Albums Worth Listening to in September 2013

L-R

Hidden Highways - Old Hearts Reborn

Unusual History of Ether - A Distant Age

Babyshambles - Sequel to the Prequel

Arctic Monkey - AM

Caitlin Rose - The Stand-ins

The Strypes - Snapshot

As Always Suggestions Very Welcome!

Albums Worth Listening to in August 2013

L-R

Travis - Where You Stand

Franz Ferdinand - Right Thoughts , Right Words , Right Action

Phosphorescent – Muchacho

Okkervil River - The Silver Gymnasium

Kurt Vile - Walkin On a Pretty Daze ( Thanks to a twitter follower @NiallAylmer)

The Polyphonic Spree - Yes It's True

As Always Suggestions Very Welcome!

Albums Worth Listening to in July 2013

L-R

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

The Boxer Rebellion – Promises

Pigeon Detectives - We Met at Sea

Grant Hart - The Argument

Richard Kapp - Talking to the People (Stream/buy here)

Halves - Boa Howl

 

As Always Suggestion very welcome

The National live at the Marquee , Cork 28/06/2013 Review

I wouldn't put me down as a diehard National fan but their 2010 album 'High Violet' really hit a chord with me and would get a lot of rotation on the pod. Was delighted to hear them playing the Marquee as I hadn't got a chance to visit it yet and Cork is a great city to go out in. The band had just released their sixth studio album 'Trouble Will Find Me' a month before the gig and I had liked what I heard so far. The band were playing a massive amount of dates this summer and any festival worth there salt had them on the billing.

I arrived late as the warm up band from Brighton 'Tall Ships' were just ending, The big top looked great as you walked along the canal. As you entered the tent an inside waiting area was a wash with bars , merchandise stands and food outlets including a travel eddie rockets!
It was a festival atmosphere around as the crowd shuffled their way into the circus arena awaiting the headline act. For a sell out gig it wasn't as packed as I had imagined , I made my way to as close as I could and got a nice spot. The heat in the tent was something else as I took as much layers off as I could without getting arrested.

As we waited a black drop of live footage of the band backstage getting ready to walk on was being shown and they arrived out to a great reception. The backdrop was used throughout the night intertwined with live grainy footage of the band/crowd and previous stock film of trees and landscapes which really worked with the sounds.
I have to admit the sound for the first couple of songs struggled and the band didn't seem to be feeling it maybe their monitors were a mess too. After awhile the sound was stronger and the band were at full tilt and they were living up to the reputation of one of the best live acts on the scene at the moment.
Lead singer Matt Berninger would prowl the stage throughout the night like a man processed boxing his own fists , he seemed very subdued at the start of the gig but half way through he would be on his knees screaming chorus lines , no wonder he was subdued at the start he is clearly bolloxed from giving it socks for the last few night on tour. He certainly didn't disappoint in the second half of the show as it did seem like we got to sides to the band. The new material sounded great and the mix between old and new worked perfect and really got the die hards singing.
The best part of the night was the when they arrived back out for the encore and played another five tracks. Third song in 'Mr November' saw Matt jump into the crowd and walk around on hands and barriers and whatever would hold his weight. The band were in full swing when playing second last song of the night 'Terrible Love'. The last track was amazing as all the members assembled on the front of the stage acoustic and unplugged and no mics playing 'Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks' . The crowd were exceptional and so polite you could hear a pin drop which is quite hard giving the size of the audience. The sing song was super and it ended a brilliant night, Cheers!

Set List:
I Should Live In Salt 
Don't Swallow the Cap 
Bloodbuzz Ohio 
Secret Meeting 
Sea of Love 
Slipped 
Afraid of Everyone 
Conversation 16 
Squalor Victoria 
I Need My Girl 
This is the Last Time 
All the Wine 
Abel 
Slow Show 
Pink Rabbits 
England 
Graceless 
About Today 
Fake Empire 
Encore:
Heavenfaced 
Humiliation 
Mr. November 
Terrible Love 
Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks

 

Bruce Springsteen live at Thomond Park 16/07/2013 Review

I must admit I wasn't a huge fan of Bruce only in the last few years as I rediscovered some of his classic albums. I guess growing up having 'Born in the USA' on the radio every ten minutes put me off him and didn't listen to anything after that, I'm glad I got over that.

