Time’s ‘C.O.O.L.’ before Prince took a much needed rest and disappeared for a change of clothes while Shelby J, and two other group members gave us their version of ‘To Make You Feel My Love’. Prince returned, all dressed in black and gave us ‘Purple Rain’ (complete with purple confetti sprayed into the crowd), and his timing was impeccable as the rain started to fall slowly. ‘If I Was Your Girlfriend’ was next, and for ‘Kiss’ he sang  ...”you don’t have to watch Big Brother” (Dynasty being outdated). His support act, the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble were brought back on with all their Trumpets and French Horns for ‘Musicology’, ‘The Bird’ and ‘Jungle Love’ and he invited several members of the pubic up on stage for ‘Love Rollercoaster’ and ‘Play That Funky Music’. One girl even managed to give him a kiss, while Prince offered his guitar to play, to another unexpected fan on stage. He certainly looked chilled and I’ve never seen him smile so many times during one concert. It looked like the concert was over but he appeared back on stage for the beautiful ballads ‘Sometimes It Snows In April’, and ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’, the latter he dedicated with “love and respect to Miss Sinead O Connor’. He sat at his purple Piano for ‘Sign of The Times’, and mixed it with ‘Alphabet Street’ and the intro to ‘When Doves Cry’. He stopped abruptly and said “I’ve too many hits. We’d be here till tomorrow if I play them all” which provoked unanimous cheering. He played ‘When Doves Cry’ through this time, along with ‘Hot Thing’, Sheila E’s ‘A Love Bizarre’, and ‘Controversy’. As he reappeared for what was his third and final encore he commented “you’re a gluten for punishment. Let’s go back to 1982” he added. He finished the set with ‘Let’s Work’, and ‘U Got the Look’ and again thanked the fans. I’ve seen Prince four times in Concert, and this was by far the best. Smiles and apologies are things you don’t normally see or hear from him, and while he’s now 53 he certainly seems to have mellowed quiet considerably. An outstanding performance on Saturday night by the little purple fella.                                      Mick Lynch Mick Lynch Sun, 31 Jul 2011 22:06:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:559 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/549/Richard-Marx-Live-in-Dublin#Comments 1 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=549 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=549&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/549/Richard-Marx-Live-in-Dublin Review Snapshot:  An 80s heart-throb making his debut appearance in Ireland has the crowd eating out of his hand with a mix of story and song from an illustrious singing and songwriting career that would have even his most cynical critics smiling. The Cluas Verdict: 8.5 out of 10 Full Review: Richard Marx! Now there’s a name from the '80s that we haven’t heard much from lately, but thankfully the man is back with a new album ‘Stories To Tell’, which includes some stripped down covers of his classic hits, and these are what he performed at Dublin’s National Concert Hall during his first ever gig in Ireland. Opening with ‘Endless Summer Nights’ and ‘Take This Heart’, this two hour show basically featured, one man, 2 guitars and a piano, and the occasional assistance of his mate Steve tinkling the ivories, but it really was a one-man show of music and chat, and what stories he told us throughout the evening. Coming through passport control earlier that day he informed us that the lady asked him what he was doing in Ireland. Upon telling her he was a singer/songwriter she enquired “And would I know any of your songs”. Telling her, she might, she then asked him to sing her one. He looked around and saw a huge queue forming behind him, and instead told to Google him, to which she replied “Do I look like I have time here to Google you”. It was this kind of humour and relaxed atmosphere that really set the tone for the evening. Before ‘Keep Coming Back’ he spoke about the late Luther Vandross ringing him up asking if he needed anyone to do backing vocals on any of his songs. “That’s like us playing basketball in the yard, and Michael Jordan enquiring if we need another team member”, he joked. During songs the crowd would shout up several requests. “At least you’re shouting up my songs” he said, before going on to tell us about the guy at a gig that keep asking for ‘Cuts Like A Knife’, and not realising it wasn’t one of his. He concluded by telling us about going backstage at a Bryan Adams gig six months ago, relaying the story to Bryan and asking him “Do people shout out my songs at your gigs?” - to which Adams defiantly said “No”. ‘Hazard’ had everyone singing every single word, a song he said he hated, but his wife told him it’d be a hit. “So I recorded it with a big band, just to prove her wrong. It went to no. 1 in 13 countries” he added. He sat at the piano for the first time this evening to perform ‘Through My Veins’, an emotional tribute to his late dad on the video screen behind, whom he’s not shy in revealing that he was a fantastic musician, and it’s certainly hereditary. For ‘Angelia’ he told us about needing a four-syllable girls name to fit into a song he’d written, and found it courtesy of a stewardess serving him a ginger-ale on a flight to Texas, while ‘Satisfied’ was another track performed from the classic ‘Repeat Offender’ album. At one stage during the evening he joked “you may know this next song, but please don’t join in, you’ll ruin it”. A new song ‘Save Me’ showed that talent certainly runs in the family. His three sons (the Marx brothers) played piano, drums and guitar individually on the screen behind him, while he sang this rocky number, and there’s no doubt we’ll hear more from them in the future. He was genuinely impressed with the acoustics in the National Concert Hall, by spontaneously pulling the lead out of his guitar, walking away from the microphone and sitting down at the front of the stage to perform ‘Always On My Mind’. You could have heard a pin drop. This is what the term ‘Unplugged’ typifies. Then he sang a few of his own compositions that were recorded by other artists. Introducing ‘Better Days’ by Keith Urban he says “This was a huge hit for Nicole Kidman’s husband….Tom Cruise” he joked, while performing ‘This I Promised You’ (N Sync) he had another great story to tell. "N Sync were huge when they recorded my song, so we had to find studio miles away from anywhere, but the girls would follow them and camp out waiting for them. About 3am in the morning when we finished, the guys were secretly taken out a back door, while I just walked out the front door to the parking lot. As I was putting my stuff into the car, a 19 year-old girl appeared out of nowhere” he added. “Are you Richard Marx” the girl enquired. “Yes” he said, to which she replied “Oh my God! My mum loves you!” So he dedicated ‘This I Promise You’ to “all the mums”. “This next song was recorded when I had a mullet” was his intro to ‘Should’ve Known Better’ and for the encore he gave us “my first hit” ‘Don’t Mean Nothing’, the ballads ‘Hold On To The Night’ and ‘Now And Forever’ blended in together, and he sat at the piano for the final song of the evening, his signature song ‘Right here Waiting. “Thank you Dublin, you were amazing” were his parting words as he spent time shaking hands with several fans. He promised he’ll come back and on this performance there’s no doubt he’ll fill the place again. On a glorious June evening, this was one endless summer night to remember. Mick Lynch Mick Lynch Thu, 02 Jun 2011 11:51:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:549 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/541/Roger-Waters-live-in-Dublin-review-no-2#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=541 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=541&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/541/Roger-Waters-live-in-Dublin-review-no-2 Review Snapshot: The legendary 1979 album performed in its entirety, coupled with a visual display to rival anything seen in a science fiction movie. This is as good as it gets. The Cluas Verdict? 