Real Estate at Whelan’s – Review

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Early on in their set, Real Estate commented on the fact that they haven’t graced these shores in quite some time. The last venue they played here was Crawdaddy. While that venue is much missed, it wasn’t the biggest and it certainly couldn’t have contained the huge crowd that was wedged in to see them perform on Tuesday night. With the main room packed and the upstairs balcony three and four people deep at some points, it’s fair to say that Real Estate are developing a sizeable Irish fanbase. Their brand of jangly, oscillating guitar pop is certainly the perfect antidote to a nation whose default weather setting is overcast and while this gig started off well, the lack of variety in the band’s sound became a bit of an issue as the night wore on.

They kicked things off in fine style with the instrumental ‘April’s Song’ followed by ‘Crime’ from their recent album ‘Atlas’ and had the crowd gently swaying from the off. ‘Past Lives’ was also an early highlight but by the halfway point in the set a noticeable amount of people were checking their phones and chatting among themselves rather than giving the band their full attention.

Not that there’s anything wrong with the band’s playing. They are all accomplished musicians and Matt Mondanile’s spangly guitar melodies particularly stand out all night although at times they completely dominate the sound, drowning out the other instruments. In spite of this, it’s still a pleasure to watch such a fine guitarist in action.

There were some moments when the band changed things up a bit during the night. ‘It’s Real’ received a great reaction as the crowd gleefully joined in with the “whoa oh oh oh whoa” refrain while ‘Horizon’ had a slightly different vibe than much that went before and helped to liven up a set that at times became monotonous.

To give them credit, the encore was excellent. ‘Suburban Beverage’ is a fine song that belatedly gave Matt Kallman the chance to shine with some fine Hammond style keyboard licks while ‘Talking Backwards’ is one of the finest song that the band has ever released and received a suitably jubilant reaction here.

In the end they did a fine job and sent the crowd home happy. No doubt many of those punters will be in the Academy when Real Estate return to Dublin in October but there will surely be some who will have left with nagging doubts that this night could have been something more than just a good band running through a decent set of songs. They have the potential to be great if they inject a bit more variety into their live arrangements. Perhaps a summer of touring will fine tune things and the Academy gig will prove to be the seminal moment that those attending this show were hoping for.

This article originally appeared on dubinconcerts.ie on 30 May 2014

Jagwar Ma at Whelan’s – Review

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It was a jam packed and sweaty Whelan’s that greeted Jagwar Ma when they finally took to the stage to their ominous, pounding intro music on Thursday night and from the opening bars of ‘What Love’ the crowd lapped up what the band had to serve them.

It was quite the interesting mix in the crowd too, as those who looked barely old enough to be there mixed happily with older heads who would have remembered this type of music the first time around (provided they weren’t enjoying themselves TOO much the first time around that is).

With Jono Ma pulling all of the strings from a massive console at the back of the stage, it’s up to Gabriel Winterfield and bassist Jack Freeman to interact with the crowd. They do a fine job of this in spite of the heavily echoed mics making it difficult to make out the between-song banter at times. Dressed in baggy t-shirts and baseball caps, the Australian outfit not only sound like something from the heady days of baggy and acid house but they also look the part as well.

It’s true, Jagwar Ma’s sound isn’t exactly cutting edge and they unashamedly mine the past for all that it’s worth but when they do it so well, who cares? It certainly wasn’t an issue for those in attendance on the night, who happily indulged in a spot of Bez dancing if they could find the room and generally had a whale of a time.

‘Uncertainty’ had them swaying to it’s loping baggy groove that led to the first of several extended, hypnotic wig-outs, while the howling riffs laid against the processed beats of ‘Man I Need’ received a rapturous reception. With Winterfield encouraging the crowd to sing along with the chorus, ‘Let Her Go’ was a real treat as the masses bellowed back “I know you don’t wanna let her go,” at the lazily cool frontman.

The band went full throttle through what was a fairly short set before leaving the stage for the briefest of moments while a continuous loop ran through the air. After the band reappeared and Winterfield reemerged from the red towel that he had departed the stage under, they finished up with a two song encore that included the blissed out Balearic groove of ‘Did You Have To’.

