Live Review- Lotus Eater Album Launch with New Secret Weapon-September 13th 2013 @The Grand Social, Dublin

Somewhere between  the ordeal of navigating our way through the maze of corridors and fifty seven magic doors that constitute Dublin venue The Grand Social and the time we order our first beers, my girlfriend turns to me and remarks that Lotuseater, whose music I've  introduced to her just a couple of days previous, are not really the sort of thing she ever expected me to listen to.

"Why?" , I answer, "I like all sorts."

"Yeah I know, but y'know usually . . ."

She trails off , but what she meant to say is:

  "Usually the gigs you bring me to consist of some bearded blokes roaring at an audience that contains more bearded blokes, and me, and playing instruments far too loud, that are tuned far too low for comfort, in a basement that smells faintly of piss.".

Yet here we are, and for good reason.Lotuseater rock, maybe not in the smash your face in, stomp you with a million riffs and a wall of distortion kinda way , but in a more subtle  way, crafting songs that defy genre barriers and scene limitations, and tonight they're launching their long awaited debut album, 'Feed Me To The Night' , the culmination of two years hard work writing and demoing(review to follow shortly on this here blog).Fittingly for a band as unconventional as they tend to be, tonight is less your average launch gig,and more of a wee soiree, with the audience treated more as invited guests than just some punters to entertain.

Greeted at the venue door by none other than Lotuseater frontwoman Siobhan Kavanagh, who is wearing one of the most fantastically elaborate, if least practical dresses I have ever laid eyes on,we are informed  that the show is going to be delayed a little,so she invites us to get a drink, and assures us things will kick off soon.Now there are two things that I love about this.One, that the singer of the headlining band is dressed like she's the protagonist in Alice in Wonderland, if Alice fronted a trip-hop/rock crossover band, and two, that she's actually bothering at all to greet people as they walk in, as if this was some elaborate dinner party and not her band's album launch.Furthermore, when we are ushered inside a few minutes later, she then proceeds to walk around the rapidly growing crowd and hand out elegantly designed miniature cupcakes from a box, while the evening's first support act, a very talented bellydancer by the name of Kadri, performs a short routine to the strains of Lana Del Rey.

Given that The Grand Social appears to have a strict enough curfew, the music proper kicks off quite early, with New Secret Weapon up on stage well before nine.Not a band I'd ever heard before tonight,or even really heard of, to say I was caught unawares is an understatement.Picture latter day QOTSA force-fed a ton of hallucinogenic drugs and then let loose on the Primus song book, and you might begin to describe the fucked up noise being visited upon us.Bizarre, schizophrenic tunes infused with a skewed pop sensibility and played with the fervour of men possessed,their set is a delight to behold.Drummer Trevor Keogh acts as a fulcrum from which singer/guitarist David Griffin and bassist Mark O'Connor are allowed to indulge their own brand of fucked up rockarolla , peppered with the odd nod to country and funk here and there.Essential stuff, and a fantastic live act.

Most other nights, New Secret Weapon would have walked off with the show tucked under their arm like a fat child with some stale half price Tesco doughnuts on a summer's eve, but most other nights aren't Lotuseater's night.Flanked by be suited guitarist Aiden Norris and bassist Ciaran Timmy Lynch, Kavanagh  strides onstage,   unleashes that fantastic depth charge of a voice and the audience are putty in their hands in about ten seconds flat.Lotuseater ,as I said before, rock live, but not so much in a CIRCLE PIT!! kinda way, more in the sense that everything, the performance, stage presence and sheer quality of the songs on offer combines to make an extremely satisfying whole.

Lotus Eater rocking the Grand Social, and some suits.

At the heart of Lotuseater's unique and beguiling sound is Kavanagh,  and this is especially obvious live.A magnetic, powerful front woman both in terms of her musical ability and stage presence during songs, between them she's endearingly chatty and down to earth, even coming across as a little bit shy and nervous at times.There's no attempt at a diva like persona or any tired platitudes thrown at the audience telling them they're the best crowd the band have ever seen etc.Instead, Lotuseater for the most part  let the music do the talking for them,a wise decision.Trying to sum up Lotuseater's eerily funky, left of centre sound in terms of genre or comparisons to other bands is pointless and vulgar, suffice to say there's really very few bands who sound like this.Live, their musical chops become apparent;the funk-punk juggernaut of 'Bless Your Efforts' , the murky beauty of 'Blue Lagoon' , the Muse-esque histrionics of 'It's All Too Late' ,all performed with a muso's flair, but a rock band's enthusiasm and passion.Drummer Cion O Ceallaghain is the band's engine room, deftly unperpinning the band's sonic explorations and locking in with bassist Lynch seamlessly.As the band's set progresses, so too  does the fervour of the audience increase; a hefty tattooed bloke in a Tapout wifebeater near me dances  like a charmed Indian cobra, and the gig photographer at one point forgets what he's doing and starts jumping up and down, expensive Canon bouncing along with him.

Like I said, not your typical launch gig then, but not your typical band.My girlfriend remarks to me as we leave that she's utterly blown away, and demands to know when the band are playing again.

Soon enough I reckon, but first we should hit a couple of  hardcore shows.

Rating:9.5/10

Stephen O' Connor, Born Again Nihilist

Check Lotuseater out here: http://www.seekthelotus.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/LotusEater/189612644391375?fref=ts

Check New Secret Weapon out here:http://www.reverbnation.com/newsecretweapon?page_view_source=facebook_app

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/newsecretweaponofficial?fref=ts

Live Review - Facemelter Music@ The Thomas House, 24-05-13 wi Marabou, Beltbuckle Overdrive and Snowblind

Entering Dublin's Thomas House for tonight's Face Melter extravaganza, it's not readily apparent that there's any kind of metal gig going on at all , at least not straight away.For those unfamiliar with the south inner city venue, it's one that has in the past been home more to rockabilly,punk and trad gigs than ear raping metallic noise, and as we stroll in from the haze of an unusually bright and warm Irish summer evening, we are initially a little puzzled by all the friendly , be-quiffed and tattooed  folk bopping to what sounds like Tiger Army.Directed downstairs by the cheery barman, all becomes a little clearer as soon as we push upon the door, to be greeted by some wicked noise from the evening's openers Snowblind, not to mention an enthusiastic hello from tonight's masters of ceremonies, one Aaron Gaffey of Kerouac fame, who proceeds to stuff Nihilist's pockets and various other orifices with glowsticks and merch til we're nearly weighted down.The vibe tonight is all about cutting loose and having a laugh while listening to some killer bands, and we're definitely game.Cold, frosty pints of lager at the ready, we head for the front . . .

Snowblind in action.