10 out of 10 Full Review: Roger Waters show at the O2 in Dublin was a visual spectacle from the opening. The half constructed wall, with so many fantastic images projected onto it, dominated from the start of ‘In The Flesh’ and ‘The Thin Ice’. The sound for ‘Another Brick In The Wall (parts 1-3)' was crystal clear, during which the group of young school kids singing the chorus had hair standing on the back on my neck, while the huge Gerald Scarfe school teacher puppet with the large cane in his hand, moved eerily above the children as they sang “Hey Teacher, leave those kids alone”. The tracks were performed in the order they appeared on the album, as the bricks continued to be put in place during ‘Mother’ and ‘Goodbye Blue Sky’, with the last bricks slotted in place as Waters peered out through the one remaining space to deliver ‘Goodbye Cruel World’. The animation and 3D effects were a show in themselves, and numerous tributes of people who died unnecessarily appeared in the form of pictures, with Roger posting the following message on the wall at the interval; "I Would Like To Thank All Of You Who Have Sent In Photos Of Fallen Loved Ones – We Will Remember Them – Roger". The second part of the show began with ‘Hey You’ and ‘Is Anybody out There’ from behind the wall, before he appeared in his sitting room watching TV to ‘Nobody Home’. One of my favourite pieces ‘Vera’ was brief, before the crowd sang along to ‘Comfortably Numb’ which portrayed some colourful images of explosions on the wall behind him, and even the flying pig appeared several times above the crowd. His military uniformed band appeared for ‘The Show Must Go On’ with the two crossed hammers image draped behind them, while Waters appeared for ‘Run Like Hell’ wearing a long leather coat and shades complete with machine gun which he activated on several occasions to great sound effect. As the show reached its conclusion with numbers like ‘Waiting For The Worms’ and ‘The Trial’, the images continued to be very effective with the marching hammers behind him again while as he shouted through a megaphone, and the explosion to bring the wall down was very effective and dramatic. For the final number, obviously titled ‘Outside The Wall’, the complete band appeared at front of stage as Waters named checked all 11 members (which included his son on Accordion and the legendary Snowy White on guitar). He thanked the crowd for making his appearance here in 2002 the reason he came back again, and then he was gone. Even without the music, this was a theatrical orgasm from the beginning, a production of gigantic proportions, including a satisfying climax. Unmissable. Bet you wish you were here.  Mick Lynch Mick Lynch Thu, 26 May 2011 13:26:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:541 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/88/Duke-Special-live-in-Portlaoise#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=88 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=88&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/88/Duke-Special-live-in-Portlaoise A review of Duke Special (live in Kavanagh’s, Portlaoise) Review Snapshot: While there’s no room in tonight's small venue for his piano, Duke Special still  managed to put all his energy, enjoyment, and drama into a gig which enthralled us for over two hours. The Duke managed to silence us with his fascinating stories and history lessons, bringing a different perspective to what can be achieved when you mix music and art. The Cluas Verdict? 9 out of 10 Full review: Having witnessed a few Duke Special gigs over the years, I thought I’d seen all this man has to offer, but I have to admit his May Day Bank Holiday performance in Portlaoise recently was the best I’ve seen him deliver. There’s standing room only as the venue cramped with 100 lucky people has an intimate feel to it, like he’s performing in your sitting room.  With at least six studio albums to his credit now, there’s no shortage of material to pick from, and the early part of the evening consist of tracks like 'As Good As It Get', 'Apple Jack' (a story about Adam and Eve) and the sing-along favourites 'Everybody Wants A Little Something Good' and 'Sweet Sweet Kisses'.   With Duke banging away on the keyboard, his partner in crime percussionist Chip Bailey frantically runs around the place, keeping the beat going on everything from the kitchen sink literally which brings a humorous angle to the show.   If Chip provides the humour, Duke’s serious lessons in history and art provide the darker side to tonight’s performance. There are stories about Irish washer women ('Washday Blues'), and Eastman’s Kodak camera ('You Press The Button, We Do The Rest') which Duke tells with such interest that you could have heard a pin drop.   Renowned for his interesting choices of cover-versions, he gets the crowd going with 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' segued in with his own song 'Diggin An Early Grave'. The recent Neil Hannon composition Wanda Darling Of The Jockey Club brings up back to the 1940’s.   In recent months Duke has been supporting DePaul Ireland, a charity that looks after alcoholics and homeless people (which Duke jokes that “most musicians are only two steps away from”). He donated the proceeds from his recent 'Songs of Ruby Murray' EP to this cause. We’re treated to the beautiful Happy Days And Lonely Nights from same, before the show goes into over-drive for a frantic finale of 'Last Night I Nearly Died' and 'Our Love Goes Deeper Than This'.   As the audience give him a standing ovation and shout for more, he duly obliges with a song that he says “wasn’t on the set list”. He beckons his support act Bill Coleman to get back on stage with his ukulele and we’re treated to a great version of Dylan’s 'I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight'.   Having gone well over his allotted time, the crowd applaud this genius, because that’s what he is. He may not have the hit singles under his belt, but he doesn’t need them. Duke Special has the talent, and the personality. He doesn’t need the commercialism to prove how good he really is.   