I have been told by everyone that his live show is one of the best in the world , I have been meaning to catch him for awhile now but ticket prices and the trip up to Dublin just didn't work out. Had him on my list of bands to see before I die for a long time (List here).
I was blown away to hear he was playing Limerick and jumped at the opportunity the day the tickets came out. My expectations were high and what I got was far beyond what people had said. What we were treated to last night was special and to have it in your own hometown adds to the occasion. According to early revellers Bruce arrived out at 5.00 for 20 minutes to play three acoustic tracks. Two from his album 'Greetings' , The Flood and on piano 'For You' and then checked out the many request cards being held up in the crowd and picked out 'Hearts of Stone'. So in total he played for four hours and ten minutes last night.

Some serious stamina for a man of sixty three , he raises the bar on live performers and gives everything he has while he is on stage. His shirt went from dry to pools of sweat by the end of the night as he danced around the stage loving every minute. His interaction with crowd is exemplary as he shook hands and high fived as many as he could. The die hards who had been queuing for two nights for a good spot (1 guy apparently out there since last Thursday) had signs holding up requests and Bruce was loving it. Picking out a handful that took his fancy and showing them to the band 'Were doing this ok , I think its in B or maybe A' . He was handed a pint of beer at one stage from the crowd which he downed in one and another member of the crowd handed a huge Irish passport which opened up to reveal all Bruce's details and passport picture, a brilliant gift! One sign being held by a kid named Ross requested he sang with him and that it was his birthday and sure enough he got his wish. Check it out here.

He managed to get in some local references congratulating the Limerick hurlers on winning the Munster Final at the weekend. (Which the city is still on a high over, We were only waiting 17 years).
He also dedicated 'My Hometown' to local horse jockey JT McNamara who was badly injured in a race recently in Cheltenham. Another dedication went to Trayvon Martin, the florida teen shot dead last year with the track 'American Skin'.

The atmosphere was electric throughout the ground and it was just one big party, The weather played a big part as we are having one of the best summers in history. Bruce mentioned its nice to have a similar evenings heat like New Jersey. The mammoth set included the full album of 'Born to Run' and some fan favourites. I don't think anyone left disappointed with the song choices. The set was book ended with 'This little light of Mine' which by the end of the night had the crowd screaming it back to him.  What a night!!! Cheers Bruce , Please come back!


Set List:
This Little Light of Mine 
American Land 
Badlands 
Death to My Hometown 
Hungry Heart 
Spirit in the Night 
Ain't Too Proud to Beg  (The Temptations cover)
American Skin (41 Shots) 
The Promised Land 
Wrecking Ball 
We Take Care of Our Own 
Jack of All Trades 
The River 

Thunder Road 
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out 
Night 
Backstreets 
Born to Run 
She's the One 
Meeting Across the River 
Jungleland 

Waitin' on a Sunny Day 
The Rising 
Land of Hope and Dreams
Encore:
My Hometown 
Born in the U.S.A. 
Glory Days 
Bobby Jean 
Drive All Night 
Dancing in the Dark 
Shout  (The Isley Brothers cover)
This Little Light of Mine

  

John Blek & The Rats live at the Greyhound Bar, Kilkee 05/07/13 Review

 

 

Wonderful night of music took place in the excellent outdoor wooden marquee venue, Its great to see the Greyhound Bar supporting original bands and they have been booking some great names over the past year and a full schedule of live bands for the summer months. Tonight saw the emerging talent of cork band 'John Blek and the Rats' take to the seaside stage.

 

I had a personally hand in tonight's proceedings as limerick band 'Randolf & The Crokers' warmed up the nicely packed room. If you read the blog you will know by now I play harmonica with the lads. Our set went down great with the locals and the superb weather all day had plenty of sun chasers down for the weekend too. We were delighted with the response from the crowd after the gig and the owners seems to like our stuff asking us back for a headline slot on the 26th of July.

 

Next up were the main act for the night , the six piece huddled onto the small stage and play a blistering set showcasing tracks from their brand new debut album 'Leave Your Love at the Door' . The album has been on constantly at home and is a real Irish gem of a record. Fans of Ryan Adams & The Cardinals will find great solace in the alt country warmth of the album. Lead singer John O'Conner's voice is very similar to that of Conor Oberst of 'Bright Eyes' and works really well with harmonies coming from Anna Mitchell. The constant twang of the slide guitar is a joy throughout the album thanks to the brilliant David Murphy. The crowd loved the gig and they had them up dancing and singing along. For an idea of their sound check out some of my videos below.The band are currently playing a string of dates around the country, be sure to check them out if you can and go buy their amazing album. Check them out here

 

O Emperor live at Bourkes, Limerick 20/06/2013

Waterford's very own O Emperor were back in Limerick to release their brand new album 'Vitreous' last Thursday in the intimate surrounds of Bourkes bar on Catherine street. The highly successful venue have been putting on a great number of acts recently under the new moniker of Seoda Shows, go check out upcoming gigs here.