Unfortunately due to various public transport balls ups(well not really balls ups, just Dublin Bus being shit)  and my general lack of direction, we miss about half of Snowblind's set, but what we hear is pretty impressive. Billing themselves as a thrash band, Snowblind are actually a far more eclectic bunch than that tag normally implies.Owing more to bands like Voivod and latter day Entombed than Metallica or Slayer, the young trio forge a sound that's progressive but accessible, managing to fit in some bizarre arrangements and pin-wheeling through time changes like nobody's business.An excellent cover of Metallica's 'Blackened' rounds out an excellent set,one which  marks Snowblind as ones to watch.

---

Snowblind.Melting faces.

Beltbuckler Overdrive are next, and waste no time getting into the party spirit . Frontman Matt Smith is an engaging presence, riling up the crowd and getting down on the floor to get in their faces once or twice, and the band's driving,Southern-flavoured  hard rock is the perfect accompaniment to some beer-doused head banging. The band themselves are , as ever, tight as hell, and blast through their set like men possessed. The highlight, for this Nihilist anyway, is a cover of Kyuss' classic 'Green Machine', drummer Alejandro Cruz nailing every one of Brant Bjork's fills expertly.

Beltbuckle Overdrive:just out of shot, loaded war machine.

And so on to the head-liners. Looking around the tiny basement venue, everyone seems to be wearing a Marabou hoody or shirt, and the anticipation as the Wexford Three-piece take the stage is feverish to say the least.Not at all acquainted with their music,our curiosity is piqued , and we edge a little closer, wondering what all the fuss is about.It takes roughly one song for everything to be cleared up.Marabou are, as they say in my neck of the woods, the business.

Marabou, do they even riff?Yes, yes they do.

Filtering the bellicose energy of  sludge  through a prism of post-hardcore, crust and progressive metal, the band's serrated riffing cuts through a slightly muddy sound mix and rips heads,  with a blend of off kilter aggression and killer hooks.Much like Snowblind, they're a difficult band to pin down, but if you can picture Tool at their most aggressive jamming Nausea tunes while Poison Idea knife-shank The Melvins in the corner, you're halfway there in describing their sound. This is a band that has to be experienced live, and the only complaint we have about their set is it's far too short.Everyone gets involved in the carnage too, with our promoter tonight himself lobbing glow sticks around and leaping off speaker stacks ,while a small but still fairly vicious mosh pit breaks out just in front of us at a few random junctures.In a word:mental.

The rest of the night disappears in an alcoholic haze, but it has to be said, it's been a long time since I enjoyed a gig quite this much.The relaxed atmosphere and friendly vibe is a throwback to the teen years of yours truly, and to gigs organized in church halls and school basements, with the emphasis on the music and having a laugh as opposed to getting just shit faced(though there's plenty of that as well).A cracking night had, and we're eager to see what Facemelter has in store next . . . .

Pictures courtesy of Aaron and Fallon/Facemelter Music Nights.


Stephen.

Check the bands out here:

Snowblind
http://snowblindireland.bandcamp.com/album/demos

Beltbuckle Overdrive

http://www.reverbnation.com/beltbuckleoverdrive?page_view_source=facebook_app

Marabou

http://www.reverbnation.com/maraboumusic?page_view_source=facebook_app

Stephen

bornagainnihilist@gmail.com

Gig Report - OM live at the Button Factory

"We're told there's a curfew...but we're not gonna give a shit."

Well, it has been far too long since I've done a bit of writing (I don't dare find out exactly how long!), perhaps my final exams made me feel as if I could never write again, but if a gig report involving the mighty OM isn't reason enough to hit the keyboard again, then I don't know what is! Thursday September 27th saw OM take the stage of Dublin's Button Factory venue for a night of intense relaxation unmatched by almost any gig I've attended, and that's considering I've seen the likes of Isis, Sleep and Pelican in the recent past...

A three piece OM featuring Emil Amos on drums, Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe on keys and guitar (not to mention the longest suffering tambourine in the world) and of course Al Cineros on bass, brought the weight of a universe of music down on an adoring crowd, and a very mixed crowd at that; several world music fans along with the expected stoner and doom fans.

I'll admit at this early stage, I don't know OM's back catalogue very well, but such is the beauty of these kind of gigs that you don't need to go into it knowing every track, you can sit back and just let the music run over you. I am however, familiar enough with the recent record 'Advaitic Songs', and was glad to see that the bulk of the gig was devoted to tracks from the album adapted for the stage. In other words, HEAVIER. An overwhelming version of "Sinai" opened the night and set the tone for the remainder. Cineros is a joy to watch playing, he visibly adores his instrument and the beastly sound it achieves, and in turn we love the resulting music it creates. Lowe was a member I had not known of before and what a pleasant surprise he was! His energy is infectious, his voice equally so; some of those high notes he can reach are unbelievable. Amos' drumming style, while it can be heard on the album, add unexpected speed and energy to the music in a live setting. Quite hard and driving but in that wonderfully relaxing way. 

The word 'culture' is thrown about far too much in my opinion, speaking as a student of cultural and arts. The greatest problem being the fact that it is used interchangeably with the word 'arts', yet it is times like this when I put that academic concern aside and allow the two to merge. This night ranks second only to seeing Neurosis in the same venue last year as the most cultural experience I've had. A night only marred by the set being cut slightly short by the support band (Dead Skeletons, who actually weren't at all bad and won me over by the end). Forget 5 Star ratings or 10 out of 10 evaluations, if I were to use them they would be meaningless; this was OM live, enough said!

Edward Gerard Brophy, bornagainnihilist@gmail(dot)com.

Gig Review - Sleep, A Storm of Light and Wizards of Firetop Mountain at The Button Factory Dublin, May 23rd 2012

The Button Factory was nicely full when we arrived for a night of riff worship and Doom with a capital ‘D’; a good crowd to welcome Sleep for their first visit to Ireland, and if the night was as successful as it looked, it won’t be the last!

The ever-energetic Wizards of Firetop Mountain took the stage just a few minutes after our arrival and wasted no time in diving into a full-on performance even by their standards. Wizards are gradually becoming one of the representative bands of the small but sturdy Irish Doom scene and no doubt this gig will earn them enormous credibility, I mean what band doesn’t want to support someone like Sleep?!? Wizards burst through a fiery set in what seemed like no time at all, crowd pleasing songs including ‘Sonic War’ got the open-minded even more on their side while signature track ‘Onwards Towards the Sun’ solidified the effect. Wizards’ party atmosphere brings a fresh buzz to the occasion and makes for a good way to begin the night. Frontman Dunchee stands proudly at the edge of the stage only a few feet from the crowd with his characteristic “I own you right now!” attitude and expression to match, while behind him the band bring the noise and don’t let up ‘til it’s over. If you’re up for a bit of rock ‘n’ roll craic, grab the opportunity to see Wizards of Firetop Mountain live.