Mick Lynch Mick Lynch Tue, 10 May 2011 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:88 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/228/Bruce-Springsteen-The-Promise#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=228 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=228&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/228/Bruce-Springsteen-The-Promise A review of the album 'The Promise' by Bruce Springsteen Review Snapshot: An album of lost sessions from Darkness On The Edge Of Town that any of today’s pretenders to the throne would die-for. A collection of songs that ‘The Boss’ couldn’t find album space for now sees the light of day, over three decades later. It has certainly been well worth the wait. The Cluas Verdict? 7 out of 10 Full Review: After being proclaimed “the future of rock‘n’roll” in 1975 following the commercial success of Born To Run, Bruce Springsteen went back to the drawing board to dream it all up again. However due to legal disputes he was unable to release any new material until 1978’s Darkness On The Edge Of Town. What you’ve got here are 22 songs that chronologically belong between those two albums. Described by The Boss himself as “a great lost work recovered”, this album opens with ‘Racing In The Street’, an alternative version to the Darkness album track, this time with piano, violin and harmonica dominant , and with original lyrics like “32 Ford” (instead of the eventual 69 Chevy) that was never going to sound right. 'Outside Looking In’ sounds like a Buddy Holly b-side with that raunchy Springsteen vocal and Clemons trademark saxophone all over it, while ‘Someday (We’ll Be Together’ is a tale of romantic optimism with beautiful harmonies that’s very gentle on the ear. ‘Because The Night’, a song synonymous with Patti Smith is here in its original version and, although the Boss wrote it, I personally think it doesn’t match the quality of the version we’ve become accustomed to. On Disc 2 there’s ‘Fire’, another Bruce song that the Pointer Sisters would enjoy success with, but this was the closest Springsteen would come to “pop music” in the late 70s. He tips his hat to Sam Cooke on ‘Ain’t Good Enough For You’, sounding remarkably like ‘Twistin The Night Away’. If you listen carefully to the opening lines of ‘Spanish Eyes’, you’ll recognize the lyrics but not the song. These would later become part of the brilliant ‘I’m On Fire’ in the 80s. We’re brought right back to the 70s on ‘Come On (Let’s Go Tonight)’, a song he wrote about the then recently deceased Elvis Presley. It would later become ‘Factory’ for the next album. Talk To Me’ is a brass orientated, infectious up-tempo number that wouldn’t be out of place at a Seeger Sessions concert. There’s no shortage of classic story-telling numbers either. On ‘Breakaway’ there’s Sonny, Jamie and Bobby to add to his list of characters in song, and on the title track it’s Johnny, Billy and Terry.  ‘The Promise’ is indeed one of the many highlights on here, and is effectively a ‘Thunder Road (Part II)' and just as good. If you thought 21 songs wasn’t enough, there’s even a hidden track, ‘The Way’, which is beautiful and worthy of being visible. Die-hard ‘Boss’ fans will love this collection even if some of the tracks have been updated but these songs did form the basis for 'Darkness…' and Springsteen still believes he released the best songs 32 years ago. For many of his contempories they’d die for even one of these left-over songs. Another impressive selection from New Jersey's greatest. Mick Lynch More ... Mick Lynch Fri, 10 Dec 2010 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:228 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/96/Lady-Gaga-live-in-Dublin#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=96 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=96&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/96/Lady-Gaga-live-in-Dublin Lady Gaga (live in The O2, Dublin) Review Snapshot: The Madonna comparisons are obvious. They both write and sing, the choreography is similar in parts, Alejandro is the new La Isla Bonita but I’ve never seen Madonna play the piano the way Gaga can. She’s here for the long haul and I’ve no doubt, on tonight’s performance we’re watching the artist of this decade. The Cluas Verdict? 9.5 out of 10 Full Review: The world’s current most famous pop star returned to Dublin for the first of 3 nights at the o2 for a two-hour show split into four acts culminating with her Monster Ball. Act 1 was set around a New York City backdrop for the opening numbers ‘Dance In The Dark’ and ‘Glitter And Grease’ as her green car breaks down in the Big Apple, but fear not, under the bonnet is a piano which she plays during ‘Just Dance’. There’s a constant changing of costumes throughout ‘Beautiful Dirty Rich’ and ‘The Fame’, and there’s certainly a Michael Jackson influence. Besides the Thriller album playing over the house speakers before the gig, she’s also stolen the catapulting of dancers up out of the ground from his This Is It film. With the car breaking down, they’ve no option but to take the subway to the ball and during ‘Love Game’ she beings to read some of the many posters that the Irish fans have written for her. It’s a lovely part of the show but as she struggles to read some of them at a distance she comments “Lady Gaga plays the o2 in Dublin and she can’t even read”.   The numbers continue with ‘Boys Boys Boys’, ‘Money Honey’, and ‘Telephone which has her on the walkway down the front close to her “little monsters”.  On numerous occasions thoughout the concert she gives out positive vibes. It’s obvious she was bullied as a child in school and was told she’d never achieve anything but she gets the message across that we’re all equal and can achieve anything we want.   The highlight of the show musically is her unaccompanied version of ‘Speechless’. She sits at the piano and sings it completely stripped down. There’s no whistles of bells on this number and it shows how talented this woman really is when the masks and make-up are taken away.   She stays at the piano because she wants to give the fans something new. “I know when my little monsters are ready to hear something new, so this is a track from my new album Born This Way” she states. During‘You And I’ she discusses her long term relationship with her boyfriend and dedicates it to her irish fans, before telling them about her love for Jameson Whiskey. She even introduces an Irish harp into the set before performing ‘So Happy I Could Die’.   For the next Act, the scenery changes to a forestry. ‘Monster’, ‘Teeth’ and ‘Alejandro’ are performed between footage depicting anything from blood and guts to Monsters, while ‘Poker Face’ has the audience eating out of her hand. By now the o2 is rockin, everyone is on their feet and the atmosphere is just fantastic.   The final act concludes with the Monster Ball. A huge monster appears to attack Gaga while she sings ‘Paparazzi, and the encore is ‘Bad Romance’ a song that is celebrating its first anniversary tonight. “I wrote this little song a year ago today” she added.   I brought my 9-year old daughter but came away from this gig a bigger fan that she probably is.   