First up on the bill tonight was that of Cat Dowling , The ex-Aphastates band member played a lovely set of tracks armed just with an acoustic guitar and her incredible voice akin to 'Karen O' or a grittier 'Regina Spektor'. She is able to obtain some great sounds from her vocal chords as she seems to be transported right into the lyrics of the tracks on stage. The haunting gravely vocals go excellently well with the guitar plucking as she warmed up the night nicely. Cat currently has an album on sale entitled 'The Believer' which boosts a full band, She explains to the crowd that she feels a bit lost without them tonight but she is quite able without them. Go check out more from Cat here

Next up were the five piece headliners who smashed straight into their sixteen track set. The venue was wall to wall people at this stage and was a bit too packed for comfort , the warm weather during the day not helping but it didn't really matter as any where you stood in the bar you were less than 8 feet from the stage.

The set consisted of five from their debut album 'Hither Thither' and the full listing from the brand new album out that day 'Vitreous'. I was must say I was wary of the new stuff hearing bits and pieces on the lead up to the release but listening to it live and on the album it all seems to work perfect. I was a big fan of the debut so it was hard to hear such a change in sound for the band. The lads have become far more experimental with the new record and the sound has matured greatly.

The new album comes in at just under the thirty minute mark and before you know it your half way through the whole album again, not necessary a bad thing as the songs get better as you grow into them. The album boosts a massive wall of sound with epic vocal layering as always, think the crescendos of Sgt. Peppers and the Beach boys inspired surf rock yet they still keep their own identity with beautifully crafted tracks such as the piano driven 'Grandmother Mountain' to the in your face edgy rock number 'Contact'. Also loving the Baba O'Rileyesque piano flow on the album track 'Whitener(Part 1)' .The album is a joy to listen to and I am sure will be on many a top ten list at the end of the year.
The band have come along way since I first saw them live in Dolans back in January 2010. (Review here). The lads are currently on a full Irish tour and then off on a  heavy summer of giging in Europe. The lead singer and the drummer have brought their dads on tour to do the driving and merchandise selling at the gigs. They seem to be doing a good job anyways and I managed to pick up a lovely vinyl copy of the new album on the night. They put on a great show , cheers to Bourkes and O Emperor!
Go find out more and buy their album here .

Set List:
Don Quixote
Grandmother Mountain
Holy Fool
Whitener
Sedalia
Taloned Air
Erman Gou
Minuet
Don't Mind Me
Land of the Living
Brainchild
Po
Contact
This is It
Soft In The Head
Electric Tongues

The Who live at the Point ,Dublin 08/06/2013 Review + Bootleg

The last time I witnessed the Who was back in 2006 at the Oxegen festival, That gig blew me away so I headed to Dublin to get another blasting by the legendary troupe. Tonight's gig would be their eight time to play Ireland and their first night of the Quadrophenia euro tour.

Support tonight came in the form of L.A. rockers 'Vintage Trouble' , This band were incredible! The front man Ty Taylor's energy was something to behold and the full band were decked out in three piece suits oozing 50s soul music. The look was not where the comparisons stopped as the sound was James Brown/Otis Redding/Chuck Berry reincarnated and it was just a joy to watch. The band clearly were loving every second of it and really got into the swing of things. Their infectious sound and energy had the early O2 arrivals on their feet and clapping. These guys were a great opener and well worth checking out, go pay them a visit here.



The Who assembled on stage and went straight into playing the full 1973 Quadrophenia rock opera from start to finish. The album is pretty much a autobiography of the members of the band and the theme of the conflict between the Mods and Rockers at the time. Tonight saw the point filled with many fans reliving their Mod days in the full gear.
The stage was adorned with impressive screens as you will see from the videos , These screens were filled with classic shots/videos of the band and also practically gave a full history lesson of images throughout the world down through the years. It was a fascinating watch!

Being the first night on the tour you could see the band were still shaky playing the album tracks as they must not have had much time to rehearse and it would have been awhile since a lot of these had an airing on stage. The interaction between Daltrey and Townshend was great fun to watch as they seem to be really enjoying it and making fun at each other particularly Pete taking the piss out of Rodger. I have watched many a live gig from the Who on DVD and I must say Rodgers voice was the best I have heard, I presume being the first night of the tour helped but he nailed every note and really was sublime throughout.