It was an impressive performance from a band whose debut album ‘Howlin’ rightly drew wide critical praise when it was released last year. They sent a packed room full of happy punters home very happy but given the nature of their sound, it is difficult to predict whether they will be able to grow their fanbase beyond those who hold those heady days of Madchester in high affection. Those that are already on board won’t really care about that though. Not if they can enjoy more nights like this one.

This article originally appeared on dublinconcerts.ie on 12 May 2014

We Cut Corners at the Button Factory – Review

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Fresh from the release of their second album, ‘Think Nothing’, We Cut Corners played a storming set on Friday evening in the Button Factory.

Kicking things off on the night was Liza Flume. It was interesting to hear Flume perform live. Her modern twist on folk is built on a minimalist guitar style that is cleverly embellished with the use of loop pedals to craft a mighty sound. Her quirky lyrics and delicate voice grabbed the crowd’s attention and there was barely a whisper heard during her short but magnificent set.

That reverence was also afforded to We Cut Corners when they took to the stage, opening with the gently strummed melodies of ‘Wallflowers’, the opening track from ‘Think Nothing’. Immediately apparent is the strength of drummer Conall O’Breachain’s voice, which easily transfers from sweet, hushed tones to more rousing fare as the song progresses.

The vocal interplay between the duo is a notable feature of the evening. Guitarist John Duignan’s deadpan delivery combines beautifully with O’Breachain’s vocal gymnastics to deliver an incredibly well rounded sound and some amazing harmonies.

It’s a well paced gig too. The spiky chords and pounding toms of ‘Overtures’ gives way to the ferocious thud that introduces ‘Mammels’ and this in turn leads to the punky intro of ‘Toll Free’. Throughout the evening Conall effortlessly switches from an acoustic guitar out front to leaning against a drum stool that’s perched as high as it can go behind a massive bass drum and boy, can he play.

The LCD sounding ‘Best Friend’ sees John take more of the lead vocals while ‘Dumb Blonde’ gets an airing because, as the lads say, it’s “good to remember the old ones.”

Both the old and the new songs mix together well in the set and there’s even a brand new song thrown in that features some impressive synth swirls and urgent riffage from Duignan at the end. It was a gloriously frantic first half of the set and the crowd were given a chance to catch their breath as they fell silent for the jaunty opening of ‘A Pirates Life’ followed by ‘Yet’.

After affording the crowd a breather, things picked up again to close out the main body of the set. ‘This Is Then’ had the crowd bouncing while every word of ‘YKK’ was sung back at the band with gusto.

The suitably rocky ‘The Leopard’ finished the main set before the band emerged for a three song encore. ‘Maybe In Future’ was another song that demanded the silent attention of the audience. Featuring the fantastic line “do you get a bit self-conscious when they say you have an acquired face,” it’s one of the best songs in We Cut Corners’ already impressive canon.

By the time ‘Go Easy On Us’ reached it’s blistering crescendo the crowd were ecstatic and the band left the stage to well deserved, thunderous applause.

A winning combination of fantastic tunes, clever lyrics and a stage manner that makes them come across as extremely nice guys, We Cut Corners are an excellent live act. They still have a few dates to play around the country over the next few weeks. Those lucky enough to have tickets are in for a treat.

This article originally appeared on dublinconcerts.ie on 12 May 2014

HamsandwicH at The Olympia Theatre – Review

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They’ve played massive venues such as the Phoenix Park and Slane in the past but Saturday night at the Olympia represented HamsandwicH’s biggest headline slot to date. If they were nervous about the prospect then they didn’t show it as they won over the crowd with huge smiles, good vibes and loads of confetti – not to mention a set full of cracking tunes.

By the time HamsandwicH took to a stage bathed in blue light, the crowd had grown substantially. The full house was treated to a storming set from the band, with singers Podge and Niamh pogoing around the stage from the opening song ‘Never Talk’. Podge in particular is a big ball of energy, bounding around the stage all evening like a hyperactive child let loose in a jelly baby factory.

The whole band seem genuinely delighted to there and this translates itself in to a fantastic performance that’s aided by a four piece brass and string section that they’ve brought along for the occasion. The extra instruments certainly add to some of the early highlights of the show, which includes a wonderful rendition of ‘Animals’ and some impressively intricate guitar work from guitarist Darcy on ‘click…click…BOOM!!!’

