Live reviews

David Hope and The Henchmen Whelan’s (upstairs) Dublin 28/10/2010 David Hope and The Henchmen put on a fine show on Thursday 28th of October upstairs in the intimate venue at Whelan’s in Dublin, it was a show of Irish folk music married with the American roots sound, definitely a gig to go to if you like your foot tapping and Pedal Steel sound combined with some thumping double bass groves to move to.On the night the band pulled out some of their mid tempo and moody songs, but not too over the top tunes like “Living by the Gun” and “Daybreak Someplace”.The energy and use of acoustic styled instruments gave a real natural feel to the sound on the night and David’s voice fitted nicely into each melody with perfection, this had me thinking that there is something special about the sound that these guys are creating on stage, their music kind of makes them stand out a bit better than other bands on the scene of the same genre.One great example of this on the night was one of their fine crafted songs called “These Days” the song has some catchy and meaningful  lyrics and it’s a great little catchy number too ,it really got the audience going at the gig. I’m not saying this was the best song ; I was only describing  a snippet or a moment from a fantastic show that David Hope and The Henchmen put on, I like a band that leaves the audience wanting more, a good crowd reaction and a very positive gig.So if you’re a Bluegrass finger licking southern fried folk lover this is one band that will fill your musical appetite. Review by T.Halpin
South West Wales Youth Fest, Haverfordwest September 2010 A young indie-rock band consisting of Steve Bartram on guitar, Geraint Davies on Guitar and Synth, Rhodri Dungey on Bass and Josh Keeling on Drums. Steve is the lead vocalist but all of the lads sing pretty extensive backing vocals. It’s really great to have all their voices harmonising and it definitely adds to the Random Perception experience. At first glance they all look well groomed and kind of trendy, their set consists of a lot of covers and it would be very easy to dismiss them as ‘another covers band’, even if they are really rather good at it. But their own material is really worth the wait. In fact I’d go so far as to say these boys don’t realise quite how good they are. Random Perception have commercial written all over them, they have put the effort into a logo and a brand, they look good and you go to their gig knowing what you are going to get. That said when they pull one of their own songs out the bag, they are far darker and edgier than you’d first assume. This is what made me like them the first time I heard them. Dying of cold’s the boys bravely put on a great show. The effort of this was sadly clear in Steve’s voice. Particularly on his cover of ‘Sex is on Fire’ and towards the end of the set. However, having heard them before I can attest that normally Steve sings a pitch perfect rendition of the K.O.L. hit. Not an easy task! It really was a shame their performance was hampered by their illness, but the crowd loved it and didn’t seem to notice. Their opening number ‘The Bends’ really grabbed my attention, a stadium rock, psychedelic almost Floyd-esque track, slowly reaching to a heavier crescendo. I really enjoyed it. ‘Hypnotise’ is also a really interesting song and very much worth a listen. Their cover of RATM’s ‘Killing in the Name’ was really fun, had the crowd screaming but was clearly hurting Steve’s voice…I was very impressed he sang it to be honest! Rhodri has a great voice and the tracks he sang on were a joy to listen to, his style also complements Steve’s lead vocals very well. Geraint adds really pleasant harmonies and plays with such a laid back style. My only criticism of him is he doesn’t look so comfortable, he has talent and charisma and should own his piece of stage a bit more, have a bit of fun. I used indie-rock as a label but they don’t easy sit there. They are too clean to be called grunge and not heavy enough to be called metal. They also throw a curve ball with a bit of slap bass now and then! Clearly the band is Radiohead/Muse inspired but I would suggest some metal leanings because some of their tracks have a really dark undertone and a heavy bridge. There is also some psychedelic, guitar tangents going on there. Give them a go; you’ll probably like them…Random Perception, something for all the family! I think the band is in a comfortable place at the moment, they play some great and well-known covers and they go down well with everyone. What I would love to see is them taking a chance and carving more of an identity as band with their own stuff. They really are good enough. Review By Becky Beynon-Lewis
Seven Days Mantra 23rd September 2010 (Arthurs Day Gig) After numerous of times listening to the debut single ‘’Outside’’ and streaming tracks on their MySpace I was urged to see what these guys were like live. The band strolled up and took their places on the stage and their presence was felt around the room. The lead singer Ian introduced the band and they kick-started with the self penned track ‘’Some Day’’ Ricky belted out sensational drum beats and Nicky and Darren started to strum their guitars, Ian played all the right keys on the keyboard, this reviewer could feel the excitement around the room. The band blasted out a mix of their own songs and the crowd sat listening. Ian’s distinctive voice flowed around the room, backing vocals from Darren and Nicky blend together so effortlessly. These four guys play together as a band and interact with the audience and introduce each song with ease. They got the right mix of original material and cover songs. They played ‘’ Come Together’’ by The Beatles, Ian smashed every lyric with meaning and determination. They played their own rendition of Bill Withers ‘’Use Me Up’’ it showed this reviewer that this band play with heart and soul and that each and every member of the band is talented beyond belief. They rocked their very own version giving the tune a more modern feel. Seven Days played two of their own songs ‘’Again’’ and ‘’Harder to Breathe’’ the crowd lapped it up with endless applause and cheers. As they belted out another self penned track ‘’What I Do’’ it showcased the abilities of this band, it put this reviewers belief back into Irish bands. As they approached the final few songs I could not believe it was nearly the end, they played out with soon to be released ‘’Voices’’. During the performance of Voices it was clear that the four lads Ian. Nicky, Ricky and Darren played with stars in their eyes and some passion in their hearts. Review by Jennifer Ormsby
Frantic Jack Whelan’s Monday 20th September 2010-09-24 After hearing their album and playing it quite a few times I could not wait to see this band live. Two support acts on the night where Sinead McNally and Motion Fever. Finally ten pm rolled around and the Frantic Jack lads were ready to rock n roll. Opening their performance with irish download chart hit (number 9 to be exact) Hold On. Daragh belted out the lyrics while strumming his guitar, Mick banged away on his drums, Mark smashing it on the guitar, Pauric rifting on the bass and James strutting his stuff on the keyboards and percussion. I could not wait to see what comes next. Showcasing their album to perfection, they slowed things down with the ballad ‘’Fallen Heroes’’ It also opened my eyes and everybody’s in the venue that night, these boys are lyrical genius. I was hypnotized by Daragh’s voice and the rest of the lads for the passion they played with. The surprise of the show came when a medley of some chart songs, my favourite been aeroplanes. This section made the fans go wild, screams and cheers could be heard from the fan base that were there. It was that moment I realised that no matter what genre these guys are in they do it with sheer class and determination to give their fans an experience that they’ll never forget. Before I knew it they were belting out the final song of the night which is also there first release tune ‘’Firefly’’. The reaction proved this was a fan favourite as the roof of Whelan’s was lifted and the crowd lapped it up with chanting of ‘’ you spark like a firefly’’. The boys put in the performance of their lives playing with passion and as if their lives depended on it. Even though technical difficulties when one amp and an acoustic guitar went down, but the boy’s soldiered on with ease proving to me that these guys belong on stage. This is one band that will pull out all the stops to ensure that their fans enjoy it. I urge you to take the chance to go see Frantic Jack live and you will not be let down, it helps that all the boys are easy on the eye to. Their songs stand out on the live circuit and their perfect lyrics too, strumming guitar riffs, sensational drumbeats and perfections of the keyboard playing. This reviewer certainly won’t be forgetting this gig anytime soon. Review by Jennifer Ormsby
Antrax Mantis Cleere’s, KilkennyAugust 20th 2010 I’d never been to a metal gig before. The heaviest I’d seen was the Kerrang tour about three years ago so when I mention this, needless to say my friends gave me a few smiles before I go to see Atrax Mantis, my first Death Metal gig. When I go in i’m looking at the crowd, immediately noticing that i’m the only person wearing pink, or any colour for that matter, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Regardless, I carry on. There were two support acts, Heresy from Wexford and Guttrench from Dublin. They’re described as Thrash Metal and Death Metal, so I figured they would be a little teaser for what Atrax would be like. They certainly got the crowd going, and I began to get used to the growling and guitar shredding, neither of which I’ve heard live before. They played though their sets effortlessly, and then we awaited the headliners. Now it was Atrax Mantis’ turn. The crowd got more excited, moving right up to the stage and then the headbanging began. Despite the fact I couldn’t understand a word of what was being growled, that by no means meant I didn’t enjoy myself. I found that I could appreciate what metal music actually was, I finally understood what people meant when they described each instrument and how it was being played. Atrax made the crowd go crazy, they loved it. The Cleere’s show was a warm-up gig for a support slot they were playing with Cannibal Corpse in Belfast on August 22nd, and watching them put so much effort into it, I had no fear they would be brilliant for the real thing. The set was about 8 or 10 songs long but the time passed so quickly, something I wasn’t expecting to happen. I thought i’d be counting down the seconds until I could leave, but no, I liked it. Unfortunately due to my lack of experience with Death Metal I can’t list the song names or even say what they are like in comparison to the CD, all I can give is my account of a gig from an outsider’s perspective. I don’t listen to the genre but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a good show when I see one, and that’s exactly what this was. I’m not suddenly a metal fan, but i’d definitely go see them again. The energy was different to the atmosphere i’m used to at the gigs I attend, so it was a whole new experience for me. I heard first hand that the Belfast gig went brilliantly, and I have no doubt that’s exactly how it went. For a local Death Metal band to impress me, probably more than a well established one would, can only be a good thing. I judge bands on their live performance, I don’t care if they’re a big band or a small, local band, if you’re not good live you probably won’t get my vote. Atrax Mantis impressed me. I won’t deny I know nothing about metal music, but regardless of that fact, they were still brilliant and I hope they can go further and more people will catch on to them too. Review by Aisling Fogarty