Welcome A Storm of Light. The last time this band were in Ireland I went to see them in Whealan’s, and to be honest, I came out a little shaken. The noise was so intense and the projections so vivid that one couldn’t help but feel the impact. Since then I have been at the barrier at a Melvins’ gig during which Phil Anselmo appeared on drums, after that I could handle anything! On that occasion A Storm of Light played to about two dozen people, this time round they had a full house. Another new thing was the addition of Andrea Black on guitar. Again the projected visuals were stunning (founder Josh Graham is the full-time projectionist for Neurosis) and the music is as hard-hitting as last time, but I felt that even with the new addition to the band there was very little new about the performance. Nonetheless they played beautifully and A Storm of Light are one of the masters of that tightly refined energy characteristic of good Post-Metal, it can be as clear as a melancholy bell one moment and change to an utter torrent the next.

A brief wait before the headline act, during which we were given a lesson on the wonder of physics by Carl Sagan. Guitarist and comedic genius Matt Pike begins his stand-up act by stumbling around the stage playing with his pickup switch and feedback before launching into the slow beginnings of ‘Jerusalem’, possibly the heaviest thing ever committed to record. Above their heads is footage of the Saturn 5 rocket slowly lifting off its launch pad. Given the loose nature of Sleep’s performance, it seems unlikely that the projection and the playing were carefully synched, yet in the same moment that the bass and drums joined Pike in the riff ritual, the bright yellow flame of the rocket’s jet came into view and lit up the stage in a reflected amber hue. It was a perfect marriage of audio and visual; the most powerful machine ever built by man with the heaviest sound ever made by man. The band played well into Jerusalem Part 2 before moving into the ‘Holy Mountain’ album for some more groovy tunes. Fan favourite ‘Dragonaut’ raised a tremendous cheer from the crowd after those first four notes that mark its signature.

The note of low C will forever be audible in the heads of those who attended that gig, it was pure riff worship the likes of which Sleep do best. The bass was so much that tinnitus didn’t set in until hours later whereas usually is comes almost immediately. Instead there was this peculiar weighed down feeling at the bottom of the ear which I can’t say I’ve ever had before. Between the good time grooves of Wizards of Firetop Mountain, the contemplative shock of A Storm of Light and the journey to the outer limits that was Sleep, this was a five star, ten out of ten gig all round!

In case you didn't believe the comedic genius comment...

Edward Gerard Brophy,
bornagainnihilist@gmail(dot)com

Gig Review - Wizards of Firetop Mountain at The Harbour Bar, New Years 2011

We at B.A.N. saw out 2011 in a heavy way with a trip to a favourite haunt, The Harbour Bar Bray, for a bitta Bavaria and a lot of doom. Just short of midnight Dublin doom all-stars, Wizards of Firetop Mountain, took The Harbour for a trip of the Sabbath kind.

Wizards are something of a stoner doom super group, comprised of members from such awesome Dublin bands as Mongolia and Realistic Train. What exactly the chronological line of these bands has been I'm not sure, but judging by the past few gigs we've attended, Wizards seem to have the biggest and most enthusiastic following. The Harbour is a small venue but it makes for a savage atmosphere when a band packs the place out and that is just what they did.

The band waste no time at all; gear up, barely a soundcheck, furry waistcoat and Black Sabbath t-shirt on; go! Kicking off at 3 minutes to midnight with their signature mix of loose, groovy riffing and traditional doomy presentation, the crowd laps it up like hungry bears on a floating whale carcass. A small but clearly devoted number of fans make themselves known by their sheer enthusiasm. Gradually the bar fills. Drunk punters become confused, blog photographers become claustrophobic and doom heads get their rocks off. The set is relatively short but the band don't take too much time between songs so we the crowd get just the right amount of doom for a new years evening. The most notable crowd pleaser is 'Onwards Towards the Sun', a drone delight for which the band recently released a music video. The song is as slow as an 18 wheeler with 14 flat tires but the fans are going 90 nonetheless.

The Harbour Bar is the perfect setting in which to enjoy this kind of gig. A bar with low light, low ceilings, walls plastered with portraits of Aleister Crowley and assorted magick imagery. If only it were a little bigger to accommodate the weight of the sound produced when Wizards took the stage. This trivial concern aside, the band played a blinder, all riff worship and groove and some dodgy dancing in between. G'wan the Wizards!

Wizards of Firetop Mountain, live at The Harbour Bar, New Years 2011.

Rating: 7/10

Listen here: http://www.reverbnation.com/wizardsoffiretopmountain

By Edward Gerard Brophy, bornagainnihilist@gmail(dot)com

Gig Review -Scroobius Pip wi White Noise 16/11/2011 , Whelan's , Dublin

It scarcely feels like more than a week or two since we were here, in this same spot in Whelan's , watching the hip hop magnificence of B .Dolan win over a sparse crowd , but here we are, ready for another night of intelligent fusion  hip hop to soothe our minds, move our feet and blow our minds courtesy of one Scroobius Pip, best known as one half of chart bothering alt-hip hop duo Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip.Tonight however is Pip's show, and a very different one it is indeed from what we're used to from the articulate Essex native.But more on that in a bit . ..

First up tonight though, subbing in for the aforementioned Dolan tonight is Irish beatboxer White Noise(5/10) , whose fun if somewhat rote set is sadly lost on all but the first few rows , as the excited and slightly impatient crowd chatter over him.Still, he's an affable sort of chap, giving us a brief lesson on beat technique in the process, but it 's nothing  we haven't seen before, and is hardly up there with the Dub Fx's  and Raziels of this world.

It's an odd feeling to see Scrooby sans the bobbing , affable head of Mr Le Sac, however, as tonight's energetic and  commanding performance proves , Pip on his own is just as electrifying a prospect.Playing a set culled pretty much from his recent effort 'Disasterpieces' , it's a far rockier, more aggressive and far more 'live' sound we get tonight , with live drums and surprisingly heavy live guitar beefing things up excellently, and adding an edge to Pip's quickfire  flow and fearsome stage presence.Opening up with the stark rant of 'Introdiction' ,tonight's set flows well enough, despite at times being overtaken somewhat by the main man's tendency to go overboard with the crowd banter , at times to the detriment of pacing of the set, and with a devoted crowd that would probably have paid the asking price for a set of Pip reading from the phone book, there is a feeling at times that he should perhaps spend less time firing off admittedly entertaining rants and joking with the crowd,and more time maybe well, playing songs ..  . .

Still though , as far as the music goes, there's little to complain about.Highlights of tonight include the scud missile assault of genius Soulja Boy pastiche'Soldier Boy (Kill Them)' which showcases Pip's knack of turning the brainless posturing of mainstream rap on it's head to subvert the genres most tiresome cliches.The rap rock  stomp of 'Death Of The Journalist' recalls RATM in full flight, before  lacklustre reunion tours killed that dream stone dead, while the lithe riffing and tongue twisting flow of 'Domestic Silence' and the tar black humour and bluesy guitar of 'The Struggle' provide fodder for the brain as well as the dancefloor.