Of course HamsandwicH are well known for the unique vocal pairing of Niamh and Podge and their vocals all night compliment each other wonderfully well. This is especially evident on the likes of ‘St Christopher’ and ‘White Fox’.

There are a couple of new songs aired over the course of the evening that bode well for the new album that the band hopes to release during the summer. Recent single ‘Illuminate’ features a funky bass groove from David McEnroe and is complimented by some nice trumpet licks, while ‘Imperfect Rhymes’ and a song that may or may not end up being called ‘Cobra’ (Niamh likes the title but Podge doesn’t) both went down well with the crowd in spite of their unfamiliarity with the tunes.

After a quieter moment when ‘Floors’ segued into a few brief lines of Radiohead’s ‘No Surprises’, the band ramped things up considerably, unleashing a few of the big guns that they’d held back until later in the set. The highlight of this was most definitely a stirring rendition of ‘Long Distance’ that featured three guest drummers, including the drummers from Bipolar Empire and The Riptide Movement. With confetti being blasted everywhere the song climaxed in a whirl of tribal drumming that led to Podge comparing it to the opening of the Late Late Show theme tune. Predictably this resulted in a mass impromptu sing-along of the Late Late theme tune from the crowd – just one of many fun moments on a night full of them.

The crowd continued in fine voice to sing every word of ‘Models’ back at the band before ‘The Naturist’ closed out the main set with phones in the air everywhere at the request of the band, who are planning to make a fan footage video with the resulting videos.

Huge roars greet the band as they return for an encore that features an incredible version of Dona Summer’s ‘I Feel Love’. It’s a difficult song to sing but Niamh’s stunning voice more than does it justice. The whole crowd’s arms are aloft bouncing round the giant balloons that are now bobbing across the room before massive roars of approval greet the end of the song.

There’s time for one more mass sing along as ‘Ants’ closes out a triumphant evening. The whole night had the air of one big party as HamsandwicH climbed another rung of the career ladder by expertly navigating their biggest headline slot yet. Their musicianship and stage presence is a pleasure to watch and with a new album in the offing in the near future things are looking bright in the HamsandwicH camp.

This article originally appeared on dublinconcerts.ie on 19 April 2014

Join Me In the Pines at The Unitarian Church – Review

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Those Bell X1 lads are busy boys. Not content with releasing albums at a prolific rate while constantly touring, Paul Noonan is about to launch a side project call Printer Clips, while in the Unitarian Church, Dave Geraghty gave an early road test to tunes from his own solo project, Join Me In The Pines.

A project that he’s been working on for the past 18 months in his own home studio, it was quite the successful run out too. Geraghty showed off his impressive mastery of a range of instruments including guitar, piano, banjo and harmonica before notably including a ukulele cove of a Prince song at the end of the set. In a recurring gag throughout the set Geraghty made several joking references to his own Prince-like name change.

His relaxed stage manner, borne from years on stages all over the world, comes across well to those sitting quietly and appreciatively in the church pews as he plays through stripped back versions of what will become the new album, assisted by a revolving cast of guest musicians.

While not blessed with the most powerful voice, there’s a plaintive fragility to it that suits the songs and the setting exceedingly well. ‘Golden Guilt’ is a particularly fine song that features some excellent interplay between guitar and piano while Geraghty drew some laughs from the audience with some comical guitar hero poses at the start of ‘Joy Is A Lion’, the first single to be released from the album.

Perhaps the best song of the night was ‘Backseat’. A song inspired (as most of the songs seem to be) by growing up in his home town of Leixlip, it’s a beautiful country influenced duet that lifts the room.

Conscious that as we’re in a church it’s a dry gig, Geraghty didn’t keep the crowd too long and the show is done in just over an hour. He seemed anxious for a pint himself and he certainly deserved one after an enjoyable insight into an interesting work in progress.

This article originally appeared on dublinconcerts.ie on 14 April 2014

Laura Elizabeth Hughes at Whelan’s – Review

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The soft lighting set against the blood red curtains at the back of the stage and the candlelit tables dotted around the room make the upstairs venue in Whelan’s a pleasantly intimate musical space. It’s the perfect setting for an artist like Laura Elizabeth Hughes, whose soaring songs from a broken heart demand the silent attention of the audience.