Mick Lynch More ... Mick Lynch Fri, 05 Nov 2010 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:96 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/241/The-Script-Science-and-Faith#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=241 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=241&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/241/The-Script-Science-and-Faith A review of the album 'Science and Faith' by The Script Review Snapshot: On Science and Faith, The Script have continued where they left off with their debut album. Catchy melodies, lyrics that you won’t need a dictionary to explain, and songs that won’t change the world. But I mean all this in the best possible way. The Cluas Verdict? 6 out of 10 Full Review: While the world waited for the “difficult second album”, the Script have played it safe and repeated what made them successful in the first place. Opening with a very long intro ‘You Won’t Feel A Thing’ sees the rockier side to The Script, with them sounding not unlike No Sweat did two decades earlier, while Danny sings “I’ll stand in front / I’ll take the blow for you”. The single ‘For The First Time’ (a recent Irish chart-topper) is typical Script, while the title track has an intro to match Bryan Adams ‘Cloud Number 9', which they may not thank me for. ‘If You Ever Come Back’ is brilliant in its simplicity. Any song that mentions ‘Key under the mat / ...Kettle on’ gives out a warm feeling. It’s a definite future single and without doubt the album’s standout track that’ll having you humming it continuously, and that’s one of their many strengths. There’s a change of musical direction on ‘Dead Man Walking’ where Danny and Mark aim at the American market with some R&B touches and rapping. This, along with ‘Walk Away’, both sound like My Town left-over b-sides. There’s no shortage of ballads here also, something the Script do well: ‘Nothing’ and the (Sting sound-alike) ‘This=Love’ are easy on the ear. Okay, so this album may not set the world on fire, and probably won’t please the critics, but the Irish trio have to be complemented for sticking to the script literally by producing material they’re happy with. And having fans like Paul McCartney who are we to criticise? Mick Lynch More ... Mick Lynch Tue, 12 Oct 2010 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:241 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/97/Paul-McCartney-live-in-Dublin#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=97 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=97&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/97/Paul-McCartney-live-in-Dublin Paul McCartney (live in the RDS, Dublin) Review Snapshot: 165 minutes, of 36 songs ranging from The Beatles, Wings, The Fireman and McCartney's solo material, throw in a fireworks display to rival Sydney Bridge on New Years Day and you’ve only a taster of Paul’s RDS gig in the summer sunshine.  The Cluas Verdict? 10 out of 10 Full Review: sung That seven year itch for a McCartney gig at Dublin’s RDS came back around last night, and in the summer sunshine he put on a stomping rocking show for nearly 3 hours, that would leave fellow musicians half his age speechless. The fact that his beloved England had a World Cup match at the same time meant that the gig was delayed in starting until half-time in the game. Was it worth the wait?   At 8:30pm the band walked on stage to huge applause, and began with Venus And Mars / Rockshow and Jet before McCartney tried a bit of the local tongue. “Failte Romhat Go Leir”. “Is Mise Paul McCartney in case you didn’t know that” he joked.   After All My Loving and Got To Get You Into My Life he got tongue tied. “It’s good to back, be, Dublin in. That was a new one, this is an old one” he continued to contradict himself by introducing Letting Go.    Highway and Let Me Roll It were next as he paid tribute to Jimi Hendrix with the foxy lady ending (telling us that “Jimi was a very humble man. "'Do you think they’ll like me?' Jimi used to ask).   Over he went to the piano for The Long And Winding Road, Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five and Let 'Em In.   He spoke about recent gigs in Mexico where they got their cigarette lighters out and click in time to the music. “It was amazing, it’s the only place they do that, but then they are all smokers” he added. He stayed at the Piano for My Love.   Before I’m Looking Through You he had a bit of a false start, before getting it right. “I thought we were going to do another song, which we are now” he joked. “It proves this is live” he added.   He told us that he brought that song back into the set during a gig in the Kiev, and thinking that the crowd were cheering on the mention of Ukraine, he soon discovered that the Irish had started a verse of “Happy Birthday To You” which (his 68th birthday was just days away at the time of the gig)”.    While the rest of the band took a break, Paul stood alone on stage and gave us Blackbird, his tribute to John (Here Today) and had the ukulele for Dance Tonight’ which had everyone singing along.   “There’s a guy who’s been holding up a sign here at the front of the stage, so this one is for you – Simon” was his intro to Mrs. Vandebilt. He continued to comment on the sign after Eleanor Rigby. “When you’re up here on stage and you’re trying to read all the posters but you’re trying to remember the lyrics, the chords and basically everything you’re suppose to, but you still try to read them, and there’s one guy up here at the front who has a sign saying AFTER THE SHOW I’M GOING TO BANG THIS CHICK, so I had to read that one” he laughed.   Something, Sing The Changes, and Band On the Run followed, before he spoke again. “There’s a bit in the middle of this next song that you can join in if you want, if not……(as we lip read the other two words) for the intro of Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da. Back In The U.S.S.R. and I’ve Got A Feeling were next.   “You’re probably wondering why we keep changing guitars? We’re just showing off. We have them so we might as well use them. This is the actual guitar that was used on this next 60s song” was his intro to Paperback Writer.   A Day In The Life and the segway into Give Peace A Chance was one of the night's many highlights. By now he had moved into top gear, and continued with ‘Let It Be’ and the pyrotechnic Live And Let Die with its special effects lifted right out of a James Bond movie.   During Hey Jude the rain started to fall lightly, but it didn’t dampen the spirits as Paul got both the men and women separately singing the chorus before the band left the stage for the first time. The encore consisted of Daytripper, Lady Madonna and Get Back but just when the fans thought it was over, there was a second encore.   Yesterday was beautifully sung, and then a rocking version of Helter Skelter with the rollercoaster backdrop to make us all dizzy. “There comes a time when we have to go home” he said (which brought consistent boos from the crowd). “It’s around the same time that you’ve got to go home” he promptly added. He thanked his band and crew and fittingly finished with Sgt Peppers Reprise and The End.   Two hours and 45 minutes after walking on stage, Macca had once again proved his love for the Irish fans with a spell-binding show that proved that, fast approaching his 68th birthday next week, he’s showing no sign of easing up.   Tonight he certainly gave something back to the Irish.   