They had some great images of the band down through the years on the big screen and the late Keith Moon and John Entwistle played big parts on the nights proceedings, The track Bell Boy was started by Moon via video footage and he played and sang throughout as Rodger looked at the screen with huge emotion. The same was done for the Ox as he played a classic bass solo seamlessly with the band thanks to brilliant video footage again quite an emotional moment as Rodger saluted the big screens.

 

Considering the age of these guys sixty eight and sixty nine they put on a serious show, Daltrey looked like a young man and I was genuinely impressed by his physique. Not many sixty nine year olds would be able to pull of the shirt half open look. He was giving it socks on stage classic swirling of the microphone into the air at a crazy speed and catching it like a young fella. Townsend was at the same classic moves jumping around the place and windmilling the guitar like he was back when they first started out. The rock and roll lifestyle clearly suits this pairing.

After playing the full length album it was time to dust off the classics with 'Who are Who' stating the proceedings. This prompted the crowd to rise to their feet and stay standing until the end. I must say I really enjoyed this part and the seats I got we the icing on the cake being only five rows from the front , dead centre. The band finished with the brilliant 'Wont Get Fooled again' and then Rodger and Pete came back out to play 'Tea And Theatre' from 2006′s Endless Wire with Pete on the acoustic guitar and Rodger with a mug of tea. This ended a superb night of music! What's great is that someone recorded the whole gig and the bootleg is free to download from here. Enjoying listening back to it all day, Cheers for a great night!

Setlist:
01 I Am the Sea
02 The Real Me
03 Quadrophenia
04 Cut My Hair
05 The Punk and The Godfather
06 I’m One
07 The Dirty Jobs
08 Helpless Dancer
09 Is It In My Head?
10 I’ve Had Enough
11 5.15
12 Sea and Sand
13 Drowned
14 Bell Boy
15 Dr Jimmy
16 The Rock
17 Love Reign O’er Me
18 Band intros
19 Who Are You
20 Behind Blue Eyes
21 Pinball Wizard
22 Baba O’Riley
23 Won’t Get Fooled Again
24 Tea and Theatre

Animal Beats live at Dolans 31/05/2013 Review

At the end of last month saw local outfit Animal Beats put on a great show of music upstairs in Dolans.
Support on the night came from local bands 'Randolf and the Crokers' and 'Purple Earth Theory' who warmed up the crowd nicely. By the time Animal beats were to take to the stage the small intimate venue was wall to wall people. This was the last night in limerick before the band headed off to New York for the summer taking in gigs and releasing their brand new EP 'Carnival'. They played a great set full of their local crowd favourites and some brand new tracks that will be released on the new EP . The EP will get its first outing over in America and will be released here when they head home after the summer, So expect another string of dates from the lads. Check out one of the newer tracks below taken from the night in Dolans.
The new tracks sounded super with additions of strings and added piano , the bands sound is maturing excellently. They played a cracking night of music with the crowd demanding encores which were not rehearsed, The band replayed some of the set with the crowd more than happy to hear them again.
Hope the American trip goes well for them and looking forward to hearing the stories and checking out the new EP when they return, check them out here.

Milk Baby live at Cobblestone Joes 22/05/2013 Review

 

Only a month late on this review but here goes, Local band Milk Baby played a super midweek session in Cobblestone Joes. The Wednesday original night has really taken off and has been showcasing some great talent over the last year.
Tonight's turn was four piece student band Milk Baby, the lads have a great following in town and have recently released a self titled EP which can be downloaded for free over on their soundcloud page here . The bands sound is a great mix up of reggae , rock and rap. An usual mix but it works well.

Randolf and the Crokers supported the lads on the night, It was the first gig with a drummer and the set is sounding great, Next gig for the lads is a headline slot in Cobblestone Joes on the 27th of June, Well worth checking out. Support on the night comes from local singer songwriter Jen Ronan.

Milk Baby are well worth checking out , go download their EP and like them on facebook here,
Cheers for a great night!

Albums Worth Listening to in June 2013

 

L-R

Editors – The Weight of Your Love

Beady Eye - Be

Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires Of The City

The O’s – Thunderdog

Miles Kane - Don't Forget Who You Are

Laura Marling – Once I Was An Eagle

 

As Always suggestions very welcome!