This rapt attention was also afforded to the support acts on the night, both of whom showed a lot of promise. Mark Campbell played a mix of covers and songs from his currently unnamed band. His last song, about a brief meeting with a girl in New York, was particularly impressive. Ailbhe Reddy was next up and her raw tunes full of interesting chord changes went down really well with a room that was rapidly filling up in anticipation of the night’s main attraction.

From the moment Laura Elizabeth Hughes’s voice soars over the gentle finger picking of opening song ‘Recall’ the crowd are transfixed, only the odd shuffling of feet or movement of a chair can be heard during the songs before an avalanche of applause at the end of each number.

Next up is ‘Hearts and Spades’, whose jaunty opening gives way to some lovely bluesy chords, and this is followed by the superb ‘For The Birds’. Again there’s some nice off colour picking while the lyrics are incredibly clever, weaving a tale of wistful, bitter resentment before the chorus booms out over the room.

Laura’s confident, easy going stage manner make her incredibly likeable; she’s not afraid to poke fun at herself for the downbeat nature of her songs and the failed relationships that have inspired them. One would hope she eventually finds happiness but then the well of beautiful songs might dry up, quite the conundrum really.

‘Rock the Boat’ continues the mournful theme. As Hughes sings the line “hold a heart far too tight and watch it disappear” there are a few knowing, agreeing nods amongst the crowd. ‘Paper Thoughts’ and ‘Who Is That Stranger’ sound even better when played live than they do on her recently released self titled EP.

A couple of brand new songs also get an airing, ‘Sweet Nothing’ and ‘Afloat’. ‘Afloat’ is particularly impressive, country tinge finger picking lead to a frantically strummed crescendo. The confident, strident delivery of ‘8/7’ is sandwiched between the two new songs and goes down really well with the audience.

Laura certainly seemed to enjoy one of her biggest gigs yet, so much so that she forgot to leave the stage and went straight in to her encore songs. She did end on a happy note though, ‘Fear of Falling’ is a fantastic upbeat tune that travels up and down the fretboard and shows that there’s more in her armoury than the generally downbeat songs that fill most of the set.

From recording songs in her bedroom and uploading them on YouTube to headlining Whelan’s, Laura herself admits that the past two years have been pretty crazy for her. With that note perfect, glorious voice, clever lyrics and growing catalogue of great songs, there’s every chance that the next couple of years could prove to be even crazier for this special, young Irish talent.

This article originally appeared on dublinconcerts.ie on 3 April 2014

Tokyo Police Club at Whelan’s – Review

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“It’s good to be back,” Tokyo Police Club’s lead singer David Monks tells the crowd early on in the night’s proceedings. As it turns out, he’s a local boy; in spite of the Canadian accent, he was born just up the road in the Rotunda hospital and he certainly seemed to enjoy his return to the land of his birth.

It had taken the band quite some time to arrive, with a big gap between support band Palace and the main attraction of the night, but Tokyo Police Club made it worth the wait. They delivered a blistering set of old favourites and cracking new tunes from their recently released album, ‘Forcefield’. It was the first weekend gig that the band had played since the release of the album and the set went down a storm with the near capacity crowd.

From the moment the band kicked off with the epic eight minute opening track from ‘Forcefield’, ‘Argentina Parts I, II & III’, they had the crowd in the palm of their very talented hands. The guitar playing of Josh Hook was a joy to behold all night and he demonstrated that ability early on with some furious riffery at the climax of the opening tune.

Not to be outdone by Hook, Monks’ funky bass line combined with Graham Wright’s slinky keys to draw one of the biggest early cheers of the night for ‘Nature of the Experiment’. This early track from their 2006 EP ‘A Lesson in Crime’ was a huge hit with the crowd, who bopped and swayed along appreciatively.

There was more swaying for ‘Beaches’, a gentler song with a subtle arrangement that slowed proceedings down nicely before the tempo was ramped up again with ‘Toy Guns’ and ‘Favourite Colour’, both of which featured yet more impressive guitar flourishes from Josh Hook.