Mick Lynch  More ... Mick Lynch Wed, 16 Jun 2010 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:97 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/266/Duke-Special-The-Stage-A-Book-The-Silver-Screen#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=266 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=266&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/266/Duke-Special-The-Stage-A-Book-The-Silver-Screen A review of the album 'The Stage, A Book & The Silver Screen' by Duke Special Review Snapshot: Ireland’s most versatile and underrated musician excels with a trilogy of albums influenced by books, stage, and screen, covering a wide range of music genres that he masters with aplomb.  The Cluas Verdict? 9 out of 10 Full Review: The opening album, Mother Courage and her Children is based on the 1930s anti-war play by Bertold Brecht, which Duke has added music to, and the violin on the opening Prelude sets the tone for this disc with haunting orchestral arrangements throughout ensuring that this is no comedy. From the title track, Duke manages to tell the story of the soldiers, and carries this track to a crescendo, a 21st Century 'A Day in the Life' perhaps. The beautiful ballad 'Yvette (song of fraternization)' is as good as anything Duke has written, while 'Soldier’s Song' is the most upbeat number on the album, and lifts the gloom with lyrics like "your tits, girls show ‘em fast", giving it a sing-a-long drinking song feel to it.   'Lullaby' will convince you this story has a happy ending with Duke tinkling the ivory with whispered vocals, that’ll have you falling in love with this track from the start.   While there’s no doubt, you could relate more to these songs if you’d seen the play, it’s not essential as he manages to mix it up well with a selection of upbeat and somber numbers.   The second disc, Huckleberry Finn (The book) is more and EP than an album, with only five tracks, and it consists of Kurt Weill’s unfinished musical based on the Mark Twain novel.   'Come In Mornin’ is another of Special's beautiful emotional ballads and is the highlight here, whereas 'Apple Jack' touches on the Garden of Eden saga and is a foot-tapping infectious number.   Most of the tracks here are only two minutes long, including the theatrical 'Catfish Song' (about Huck and Tom Sawyer), but it’s quality not quantity that makes this disc short, but very very sweet.   Disc 3, The Silent World of Hector Mann is based on Paul Auster’s ‘Book of illusions’. Duke actually gave 11 songwriters a copy of the book and asked each one to write a song, so this is a compilation of 12 tracks all written by different artists.   The opening number Hearth and Home has a warmth feeling that filters throughout this collection, especially on the beautiful ‘Old Folks and Cow Pokes’. ‘Country Weekend’ is a bouncy number that tells the tale of a chauffeur trying to marry his passenger, while ‘The Prop Man’ is sang at twice the speed of sound and convinces you of the realism and panic that happens just prior to curtain call.   Neil Hannon’s 'Wanda, Darling of the Jockey Club' has 1920’s all over it, as Duke tells the story of the aviatrix, and this deserves to be a hit, and could be the song that brings him to a wider audience in the UK.   'Mister Nobody' (penned by Duke) is a typical piano somber ballad, while Tango Tangle does exactly what it says on the tin. Double or Nothing reminds me of a cross between Kenny Rogers and Kris Kristofferson, while closing number 'Tellers Tale' (written by Aqualung’s Matt Hales) is emotional, sentimental, and beautiful in its simplicity.   I honestly thought a trilogy of albums from the Duke was too much in one go, but ‘The Stage, A Book & The Silver Screen' is a fascinating collection of various genres of music, that even a pop fan like myself couldn’t find fault with. Mick Lynch More ... Mick Lynch Tue, 23 Mar 2010 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:266 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/267/Pet-Shop-Boys-Pandemonium#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=267 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=267&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/267/Pet-Shop-Boys-Pandemonium A review of the live album/DVD 'Pandemonium' by Pet Shop Boys Review Snapshot: Over 100 minutes of pure bubble-gum pop, absorbed in a rainbow of multi-coloured lighting, with a combination of clever choreography, making this CD and DVD an aural and visual spectacle from the start. The Cluas Verdict? 8 out of 10 Full Review: Love them or loathe them, you can’t help but have admiration for the Pet Shop Boys. Over 25 years in the music business and they still continue to come up with fresh ideas, both in their music and their presentation. Last year they released their 10th studio album, had another no. 1 on the Billboard Dance Charts, were awarded the Outstanding Contribution to Music at the Brits, and now they’ve released a CD/DVD of their Pandemonium Tour at London’s O2 Arena, barely six weeks after it was recorded. Wearing coloured boxes on their heads for the opener ‘Heart’, it’s a bowler hat and shades for Tennant as they mix their back catalogue with recent singles ‘Love Etc’ and ‘Did You See Me Coming’. ‘Building A Wall’ winds the clock back 30 years replicating Pink Floyd’s memorable gigs just down the road at Earls Court, as the large brick wall crashes to the ground at the finale of this number. From track 1 (Two Divided By Zero) on Please, to songs from Yes, this is a greatest hits live collection that spans their whole career ranging from ‘Suburbia’ and ‘Always on My Mind’ to ‘It’s A Sin’ and ‘Go West’. It’s not all pop though; there’s plenty of art here also, with lesser known gems like ‘Closer to Heaven’, ‘King’s Cross’ and ‘Jealousy’ included in the set. There’s also a medley of hits mixed in with a great version of Coldplay’s ‘Viva La Vida’ which Neil performs dressed as a king, complete with crown and cape, and they finish the gig with their swan-song ‘West End Girls’. If the combination of CD and DVD weren’t value for money already, there’s 30 minutes of extras on the DVD. First up is a cover of the Madness hit ‘My Girl’, a rare performance of ‘It Doesn’t Often Snow at Christmas’ (complete with dancing Christmas trees), and the three music videos from the 'Yes' album. And if that wasn’t enough there’s even a shot of Chris Lowe actually smiling, the full Brit Award performance featuring Brandon Flowers and Lady Gaga, and an audio commentary from Neil and Chris. Now who says the Pet Shop Boys are constantly being boring? Not on this performance. Mick Lynch More ... Mick Lynch Sat, 13 Mar 2010 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:267 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/269/David-Bowie-A-Reality-Tour-Live-in-Dublin#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=269 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=269&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/269/David-Bowie-A-Reality-Tour-Live-in-Dublin A review of the album 'A Reality Tour Live in Dublin' by David Bowie Review Snapshot: Possible the last ever Bowie Concert to be captured live, before an Irish audience who play their part in helping him deliver an outstanding performance of greatest hits and album classics.  