There is a moment early on tonight which enscapulates Scroobius Pip's position in hip-hop's money obsessed canon. Encouraging people(only half joking one assumes) to 'throw money at him' if they choose to download his music , what follows is a barrage of  two euro coins onto the stage, which Pip unashamedly scrambles to pick up.Forever foraging for the truth and spilling your soul for a few  bits of loose change, this is the face of real underground hip hop these days , a DIY , no bull shit ethic that's maybe not pulling in the big bucks, but is far preferable to the auto tuned garbage  being shoved down our throats on a daily basis . . .

Rating: 7/10
Stephen O ' Connor
bornagainnihilist@gmail.com

Gig Review - The Devin Townsend Project wi Turisas @The Academy DubliNovember 8th 2011

On entering The Academy tonight, and lining up with the black shirted masses for a quick snoop at the merch stand in the front hall, a couple of things start to grab your attention.First off, it's only after opening, and the place is already rammed with punters, so much that security are having to keep order in a quite noticeable way in queues for both tickets and the obligatory tees and assorted tat.Secondly, among said tat, nestled in among the various t-shirts and hoods is an oddly cute, albeit hideously so, puppet of a coffee addicted alien for sale, which various punters possibly old enough to know better are snapping up for a not inconsiderable fifteen beans.Thirdly, there is an atmosphere prevalent tonight more akin to a bunch of ADD scoffing toddlers on Christmas eve than your average boozed up heavy metal crowd.The reason? Just the visitation tonight of a certain bonkers Canadian guitar genius, and his otherworldly minions. .  .

First up though are  euro festival staples Turisas( 7/10), plying their fun  , if ever so slightly overcooked folk metal wares in front of an extremely appreciative crowd.It's a nice warm up , and very much appropriate to the party vibe going on here tonight, with the band all shit eating grins and synchronised headbanging, their Lord Of The Rings meets NWOBHM tunes getting the crowd clapping , moshing and singing early on.The highlight , as always, is their bizarrely addictive cover of   German 1970's disco fiends Boney M's hit 'Rasputin'.However, a feeling of repetition, not to mention frontman  Mathias Nygard 's bizarre, rambling attempts at crowd banter, detract from an otherwise enjoyable support set.

Warming up a predominantly metal crowd with a mix tape of nineties pop hits normally would go down like a paternity suit at a Bieber family BBQ.Broadcasting said mix tape with interludes from your foul mouthed mascot, in this case the aforementioned coffee loving space lord Ziltoid,here incarnated as a potty mouth DJ, might be viewed as equally out of place in other circumstances.However, this is no ordinary heavy metal show, and,  as the photoshopped images of master of ceremonies Devin Townsend in various iconic poses(Mona Lisa,Star Wars, you name it) shows, tonight is as much about partying and having a laugh as it is about having your ears raped by some of the best progressive metal songs ever written .

And when the man himself finally hits the stage with the bombastic double header of 'ZTO' and 'By Your Command', excitement levels reach fever pitch, and it seems that no one's more excited than Mr Mental himself, Mr Devin Townsend.Putting 99 per cent of metal frontmen to absolute shame, Dev stomps, snarls,prowls , gurns and of course shreds like no one on earth, all the  while displaying the vocal talents that caught the eyes and ears of a certain Steve Vai all those years ago.In between songs, he's the perfect mixture of rabble rousing crowd pleaser, lurid and sharp stand up comedian, and charming host, simultaneously revelling in and ripping the piss out of the usual rock cliches.

The set itself ain't bad either, in fact, it's a superbly paced cocktail of a large portion of Townsend's repertoire , taking in , to name just a few, the epic stomp of 'Truth', the furious rock and roll of 'Bat Devil', the ethereal beauty of 'Supercrush', and the outrageously warped battery of 'Juular'.'Life' is every bit as wonderful and uplifting as it is on record, with Townsend gleefully proclaiming his own love of life to the baying crowd during, a lovely sentiment given the great man's self confessed battle with bi-polar disorder, while the crushing 'Regulator' steamrolls the audience into slavering submission.The spacey, sinister and sublime 'Disruptr' meanwhile , is as menacing and sensual as it is on record, his bandmembers acquitting themselves  excellently, and even the usually dire Academy PA rises to the occasion somewhat, and the sound is mostly decent, with a couple of minor mix problems, and the usual problems with high end.

A blistering encore of 'lighter moment' 'Deep Peace'  pretty much seals tonight's emotional high, while closer 'Bend It Like Bender' , complete with(a very organised) mini stage invasion, sends us out into the brisk November night as a bunch of grinning, slobbering idiots, eager for more, and still reeling from the aural beating we've just endured.Demented, hilarious, and brilliant, it's been an exhilarating ride,and one which you should sample should it come a travelling to your town sometime . . .

 Rating:10/10

Stephen O ' Connor
bornagainnihilist@gmail.com

Gig Review -B Dolan wi Dan Le Sac/Buddy Peace @ Whelan's, Dublin 17/09/11

Next to Button Factory, Whelan's of Wexford St in Dublin may be one of my favourite venues.OK so it's sometimes devoid of much of an atmosphere, and yes the layout of the place can get fucking annoying, but all that can be excused when you have  a sound system as ear splittingly loud and clear as they have, along with some of the capital's nicest staff.Tonight is a low key event, as larger than life underground Hip-Hop supremo B.Dolan hits the tiny downstairs stage to preach his no nonsense rap gospel to a small but rapt crowd.
First up though is the double whammy support of Welsh spin meister Buddy Peace,along with one Mr Dan Le Sac, who you might recognise as one half of Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip, both doubling up as Dolan's backline tonight, a logical choice given that they've co produced Dolan's newest album.Peace opens the night with a fun but slightly hit and miss set, an old school cut and paste relying on scratching, some cleverly chosen sample and the odd bit of drum machine/Kaos pad experimentation.It's hardly earth shattering stuff, but Peace is an affable sort of bloke, and gets a couple of heads bopping down the front.

Much better is Le Sac's solo endeavours.Freed from the constraints of providing the backdrop for Pip's eloquent but sometimes overpowering rants, he is allowed a bit of breathing space, and his short but sweet half hour set tonight takes in minimalist techno, a modicum of trance,  breakbeat, a quick , and surprisingly entertaining detour through dubstep , and climaxes in a genius  a drum n bass version of Sabbath's uber-classic 'War Pigs'.Throughout ,the likable   Le Sac mixes, manipulates and sometimes dances like a man possessed, clearly having the time of his life.His dabbling with noise and bizarre rhythmical shifts suggests an affection for the late nineties output of Bristol techno meisters Warp Records,suggesting interesting things to come from the affable beat maker.