Last to Fall Venue: The Cellar Bar, Cardigan, West Wales 23/07/10 It’s a hot summers eve, Last to Fall are launching their E.P. Love and Sympathy and the young and funky crowd are eager for them to play. They are ably supported by two great local Bands Mr Spoon and Random Perception. Around 10:30pm the band take to the stage Ben, Daniel, Reuben and Jay. A relatively young band ranging in age from 16-23. The first track on the set list is Heat of it All. I have to say this is a wonderful track to begin with. It is a well written , melodic number which slowly builds to a big, big sound. The vocals are really strong too, infact my favourite thing about Last to Fall are the vocals. Ben is the lead singer but Reuben also sings, not just backup, at times they sing together. I think their voices really complement one another and really make the songs what they are. I hope they capitalise on this vocal duality. Then if you thought that you had the measure of these guys as a harder indie rock band they through down the raw and visceral Pray Hate Bleed, a much more pure metal song. All the standard influences are there you can hear a bit of Iron Maiden, a lot of Metallica and Avenged Sevenfold who they cite as influences. Scream for Me is loud and shouty and just when you think it’s gonna be unforgiving and unrelenting it goes into a beautiful melodic break. Bed of Nails had me thinking of a more metal Foo Fighters. As a live set they make their tracks a little bit more special with epic endings, fiery solos and some loud noise! The crowd really enjoyed rocking out and you could see the band were loving it too. Jay, the youngest member, plays guitar very competently and adds keyboards of certain tracks. He lacks a confident playing style on stage but I am sure this will come with more live gigs. Reuben and Ben clearly both enjoy the limelight and play Bass and Guitar in true metal style which is great to watch. (It is also worth noting that these boys live up to their explicit lyrics sticker, I wouldn’t take your children!) Love and Sympathy, the title track from the E.P. is hands down the stand out show stealer, definitely the single! Ultimately it’s pretty much a rock ballad. But it has that great quality you expect from a single, sticks in the mind, sounds like you may have heard it before yet you want to hear it again and again. I have been singing it ever since! I think if they had a production budget and could add some real strings etc (as Ben indicated they might like to do ) this would be an epic one to remember. The encore, which I know they won’t appreciate me mentioning, was amazing. They weaved together a few well known pop artists such as Rhianna, Lady Ga Ga, Katy Perry and Aqua in a manic metal mash-up. It was fun and ballsy, it left the crowd begging for more and it showed their talent as musicians. Infact it was at this point I realised just how talented Daniel the drummer is. It is well worth seeing! It was a great night from a fresh faced Welsh band. These boys are hungry for it, their music is raw and urgent but are also very capable musicians. They have thought about it, they have vision, their image and marketing are great. They have professional looking promo shots and have created bit of a brand. I think if they polish themselves and keep that ambition aglow they will go far. Last to Fall are right on the cusp of something so my advice is watch this space! Review By Becky Beynon-Lewis
Machine Gun Baby Whelans/Dublin 3rd July 2010 Dublin four piece Machine Gun Baby epitomise everything that good about the Dublin Indie scene. With a blend of foot-tapping rhythm and driving, inspiring vocals they provided an intimate set at the hallowed basement in Whelans on Wexford Street.Though playing support to Music Review Unsigned alumni No roller, Machine Gun Baby truly ruled the roost. Lead singer and rhythm guitarist Keegan exemplifies everything that a lead man should; stage presence, talent and an ability to get the crowd moving.His haunting vocals draw comparison to many great vocalists such as; Win Butler of Arcade Fire, Editors front man Tom Smith, and to the late great Ian Curtis of Joy Division, and as his stage presence showed, there is evidently better to come from the young Dubliner in the future. Machine Gun Baby are captivating to watch. When they performed their forthcoming single Under the Sun, and On My Way they managed to create an atmosphere rarely seen without the bells and whistles of the light-shows seen in larger venues. During the performance of their tracks  Machine Gun Baby pulled out all the stops; the crashing symbols of Tony on the drums, coupled with the pumping power chords of Mark and Keegan’s (do i I need to mention the vocals again?) guitars and Shane’s driving bass riff  epitomises everything that the four piece are about; raw musical emotion and energy. Machine Gun Baby are well rehearsed and talented unit whom have a sound which on more than one occasion made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, a highly recommended band that let their music do the talking. Their debut single Under the Sun is released on September 11th and further information on the band can be found at Review by Martin Shivnen