The Cluas Verdict? 8 out of 10 Full Review: Just over six months after this live concert was recorded, Bowie suffered a heart attack and has since been taking it easy, so what we’ve got here could be one of his last official live recordings, and if it is, what a way to bow out. Recorded over two nights at Dublin’s Point Depot in November 2003 during his Reality Tour, Bowie gives a thumping performance consisting of his greatest hits and tracks from his recent Heathen and Reality albums.   The DVD edition of this concert was released a few years ago, but now for the first time we get a double cd of 33 tracks, three of which didn’t make the DVD version.   “We hope you got your sleeping bags and tents because this might be a really long show tonight” proclaims Bowie at the start of a fantastic night’s entertainment.   CD1 opens with the classic Rebel Rebel and continues with a mixture of well known gems [Fame, The Man Who Sold the World] and recent album tracks namely New Killer Star and Reality.   “You’re not too old for a sing-a-long are you?” he jokes before introducing All the Young Dudes, and there’s a cover of the Pixies ‘Cactus’ thrown in amongst the Bowie compositions.   The highlights here are a supreme version of Under Pressure, (a duet with the legendary Gail Ann Dorsey) which Bowie claims makes the song her own, and not a Jedward in sight. This is followed by a slowed down haunting piano-version of Life on Mars which will have the hairs standing on the back of your neck.   The second disc opens with 80s classics Ashes to Ashes and Loving the Alien, the latter in a stripped down version which sounds beautiful. Changes and Heroes are mixed in with lesser known, but equally as good tracks including the Reality single Never Get Old and Bring Me the Disco King.   For those that have the DVD of this concert, there’s the inclusion of three previously unreleased bonus tracks to cherish, the best of these being Breaking Glass, and the superb China Girl on which Bowie sneaks in the f-word.   What makes this a great album, is not just a brilliant band, or a great production, but we get to hear the real Bowie also as his banter between tracks is sincere and enjoyable, and with the thin white duke suffering a heart attack only months after this performance, this could be the last time we get to hear him live on record. As it says on the cd sleeve, this concert was recorded “in front of emotionally charged audiences” and on this evidence Bowie is giving as good as he’s getting.   Mick Lynch More ... Mick Lynch Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:269 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/109/Fleetwood-Mac-live-in-Dublin#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=109 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=109&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/109/Fleetwood-Mac-live-in-Dublin Fleetwood Mac (live in the O2, Dublin) Review Snapshot: 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. The Cluas Verdict? 8 out of 10 Full Review: 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. '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. 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. 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. Mick Lynch More ... Mick Lynch Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:16:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:109 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/302/Prefab-Sprout-Lets-Change-the-World-with-Music#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=302 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=302&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/302/Prefab-Sprout-Lets-Change-the-World-with-Music A review of the album 'Let's Change the World with Music' by Prefab Sprout Review Snapshot: Just like Brian Wilson's long-lost 'Smile' album, 'Let's Change the World with Music' has been in the vaults for 17 years, so has it been worth the wait, or will it feel dated to everyone, including Paddy McAloon? The Cluas Verdict? 8 out of 10 Full Review: So much over the years has been written and said about this long-lost album, the fact that it was recorded and rejected by the record company back in 1993, and chronologically belongs between 'Jordan The Comeback' and 'Andromeda Heights'. It may be nearly 20 years old but music does not always grow old. On the opening number 'Let There Be Music' it begins with a robotic voice quoting words from the first book of genesis, “in the beginning was a mighty bang” but within 15 seconds you hear the beautiful tones of Paddy's vocals that we all fell in love with all those years ago and immediately you're hooked. A radio friendly song that shows its age, courtesy of a typically 90s backing track. 'Ride' (previously recorded by Australian singer Wendy Matthews) is a foot-tapper and continues the religious theme (“...walking in the footsteps of our lord...”). But before you begin to think this is a concept album, Paddy sings “I've no time for religion” at the beginning of the beautiful piano ballad 'God Watch Over You', a song some may be familiar with from the 90s when Frances Ruffelle (ex-UK Eurovision entrant) covered it admirably. 'I Love Music' tells us what we've known about Paddy all along. “Love is the reason I'm playing this game” and he goes on to tell us his heroes are Irving Berlin while also name-checking Chic's Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards. There's a full sounding orchestra on this one, kind of Sinatra swing. 'Earth - The Story So Far' is one of the masterpieces on the album, while 'Last of the Great Romantics' will put you to sleep for all the right reasons. A lullaby sang so sweetly, with, again some fantastic piano throughout, while Paddy sings “come on Gatsby stand aside”. These two are already Sprouts classics. It's ballads all the way including 'Music is a Princess' and the tale of Romeo and Juliet in 'Angel of Love', but 'Meet the New Mozart' is excellent also. “I'll form a band and play some dates” he sings, but sadly for us, those words were written long ago, but there is optimism when he continues “all I write may not last, it may be manure / but I'll endure, not burn out fast”. On the sleeve notes Paddy writes a lovely piece about his fascination with Brian Wilson's long-lost 'Smile' album and apologises for there being no 'Good Vibrations' on this record. He goes on to admit that “one day in May '93 we made a poor move”, but heartwarmingly he dedicates this album to the ex-Sprouts members and producer Thomas Dolby. Whether the album is a concept one of Music, Love or Religion, it still sounds fantastic. Long before the release of this album Paddy McAloon had, for many of us, already changed the world with music. This album should bring many more to the same realisation. Meet The New Mozart? We already have. Mick Lynch More ... Mick Lynch Sun, 06 Sep 2009 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:302 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/409/Rilo-Kiley-Under-The-Blacklight#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=409 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=409&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/409/Rilo-Kiley-Under-The-Blacklight Review Snapshot: With significant praise from the likes of Elvis Costello and Coldplay, Rilo Kiley change musical direction with this offering, and head down the Pop route. Probably the most refreshing pop-album of the year. The CLUAS Verdict? 