But the highlight tonight is  towering  Rhode Island native  Dolan, and his brilliant, rousing Hip-Hop din.A true master of his craft, tonight he dominates the tiny Whelan's stage with his clever,machine gun rhyming and eloquent prose irresistible,  and intoxicating.Le Sac and Peace mesh together beautifully, and there's clear chemistry between the trio , with a bit of friendly banter exchanged at times, and the audience laps it up.It may not be the  most packed this venue has ever been, but when there's an atmosphere this jovial and charged it doesn't really matter.Crowd favourites like 'Earthmovers' and 'Joan Of Arcadia' sit easily alongside the new material , and bode well for Dolan's forthcoming collaboration with Peace and Le Sac, while a  spine tingling  rendition of the spoken word piece 'Who Killed Russel Jones' proves mesmerizing in it's stark brutality. This is underground Hip-hop at it's best , acerbic, intelligent, and with a snarl and an honesty to it that reminds why you might have fallen in love with the genre in the first place.A cracking night and value for money from one of the genre's finest.

Rating:9/10
Stephen O ' Connor
bornagainnihilist@gmail.com

Gig Review, Luminous Black and Kerouac @ The Pint, Dublin, 26/08/'11

“No, seriously we’re done, we’re gonna fuck off now.”

So we wander into The Pint on Eden Quay at 5 past 8 and hear sound check noises that fool us into thinking the gig had already begun. This was meant to be ‘Last Show On Earth’ with ‘Luminous Black’ and ‘Kerouac’, but after a chat with Kerouac front man, Aaron, we learn that Last Show On Earth won’t be playing tonight. So we get ourselves a delightfully priced pint of 3.50 Fosters, hang up our pants and sit down for a while.


Addendum: As it turns out, we were wrong. Last Show On Earth did indeed play this night and like eejits we left the gig before Last Show On Earth's performance. Apologies to the band from B.A.N. and we'll catch you another time to make it up to you!


'Last Show on Earth'
Listen here: http://www.reverbnation.com/lastshowonearth


Kerouac.
The sheer energy that this band brings to their performance is unbelievable, it’s enough to rival any straightedge hardcore band (go see Converge to be blown away by the unhinged energy of 34 year old singer Jacob Bannon!).


Kerouac waste no time and lay straight into their fiery set. Aaron, guitarist and singer possessing a natural ferocity to his voice that would make Liam Cormier jealous. Add to this, the unmistakable bite of a humbucker equipped Stratocaster and you’ve already got a damn powerful sound in the making.


They keep the stage for a good ten song set. I cannot say for certain who the band’s major influences are but I’m going to venture a guess at Deftones for one. Their material has a very 90’s sound about it, which is actually quite refreshing to hear if you’re in and around my age (whatever that may be), certainly the sharp guitar tones echo Deftones, albeit on a 6 string guitar. The band has tremendous dynamic control, shifting from hard to soft, clean to dirty and intense to subtle with ease. All three members also have beards, which is always the first sign of a good rock band (this hypothesis was proven to be scientific fact after Red Fang’s performance at Hellfest this year). Bassist, Keith, has himself a mighty beard indeed: a lengthy fellow that would be even more fitting if Keith worked on a 19th century whaling ship.


The band mix it up with their song writing with tracks ranging from short and angry, such as third song ‘Hail The Fire’, to protracted and complex, the only common thing being the 100% energy either way. Drummer, Richie, gives his cymbals no rest, certainly towards the end of the set which was shorter than expected because Richie managed to break through the skin of the bass drum!


Forth song in, Aaron breaks out some serious vocal gymnastics that wouldn’t go amiss in Iwrestledabearonce. His wandering left leg is something to behold too! Kerouac are a band that demands the end of the night, the drunken hours, the stage of the night where people loose their nut, this is one band to catch at a headlining gig! Having said that, they did not disappoint playing first this night.


Kerouac
Rating: 8/10
For Fans of: Deftones, Alexisonfire, maybe even Biffy Clyro.
Listen here: http://www.kerouac.ie/ 


Luminous Black.
Unfortunately, I only caught the names of a handful of Kerouac songs. The very opposite is true of Luminous Black, bassist and singer Rob always makes a point of getting the names across loud and clear.


Bass drum replaced, LB open their set with the instrumental ‘Meadows of Kaos’, a favourite amongst those who know LB. The oddly sweet track descends into molten metal to lead it out, guitarist Rob putting active pickups to work shattering the calm. Followed closely by ‘Lateral Thinking’, after which bassist Rob announces, “No, seriously we’re done, we’re gonna fuck off now.”


Good thing it was only a fib or else we wouldn’t have got to enjoy their cover of Kyuss tune ‘Supa Scoopa and the Mighty Scoop’. Can’t go wrong with a Kyuss cover! This one displays the lead weight sound the band is capable of producing. Rob’s bass looks like an early 80’s sports car and sounds like one too and after standing front row for the night, my ringing ears can testify that drummer, John’s snare needs no amplification! A true hard hitting metal drummer, the slick sporadic double kicker work during ‘Cosmic Gnomes’ demands your attention.


LB break out a few newer tunes tonight with the galloping ‘Pot Jockey’ and to end the night, another fan favourite is brought out, ‘Bum Trip’. This cruising riff riding track is preceded by Rob giving us a definition of a ‘rusty trombone’! All things considered, quality set! The only let down tonight was the absence of Last Show On Earth, we’ll have to catch them another time.


Luminous Black
Rating: 8/10
For Fans of: Kyuss, Orange Goblin, mid 70’s Black Sabbath.
Listen here: http://www.reverbnation.com/luminousblack 

Edward Gerard Brophy for Born Again Nihilist, 2011.
bornagainnihilist@gmail(dot)com

Gig Review-Mongolia @The Lower Deck, Portobello, Dublin- 15/07/11

“This next one goes out to all the lovers in the audience”

Mongolia are an instrumental three-piece from right here in Dublin. Not terribly active over the last while (when I discovered them I was convinced they had split), they are now making the effort to get back onto the circuit and if this gig was anything to go by then this shouldn’t take long for them. This night saw them share the stage with a cross section of local Hardcore and Crust bands and despite the predominantly punk audience Mongolia seemed to make the biggest impact.

We got to The Lower Deck a little late (blame ‘That Mitchell and Webb Look’ for that), so we ended up missing Zom, the first of five bands on this night. We did catch the last half of Vagrants set which I would’ve been glad to review had I caught the entirety of it. I’ll have to catch you lads another time. So, pay the fiver in, head straight to the bar for a quality pint of Guinness and grab a good spot while there are still any left. The Lower Deck has proven itself over the last few years to be one of the hubs for underground heaviness in Dublin. With the recent uproar and bad vibes that may end up toppling Fibber McGee’s as ‘the’ metal bar in town, we could be looking at an interesting shaking up in the scene and no doubt The Lower Deck will want to come out the better.

We enjoy a conversation about the scope of the hardcore genre and enjoy a bit of Mastodon between sets. After a full energy set from Crows during which the pub filled up nicely, Mongolia start setting up their stripped down, no bells and whistles gear. 70% of the crowd is outside for a smoke between bands but the sound of thoroughly distorted guitars brings them reeling back in.