The band were certainly well in their stride by this stage and the latter part of the set featured a fantastic version of ‘Breakneck Speed’ that featured some strident, effects heavy guitar work. One of the highlights of the evening followed with ‘Hot Tonight’ which drew a huge roar from the crowd. Ferocious drumming and superb keyboard playing were complimented by a gorgeous guitar melody to make for an instant classic that the crowd gleefully sung along to in spite of the relative newness of the song.

By the time the urgent guitar riff and frantic drumming ushered in the refrain of ‘Tokyo Police Club’ on set closer ‘Cheer It On’, the band could be satisfied with a job well done but there was time for one more special moment.

Just after the band had left the stage, one young gentleman who perhaps had imbibed one too many sherries, mounted the stage to initiate a chorus of ‘one more tune’. He was duly obliged when Monks returned to the stage on his own and decided to do a solo, unplugged version of ‘Tessellate’ at the front of the stage, once the obligatory sushing had rippled through the crowd of course. It was a stunning version of the song and although the rest of the band returned for two more songs it was that version of ‘Tessellate’ that sticks in the mind after what was a very good way to spend a Friday evening.

This article originally appeared on dublinconcerts.ie on 29 March 2014

God Is An Astronaut at Whelan’s – Review

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As part of the on-going celebrations for Whelan’s 25th anniversary, space rock kings God Is An Astronaut took to the famous old stage for the first time in nearly 10 years to deliver a blistering performance.

The band are possibly one of Ireland’s best kept secrets, having become more well known across Europe than on these shores. With that in mind it was no surprise that accents from all over the world were dotted amongst the eclectic and appreciative crowd.

The crowd had come expecting great things and from the moment ‘Transmissions’ jerky robotic groove kicked off second song in, GIAA had the audience rapt via octave piercing solos, bone rattling bass and ferocious drumming, with the odd heavily effected vocal thrown in to mix things up.

‘Echoes’ is an early highlight with guitars trading savage riffs before the whole tune is brought to its epic conclusion with guitars aloft and heads bobbing at the front of the stage to huge roars from the crowd.

The level of musicianship on show is astounding and an absolute pleasure to behold. The band have been together for over a decade and it really shows as they intuitively click when playing together.

‘Spiral Code’s’ machine gun minor key riff segues brilliantly into ‘A Deafening Distance’, a song that’s seedy sci-fi synth line melts into a stunning cacophony of guitar noise at the end that raises the roof at its climax.

‘Fragile’ slows the pace mid set and it’s an achingly beautiful rendition. You can almost see the hairs rising on the back of people’s necks as it winds its way to its emotional conclusion.

The band have become known for the spectacular light and visual shows that accompany their shows. While those are absent tonight you would hardly miss them such is brilliance of GIAA’s performance.

‘Calistoga’ gets the best reception of the night. A soaring up tempo riff and quirky effects laden vocal have the crowd in raptures from the moment the first note of the song is played.

There are nice moments from the band, who pay tribute to the late Derek Nally and point out at several junctures that Whelan’s were the first venue in Dublin to give the band a break and let them play. It all adds to the celebratory feel of the evening, which the band say is their favourite night of their tour.

We’re even treated to a brand new, so recently out of its box that it’s still unnamed, tune. The song’s driving rhythms, choppy power chords and descending bass line mix together into a glorious wall of sound. This is a tune that’s sure to be a live favourite for many years to come.

After ‘Fireflies And Empty Skies’ the band disappear for the briefest of moments before emerging for a three song encore. ‘Suicide by Star’ stands out as the pick of the encore. Ferocious shredding over intricate bass and monstrous double bass make the whole room shudder.

This was a truly awe inspiring gig from a band who know how to put on an amazing show and have the chops to pull it off. A stunning performance from an incredible group of musicians.

This article originally appeared on dublinconcerts.ie on 23 March 2014

The Jezabels at the Button Factory – Review

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On the back of the release of their second album The Brink, Australian quartet The Jezabels took to the stage on Sunday, March 2nd, for the second of two nights in The Button Factory. It was a gig that took its time to get going but as the night wore on there were some real high points, particularly in the latter half of the short set.