7 out of 10 Full Review: From the opening track, the recent single ‘Silver Lining’, you’ll fall in love with the vocals of Jenny Lewis. It’s impossible not to make comparisons with Christine McVie, and indeed throughout this album there’s an evident Fleetwood Mac influence. The brilliant ‘Breakin Up’ (surely a future single) sounds like it was lifted from Tango In The Night, while on ‘Dreamworld’ Blake Sennett’s lead vocals are remarkably similar to Lindsey Buckingham’s. Casting the ‘Mac’ influence aside, it’s the versatility of Jenny’s vocals that steal the show here. On ‘Smoke Detector’ and ‘15’, Lewis goes all Country. Think Reba McIntyre meets Dolly Parton. While the music is bright, the lyrics are dark. ‘15’ tells the controversial story of an online dating relationship: “He was deep like a graveyard / she was ripe like a peach / how could he have known she was only 15”. Sexual themes run through at least 4 of the tracks here (‘Smoke Detector’ sees Jenny sing “I was smoking him in bed...”). The title track is not the only one with an 80s influence on, ‘Give A Little Love’ also shows that the band have been listening to their Kraftwerk and O.M.D. records. ‘Dejalo’ is the weak track on here and ‘The Moneymaker’ is the heaviest, with the latter providing a catchy riff and hook that makes it memorable. We may have heard all this before, but under the blacklight, there’s a bright one shining through and Rilo Kiley’s name is written all over it. Mick Lynch  To buy a new or (very reasonably priced) 2nd hand copy of this album on Amazon just click here. More ... Mick Lynch Fri, 21 Sep 2007 07:30:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:409 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/410/Hard-Fi-Once-Upon-A-Time-In-The-West#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=410 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=410&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/410/Hard-Fi-Once-Upon-A-Time-In-The-West Review Snapshot: One of the most anticipated albums of 2007, Hard–Fi return with a rocking record, littered with strong tracks and ballads, yet not caring what anyone thinks. Doing what they want, and doing it with aplomb. The CLUAS Verdict? 8 out of 10 Full Review: The thumping distinctive sound of ‘Suburban Knights’ lets you know it’s the return of Hard-Fi. The radio-friendly single is the opener on their second album ‘Once Upon A Time In The West, and it gets better as the album progresses. ‘I Shall Overcome’ is brilliant, with elements of The Clash and Rolling Stones blended together to make another rocking tune. ‘Tonight’ is unfamiliar sounding Hard -Fi. It’s one of the strongest ballads on the album and should give fans that see them live, a required momentary rest. The piano-intro to ‘Television’ is the calm before the storm, it picking up momentum as it progresses. It’s typical Hard-Fi with its catchy chorus “television, not religion / everybody sing hallelujah”. ‘Help Me Please’ is a poignant ballad Archer wrote about the death of his mother while ‘Can’t Get Along (Without You)’ reminds me of The Ramones ‘Baby I Love You’, very 60s Phil Spector. From the 60s to the 70s they proceed with ‘We Need Love’. Inspired by Billy Bragg’s ‘Progressive Patriot’, this could so easily have been a single by The Specials. The closing track ‘The King’ sounds remarkably like The Verve’s ‘The Drugs Don’t Work’ (probably because they used the same producer Will Malone). It’s Malone’s orchestral arrangement on this number that ensures it will become a future classic the band will be remembered for. Overall an excellent follow-up to CCTV! Difficult second album me b****x! Mick Lynch  To buy a new or (very reasonably priced) 2nd hand copy of this album on Amazon just click here. More ... Mick Lynch Tue, 18 Sep 2007 09:36:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:410 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/217/Duke-Special-Portlaoise#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=217 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=217&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/217/Duke-Special-Portlaoise Duke Special live in Portlaoise, Ireland Review Snapshot: The Duke returns to the town of a previous nightmare gig, but this time wins the audience over, not once, but twice, with successive concerts within hours of each other, and proves that he's the perfect gentleman, both on and off stage. The CLUAS Verdict? 8 out of 10 Full review: My six-year old daughter is one of Duke's youngest fans, so we brought her to see him live, and not only did she witness a great performance, she got to meet him, got the autograph and photo, and the T-Shirt literally. As part of The World Fleadh, Duke Special was back in Portlaoise to perform twice in one night, beginning with an intimate gig at the Dunamaise Theatre. He opened the show with 'Some Things Make Your Soul Free' and 'Closer To The Start' before telling the crowd how happy he was to be here as part of the World Fleadh. After the uptempo 'Brixton Leaves', some of the crowd wanted to know where the missing members were. According to Duke "one of them was washing his hair, his chest hair. I've said too much already, but I will introduce those who are here if that's okay" he joked, before mentioning Rea Curren on vocals and accordion, and Chip Bailey on percussions. The show continued with 'Everybody Wants A Little Something', then a song about a failed Bank robbery ('Don't Breath') and 'The Ballad of A Broken Man'. A cover-version that he's currently recording 'Catfish' was next, and it went down very well as he duetted with Rae while explaining that it's from a musical that was never finished. "I'd love to bring this out on wobbly vinyl" he added. During 'I Let You Down' Chip went berserk on the drums, running up the stairs of the Theatre between drumbeats, which had the audience hysterical. He then treated us to his new single 'Our Love Goes Deeper Than That'. It was so new in fact that Rae needed the lyrics written down for him. 'You Don't Slow Me Down' was introduced as a song he imagined in a film featuring two French lovers. He goes on to recall a previous gig in this town supporting either Bell X1 or Juliet Turner explaining he has a tough time of winning the crowd over. "Now it's great to play Portlaoise" he emphasised. Next up were 'Salvation Tambourine' and the brilliant 'Freewheel' before finishing with a couple of songs including 'Lastight I Nearly Died' which got the audience singing along to, for perhaps the only time of the evening. The encore consisted of 'Drink To Me Only' and finishing up with 'The Slip of a Girl', a song he says is synonymous with Portlaoise. During this his Scottish sound guy added some reverb to Duke's vocals, provoking him so say, "What the hell was that". There's no denying this was a relaxed, but yet, polished performance. I'm just privileged we got to witness it in such an intimate surrounding, because the bigger venues are just around the corner for this special talent. Mick Lynch More ... Mick Lynch Thu, 23 Aug 2007 09:06:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:217 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/219/World-Fleadh-Festival-2007-Portlaoise#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=219 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=219&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/219/World-Fleadh-Festival-2007-Portlaoise The Proclaimers, Katie Melua & others live The CLUAS Verdict? 