The instrumental nature of the band’s output makes song titles difficult to pin down, as far as I can tell, the opener does not appear on the band’s ‘Black Leaf’ EP. A nice traditional doom stomper that Trouble wouldn’t turn down if you gave it to them to put vocals over (although I never did like Eric Wagner: I’m sorry Eric, you have a cool name but you just won’t rhyme). Bassist, Tob, maintains a very Geezer Bulter style rumble to his bass tone, striking the strings with all the strength in his right hand, and guitar player Damo’s big ass Soldano amp has a sickly sweet blend of grit and fuzz that is perfect for their kind of sound.

“This next one goes out to all the lovers in the audience”, says Damo. “All five of ‘em!”, someone shouts back. And the five lovers are given ‘Black Leaf’ to get cosy to. An aggressively delivered track, chugging like Stepehenson’s Rocket and making Bison BC proud. “This one is about taking a road trip down the Pacific Highway.” Such brings us into another one absent from the EP; ‘Specific Highway’. A hard driving down/up rhythm guides this track after a brief cheeky guitar lick opens her up. More speedy than the band’s usual M.O. but lacking none of the doomy goodness.

Next up is ‘Stoned Nomad’, one of the highlights of the EP. Drummer Dunchee has a look of sheer delight whenever he goes for his cymbals, as if nothing could bring him anymore pleasure. He also looks deeply stoned, but that’s neither here nor there. At the same time, Damo gets into some serious power chord worship before the track really breaks out at about three minutes in with some rolling riffing. A few moments of deathly drone brings this one to a satisfying end and the crowd that has slowly grown in number has really begun to dig the music. One good thing about hardcore crowds is they tend to be open minded when it comes to heavy live tunes.

Another standout track from the EP brings this set to its conclusion and makes way for Crust headliners Twisted Mass. The starkly titled ‘II’ is an excellent choice to wrap things up, a heavy storm of a trad doom assembled with intelligent melodic guitar that seems to bend the rules of a single guitar band. The front row of people is a picture decorated with dreadlocks, patches and tattoos and they’re all moving to the sullen groove of ‘II’.

For an instrumental band, keeping the crowd’s attention without vocals will always be a challenge. Mongolia rose to that challenge and bested it, reinforcing the fact that they are a must-see for Irish doom heads. Check ‘em out somewhere on the Dublin circuit whenever you can and in the meantime, you can download the entire ’Black Leaf’ EP at their band camp. Go there now!

Mongolia, supporting Twisted Mass
Live at The Lower Deck Dublin July 15th 2011
Rating 8/10
For fans of: Trouble, Black Sabbath, Sleep
Get ‘Back leaf’ here: http://mongolia.bandcamp.com/
By Edward Gerard Brophy
For Born Again Nihilist and Fuzzed Out on Rascal Radio, 2011
Filmed by Stephen O ' Connor

Half Shot @Tower Records Saturday 02 July 2011- Review

Gig Review
Half Shot at Tower Records Dublin
June 2nd 2011

I had made a commitment to review Half Shot live after I had caught only the last half of their single launch in Crawdaddy a few weeks previous (for which I temporarily lifted my boycott on that awful, awful place). So it seemed a fitting compromise to review their performance when their debut single was put on the shelves of Tower Records.

I get to the record shop, probably my favourite around town, at about five past four knowing the lads were due to play at four. I wander down to the rear of the shop and have a quick word with lead guitarist Heaps who informs me that they were held up in traffic and are still setting up their gear. So I say I'll have a quick gander around and come back for the gig and begin browsing through the book shelves.

A quick word on Tower Records: it was probably just four of five years ago now since I was first introduced to the shop but I have to give it its dues. Between consistently reasonable prices, one of the best display setups and a notable dedication to local recording artists, not to mention the book and magazine section, I have always thought that it was the best of the major record shops in Dublin.

So for a few minutes I look at the books on offer; a biography of Hunter S. Thompson catches my eye, as does this months Guitarist magazine which I read until I hear the familiar atonal noises and shifty volume of a sound check. I join the back of the small crowd that gathers in the aisles of the vinyl section while Half Shot deliver about two minutes worth of 'Couldn't Back Down', after which drummer Luke informs the crowd, who had just begun to get into it, “We were only sound checking, sorry!” to which the crowd responded with a few laughs. After a quick introduction from frontman Leo, the band launch into the first of a five song set,'You See'. A sly, delayed natural harmonic (forgive the guitar player jargon) piece from Leo is matched by some low E string riding riffing courtesy of Heaps which itself gives way to a wah flavoured lead break which we would find out over the course of this gig, is a mainstay of Heaps'. A few technical issues with Leo's mic take nothing away from the performance: at small gigs if you just turn up the amps and shout loud enough, often there is little need for a PA. At times I think it adds a sort of 'band-at-your-gaff' vibe to the whole thing.

Third on the list is 'Long Grass' and this track has Classic Rock written all over it! Luke ushers us into the song with an old fashioned punk rock style floor tom beat, followed closely by a bright, crunchy riff of Heaps' that if it were a food it would probably be a Twix. Leo let's some serious pipes make equally serious sounds right from the get-go on this one and bass player Ben keeps it nice and chocolaty with a satisfying low rumble throughout, thus completing the Twix analogy. When men with beards in the crowd are moving, however subtly, in time with the music, then a rock band can know that it's doing something right!

The end of a relatively short set is nearing so Half Shot lash into the theme of the day: the single! The unmistakable clear twang of a Stratocaster brings the album version  of 'Couldn't Back Down' to life with a slow intense build-up. Heaps' gets his money's worth from his Les Paul, keeping the riffing non-stop, most noticeably with the lick laid over the chorus which gives a sense of vastness in its interplay with Leo's vocal. Add to this the spacey sounds which a dash of Flanger effect lend to the climax. Underneath, Luke keeps things moving smoothly along on the ride, permeating the beat with hard snare fills. Altogether it soon becomes obvious why this one was chosen for the single.

To conclude this gig we are given the seriously-southern-sounding 'Moonbather', the 'b-side' of the single. Leo's band mates start up a sarcastic cheer as he puts down his guitar and leaves that duty to Heaps and Ben. The former lays straight into an old-school open chord riff joined quickly by Luke and Ben. Leo takes the chance to break out his bluesiest vocal yet and a few frontman moves to compliment it, backed up on those vocals by brother Heaps. Ben keeps the sound thick and full, even during Heaps' sparse lead breaks, with a bass tone of tremendous depth and clarity.

The small crowd that the vinyl section could accommodate appear properly entertained by the end. Keeping casual record shop by-passers' attention is no easy task but the men with beards (I suppose including myself) were impressed, as was everyone else. The band shifted a few cds in the process and packed up quickly to head down to The Workman's Club for the second gig of the day. All in all, a cracking set: the band showed no signs of being put off by the short set or small stage, which is often enough to scare bands that prefer on the anonymity of bright lights and big stages into mediocre performances. The only down side is that small daytime gigs tend to lack atmosphere, buzz, but then I can't imagine Tower would want a large crowd cutting loose and going mad at the end of their shop! The band are keeping a tight gig schedule so you'll have plenty of opportunity to check 'em out on the Dublin circuit if you like what you've read here.