8 out of 10 Full review: A 1:00pm start on Sunday was always going to be tough on he opening act, and Nizlopi drew the short straw. To be fair to John & Luke, they put in a professional performance in front of a handful of people, who like me all just wanted to hear the ‘JCB Song’. Sandi Thom rocked the place with a cover of ‘Proud Mary’ while telling the crowed that it was her 26th Birthday the previous day. She saved the singles  ‘What If I’m Right’ and ‘I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker’ till the end, but the only criticism that took the gloss off her performance, was her refusal to sign an autograph for two fans who’d made themselves visible to her afterwards. Despite been 20 feet away, she turned and walked the other way. Duhks were a lot more accessible, and as the evening wore on Flook and Carlos Nunez also performed on the main stage. The biggest crowd of the weekend had assembled for the penultimate act, Scotland’s favourite twins, The Proclaimers. From their opening number ‘Letter From America’ they had the audience in their hand. We got the brilliant new single ‘Life With You’, the kiddies Shrek favourite ‘I’m On My Way’ and a fantastic overall performance that concluded with a sing-a-long of ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)’. The headline act was Katie Melua. Now I always thought she was a bit too squeaky clean for my liking, but she proved me wrong and put in a stirring performance. She has a fantastic voice and covered a range of Blues numbers, along with covers of ‘Fancy (Bobbie Gentry) and ‘One The Road Again’ (Canned Heat). We also got the two album title tracks ‘Call Off The Search’ and ‘Piece By Piece’, the latter according to Katie, written about her relationship break-up. ‘Spiders Web’ brought out the cigarette lighters, and my personal favourite ‘Closest Thing To Crazy’ was save till the end, along with the hit ‘Nine Million Bicycles’. A great festival with a wide range of musical genres, the weather had a major effect on the turnouts, but those of us that were there enjoyed ourselves. Perhaps more publicity is required next year as numerous people told me afterwards, they were unaware of the event. That said, I’d be going again next year, because the organisers couldn’t do enough for us. Mick Lynch More ... Mick Lynch Wed, 22 Aug 2007 11:20:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:219 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/420/BC-Camplight-Blink-Of-A-Nihilist#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=420 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=420&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/420/BC-Camplight-Blink-Of-A-Nihilist Review Snapshot: From the same label that gave us Bjork, The Shamen, & Chumbawamba, with this album B.C. Camplight is assured of household named status. A possible Pet Sounds of the noughties. The Cluas Verdict? 7.5 out of 10. Full Review: Just like many artists before him, Brian Christinzio (or B.C. Camplight to us) set out in life to make the perfect pop record. On his debut album ‘Hide, Run, Away’ was a good try, but now on his second album he’s certainly getting closer. Opening with the brilliant ‘Suffer For Two’ Christinzio’s harmonies and piano playing make this sound like an unheard Brian Wilson gem. There’s reminiscence for Pink Floyd on ‘Lord I’ve Been On Fire’, and ‘Soy Tonto’ would sit well on any lounge lizard album. Despite struggling with his own mental illness, he worked as a volunteer in mental hospitals and a New Jersey Jail, specifically to collect stories that he could write about, and it’s from these stories that he’s created this album. Some happy, some personal and some unique (such as 'I’ve Got A Bad Cold', which has a bit of Pink Floyd and The Beach Boys all mashed up together). There’s something for all tastes here. Mick Lynch More ... Mick Lynch Mon, 23 Jul 2007 12:57:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:420 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/421/Linkin-Park-Minutes-To-Midnight#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=421 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=421&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/421/Linkin-Park-Minutes-To-Midnight Review Snapshot: Even Rick Rubin’s magical production skills can’t save this mediocre album as Linkin Park set about looking for a new direction, and new fans, but in the process, forget the 40 million that fell in love with their previous sound. The Cluas Verdict? 3 out of 10. Full Review: One of the most anticipated albums of 2007 sees American sextet Linkin Park team up with Rick Rubin, the man with the midas touch, as they try to expand on the success of Hybrid Theory and Meteora. Recorded over 14 months, ‘Minutes To Midnight’ sees Linkin Park taking a chance at trying to re-invent themselves, but putting a weak instrumental ‘Wake’ as the album opener doesn’t do them any favours. By track two ‘Given Up’, the screams of “tell me what the f**k is wrong with me” doesn’t make the song a memorable one, and on ‘Bleed It Out’ Mike Shinoda raps over some out of date 80s clapping sound effects. Chester Bonnington takes lead vocals on ‘Shadow Of The Day’ and he sounds remarkably like Bono. The song is very reminiscent of ‘With Or Without You’, but I put that down to Rubin’s influence. The first single from the album ‘What I’ve Done’ isn’t great, but it does contain a haunting piano intro that would sit well on any Hitchcock soundtrack.  George Bush’s war on Iraq isn’t ignored here either. The bands frustration is demonstrated on songs like ‘Hands held High’ and ‘The Little Things Give You Away’, the latter written shortly after they visited New Orleans, following Hurricane Katrina. For me the standout tracks are the ballads. They may never reach the brilliance of Rob Thomas and Matchbox Twenty but on ‘Leave Out All The Rest’ Bonnington does a superb job vocally and displays the soft rock side of Linkin Park, a side that I never knew existed. Speaking of ballads, ‘Valentines Day’ starts out as one, but halfway through; the band loses their way and are unsure what sound they are trying to achieve. They have saved the best for last however with the aforementioned ‘The Little Things Give You Away’. With this album Linkin Park wanted to create something that maintained the integrity of the band's personality, but pushed their boundaries. The fans that bought their previous albums will have problems adapting to this new direction, and with 100 songs to choose from during the making of this album, I think they could have chosen more wisely. Mick Lynch  To buy a new or (very reasonably priced) 2nd hand copy of this album on Amazon just click here. More ... Mick Lynch Mon, 23 Jul 2007 12:56:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:421