Half Shot at Tower Records
Rating: 8/10
For fans of: Thin Lizzy, ACDC
By Edward Gerard Brophy
For Born Again Nihilist 2011
Listen here : http://www.myspace.com/halfshotrockband

Gig Review , Luminous Black at Dimestore, Sweeney's, Dublin 02/06/11

Upon entering Sweeney's, formally La Cirk, we seek the bar to freshen our mouths and spirits and are greeted by a pleasant middle-aged gent, lets call him 'Zed', with whom we enjoyed a brief moment's worth of conversation.

“You here for the heavy metal? Ah, my brother used to be into it, y'know, and I never really got it at the time. But y'know, as I got older I sort of (shakes his fist and mimics head-banging), y'know...”

Our drinks arrived in front of us and Stephen brought this back and forth to an exciting climax when, with fire in his belly and steam on his voice, he readily replied; “Sure, Rush are, what, 30 years old now? And they just sold out the 02. Show me a band from X-factor that will be able to do that in 30 years". We later deduced that this man was probably a taxi driver.

After sitting down at a table quiz and realising we were at the wrong part of the venue, we made our way upstairs and awaited the band's arrival on stage.

Luminous Black, after a quick sound check and a moment's banter with the crowd, launch into 'Bum Trip'. A rolling stomper of a track driven along by an expansive riff, something that Tony Iommi would have been glad to use on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. Excellent choice for an opener.

Second round, LB glide their way effortlessly into 'Meadows of Kaos', the first of what would be three instrumental tracks the band brought to their set, a brave move for any band. After the gig, in conversation with bespectacled guitar player Rob Moore, we discovered that the band began with the intention of being and instrumental three piece but the  bass player couldn't keep away from the mic.

By this early stage, drummer John Quill, or 'Sweaty McBallballs' as bass player Rob called him, has already brought some welcome energy to the mix with the aid of the loudest snare I have heard in some time! Just the kind of drummer a power trio demands.

Getting into the swing of things now, the band break out 'Cosmic Gnomes', a metal monster that demonstrates that the term 'gallop' need not only apply to Iron Maiden riffs. Guitarist Rob (yes there are two Robs involved here) is as chilled a guitar player as you'll ever see, letting the lazy right hand go to town on the riffs, never missing a note and milking a short list of BOSS pedals at his feet for all they're worth.

Coming up behind this was  the wonderfully titled 'Swedish Handjob', which in it's own way has to be the weirdest song I have heard lately. A delicious mash-up of cheeky lead guitar and funky bass lines. This track's apparent poppiness is thoroughly undermined by a certain eeriness about it, confirmed in it's final minutes by the introduction of a lengthy heavy riff that sees the song through to it's end. Rob O'Connell shows us here that the swagger of his bass playing can equal that of his vocal and pin-stripe trousers.

All of the above come into play when (bassist) Rob begins 'Blood Red Blues'. And true to it's name, this is a good old-fashioned bit of bluesy filth underpinned by a sluggish descending riff in, you guessed it, the blues scale! Rob (guitarist this time) gives us a few seconds of feedback before laying on the fuzz thick and creamy to join in with a creatively fleshed out take on the riff, utilising some fascinating chord ideas to great effect. Almost makes me think of the unforgiving thick sound Kyuss achieved on 'Blues For The Red Sun'. “How many times can you say 'blues' in one paragraph Ed?” That's it for now, thank you, I think I'll get down to wrapping this one up.

This is a band that I would recommend to a very wide range of tastes, all the heavy riffing a metal fan would need, all the variety and melodic mystery that a prog fan demands and even blues rock enthusiasts will be satisfied to boot. As I have already alluded to, this a power trio exercising that very power. Like our friend the taxi driver earlier in the night, we were offered some more pub philosophy on our way out, courtesy of a small woman who's hair was curiously 20 years younger than her face.

“You know yourself, when you see a band and when they're shit they're shit and that's it and when they're great they're fuckin' great and that's it, and they were great!”

Hardly Nietzsche but she certainly wasn't wrong! She also mentioned something about rehab which I failed to catch but I'm sure it was of little matter. All things considered, an excellent fuckin' show, and we'll be keeping a keen eye on Luminous Black and their future activities. Well done also to Sweeney Mongrel's, who's own beer was a welcome addition to the atmosphere. Much like Fosters but with a slight citrussy after taste. . .

 By Edward Gerard Brophy
for Bornagainnihilist 2011

Review - Blind Yackety @The Harbour Bar 16/03/2011

As the members of Blind Yackety begin to crowd onto the stage of The Harbour Bar tonight  , pushing through an already somewhat boisterous crowd, a punter behind me remarks: "Jesus , how the fuck are they going to fit on the stage?  . .  .It's gonna be like Slipknot up there". Yes , the cramped environs of  the stage of The Harbour Bar , Lonely Planet's 'Number One In Pub In The World'  aren't what one would call spacious or particularly accomodating   , especially  if  you happen to have NINE members , but the atmosphere inside more than makes up for a very squished up Yackety looking more than a little claustrophobic.

And they are on cracking form , as usual . The low walls of the little Bray boozer can be quite unforgiving for many bands , however Yackety manage to circumvent that with a performance that sounds MASSIVE in places , warm and intimate in others , and never anything less than wholly satisfying . At  times tonight , the band manage moments of  Morricone-esque cinematic beauty that simply astound , bringing out in their musical hotchpotch elements of Folk , Country, Rock, Pop , Swing , Appalachian , and even polka and spaghetti western  . As each song finishes , the crowd reaction gets louder and louder , and by the time the band's set is over , the assembled throng here is one mass of bobbing , smiling heads , and band members are variously leaning into the audience , and in the case of fiddler Niall , starting to play in the toilets beside the stage , the result feeling less like a gig than an immense , immersive piece of sweetly demented cabaret . Excellent stuff .
Rating  8/10

Ste
bornagainnihilist@gmail(dot)com

Review - Bats/Ten Past Seven @ Button Factory 12/03/11

A free gig is one of life's great little treats , like being given that last Rolo , or that email on a Sunday night from a lecturer with the flu. Doubly so if  that free gig happens to be headlined by Bats, Dublin's premier Science-rock mentalists ,and triply so if they happen to have along with them a band as unique and confounding as Ten Past Seven ( 8/10) .The Kerry based instrumentalists get off to a dodgy start , a pudding like sound mix tearing virtually all the power from their bizarre, post-rock explorations. However a couple of songs in , the band take off , and treat us to a set owing debts in equal parts to Russian Circles , Enemies , Mogwai and jazz-stoners Stinking Lizaveta , while forging a path all their own . Some groovy, cow heavy projections and an EP which comes replete with it's own free gift of a piece of slate (I shit you not) , helps mark out TPS as a hugely unique prospect, and ones to watch over the next few months.

Bats (9/10) meanwhile are , tonight , a force of nature. Opening with the spazzed out convulsions of 'Lord Blakeny's Arm'  , tonight the band don't hit a sour note , tearing through their science obsessed math rock--post-punk-hardcore hybrid with a refreshing sense of vigour and the clear sense that they're having as much fun playing these songs as people are dancing/moshing/throwing shapes/nodding sagely along to. They also play a healthy ratio of new songs tonight off their forthcoming  sophomore effort , which by the sounds of things ,may end up eclipsing the band's last excellent effort , 'Red In Tooth And Claw', blasphemous as that may sound to some .The band finish on the epic , atheistic anthem 'Credulous Credulous'  , and as they leave , the sense in the air that a new album can't come quick enough hangs heavy in the air. Excellent stuff.

Stephen O ' Connor
bornagainnihilist@gmail(dot)com

Gig Review - The Sonic Love Project -17/02/11-The Martello ,Bray

Arriving late for tonight's Sonic Love Project, the brainchild of Michael Monaghan , a Bray based musician/promoter/good lad , we unfortunately miss the first couple of acts , namely Thirteen , Megan Fox and Shawn Levins,so to all of you a big fat 10/10 , and I'm deeply , deeply sorry(but it wasn't really MY fault , but anyways) . . .onwards and upwards.

Now I may as well be honest, I've never been a fan of jazz, and know fuck all about it , so Just The Trio Of Us(7/10) go somewhat over my head , but one thing even jazz dunces like myself can be agreed on is the level of sheer musicianship at play here, and also the enthusiasm and indeed love(pun 1) of the music being played.Entertaining, if  a slightly too long set(again , it's probably a jazz thing).

Noize Complex(8/10) ,AKA performance poet Andrej Kapoor and beatmaker/DJ Luke Broughan , offer up something , that sonically (pun2) is  a totally different kettle of fish.And although it is the duo's first gig, confidence is definitely not lacking here. The combination of Kapor's brittle but fluid prose and Broughan's atmospheric , almost droney beats , and clever ,understated remixes and covers makes for an interesting listen , and even the now mandatory  dubstep moment is laced with an unusual amount of menace and intent. Indeed , the duo are at their best when exploring  the  murkier , darker waters of their sound, with Broughan's paranoid soundscapes  meshing with Kapoor's sardonic tones. One to watch .

The air of anticipation for Blind Yackety(9/10) is palpable , and with good reason , as here , in this slighly cramped , slightly  stilted surroundings , we are about to witness possibly one of the strangest , and strongest live acts in Dublin, or indeed anywhere , right now.Trying to describe Blind Yackety to someone who hasn't heard them is like . . nah fuck it a 'blind' pun is too much .Suffice to say , the band's heady blend of rock and roll , appalachian, folk , trad, pop, country and a dozen other things is intoxicating . Picking highlights out of such a well crafted , and well executed performance would be somewhat crass and missing the point , however, the fiddle player playing with his teeth would probably be up there for me. Fantastic stuff , and probably the last time you'll see them somewhere this small for a long time.

Overall , a great night , and a definite success for The Sonic Love Project .
You might even say I LOVED it.
SONICALLY.
Sorry.
Ste
bornagainnihilist@gmail.com

Scavengers/Complan/Etcha/Chewing On Tinfoil In The Mercantile , Dame St 19/01/11- Gig Review

The ears are still ringing from Saturday night's Demented show in Fibber's, and by the sounds of it as we walk into The Mercantile tonight , I can kiss hearing anything below a certain frequency goodbye for quite some time.It's loud in here , VERY fucking loud , but that's the way I like it.It's also sounding electric , the kick drum thumping you in the gut like it's supposed to , and a brilliant ,  clear mix overall .,Here  , evidently ,  is a sound man who knows what he's doing.

First up and straight off the blocks are Scavengers (10/10)  , who proceed to nearly level the venue with a set that takes in twenty years of post-hardcore,post-punk and good old fashioned rock and roll and blends them all into one noisy , compelling cocktail. Playing together since the age of 14 , the band have an easy and assured stage presence , and  show more invention and songwriting skill in their short set than some bands manage in whole careers.Expect big things from these guys in 2011.

It's a hard act to follow but Complan (8/10) just about  manage it , their brand of NWOBHM tinged hardcore keeping the energy levels in the red for the evening. This is punk like Mum used to make , brash , loud and in your face , and pleasingly heavy to boot, with a frontman who spends roughly half the set in the crowd, and in people's faces , and a band clearly not averse to a decent riff. Solid , entertaining stuff.

Etcha (9/10) have grown tenfold as a live act in recent months , morphing from a slightly shy , fun lo-fi pop punk band into  fully fledged  world- beating pop-rock monsters , with emphasis on the rock . They are on stirling  form tonight , tracks from recent EP 'Never Weaken' sitting comfortably alongside older   tunes like 'Best Served Chilled '. The band also seem fuller and and more confident , former sticksman Shane Masterson acquiting himself well  as co-frontman alongside Robert Murray ,the two complimenting each other well and the band overall sounding tighter than a wasp's arse.

And so on to Chewing On Tinfoil ( 8/10) , never a band I have been crazy about , however judging by tonight's rock solid , energetic and crucially fun performance , I might have to reconsider my views. And anyways nobody really gives a shit what I think , not when they're bouncing along to some of the most insanely infectious ska-punk since Capdown  saxed it up not too long ago . The band are off to the States at the time of writing on tour , and judging by tonight , may end up teaching the Yanks a thing or two bout the art of skank. Overall , a fun , solid gig , more like this please Demented!
Stephen O ' Connor

Any thoughts or views on this article , email me on bornagainnihilist@gmail.com .

Pulpit @ The Grand Social- Review

The Pulpit Live at The Grand Social- Thursday 13th of January

It's been a while since The Pulpit graced a Dublin stage with their sublime surf pop  ,and as they hit the stage if the Grand Social tonight , frontwoman Laura Lovejoy apologizes   in advance if the band seem out of practice .It's a good thing she mentions it , because otherwise the rapt audience tonight wouldn't have a clue , the band sounding tighter than they ever have . The warm and stylish environs of upstairs in The Grand Social  , complete with red velvet curtains and obligatory cheesy disco light, are the perfect place then to enjoy an hour   

of sassy, dance along electro tinged surf pop.

The band are on top form , Lovejoy's vocals clear as day and backed by the caveman on crack drumming of Neil Mooney and Evan O Leary's almost menacingly bassy keys  , which make a strong case for the mass extinction of bass players everywhere . Lovejoy herself is on top form , her well placed surf licks adding to an already heady cocktail . The set is also pleasingly varied this time out, and highlights include the sarky stomp of 'Political Correctness Gone Mad' and the almost girl-group stylings of 'I'm A Wonderful Human Being'  .

The band finish up on the deliriously catchy surf -punk workout that is 'Paula' , and as we file out , it can be agreed at least that tonight , everyone got their money's worth .

Rating - 8/10

Stephen O' Connor