Opening with Psychotherapy, frontwoman Hayley Mary had an early opportunity to show off her impressive octave-surfing vocals over the mid-tempo, atmospheric keys of Heather Shannon, ably assisted by the solid drumming of Nik Kaloper and the simple yet effective licks of guitarist Samuel Lockwood. While Hayley Mary, clad all in black, with flowing sleeves and deep red lipstick completing the new age goth look, is an engaging frontwoman, it’s Shannon’s keys that knit the sound of this band together. One cannot help but be impressed by the awesome sound she produces which makes you forget at times that there’s no bass player on stage.

With the notable exception of third song Endless Summer, which drew a predictably rapturous reception from the crowd, the first half of the set passed by in a mostly forgettable blur. Hayley Mary’s jerky, almost reluctant dancing reflected the lethargy of the band as a whole but this all changed when she appealed for the crowd to dance before Look of Love and the whole atmosphere inside the building moved up several notches from that point in the show.

As the crowd began to clap along to Look of Love the room seemed to come alive and the band fed off that energy to deliver a lively Beat to Beat which was followed by the soaring and dramatic Mace Spraywhich was easily the best song of the night. Maybe it had taken the Sunday revellers a couple of recovery pints to shake off the Saturday night cobwebs or maybe it had just taken The Jezabels a little while to find their groove on the night but once they found that groove things improved considerably.

It’s a shame it had taken half of the set to get to this point but there was still time for one more major crowd pleasing moment in recent single The End. The crowd responded with gusto to this tune and it segued nicely into set closer Dark Storm. The band re-emerged for the single song encore of Easy to Love, delivering a gentle come down from the liveliness that had preceded it, and bringing the night full circle back to its low key openings.

And that was it; all done within an hour, and while there were undoubtedly some high points, you can’t help but feel that there is still a great deal of untapped potential in his band. It was by no means a bad gig and yet it left a nagging feeling that it could have been so much more than just a ‘good’ gig.

Then again, isn’t it the trick of all the best entertainers to leave the crowd craving more?

This article originally appeared on dublinconcerts.ie on 3 March 2014

Damien Dempsey at The Button Factory – Review

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Damien Dempsey is an artist that you can’t fully appreciate until you’ve seen him live. He’s a tall, stocky, imposing figure whose pounding guitar style (that’s no doubt influenced by his interest in folk music), socially conscious lyrics and strong, heavily accented, vocals have marked him out as a unique presence amongst the overpopulated tribe of Irish singer-songwriters.

On Wednesday night in the Button Factory, Dempsey took the audience through a dazzling career retrospective in celebration of the imminent release of It’s All Good, The Best of Damien Dempsey, a collection of his finest work to date that also includes two new songs.

The impressive Morrissey & Marshall kicked off the evening with their brand of tight, bluesy acoustic rock. Their vocal harmonies were particularly impressive, making apparent the reasons why the duo have been generating quite a bit of interest over the past year or so. The crowd certainly seemed to react well to them, with one group of young ladies at the side of the stage being particularly vocal in their appreciation.

Morrissey & Marshall had barely left the stage when the first chants of ‘Damo, Damo’ began to ring around the venue as the room began to fill up in anticipation of the man from Donaghmede’s arrival. When he did finally arrive on stage just after nine o’clock, he looked relaxed and happy, decked out in denim shirt and jeans, kicking proceedings off with a solo version of How Strange. It was a bold move to start with a song that he told us he’d never performed solo before but it was a move that worked as the crowd sung ever word back at him, setting the tone for the evening.

As the rest of his band ambled on to the stage Damo asked, “Who fancies a sing-song?” – a question that drew a predictably favourable response from a crowd who were clearly in the mood to have a good time. The band duly kicked in to It’s All Good followed by Patience, which was given a slight ska flavour for the evening. These songs were the first ones that prompted Dempsey to offer the mic to the audience. It was a trick he would repeat several times during the show, ensuring that the whole night did indeed become one big sing-song.

The band that he’s assembled for this tour are all incredibly accomplished players, allowing Damo to confidently breeze through early work such as I’ve No Alibi right through to newer material such as Almighty Love, a song that stretched Dempsey’s vocal ability to its very limit.

Of the newer songs that he played, Chris and Stevie was the most powerful. A tender ballad about friends who have committed suicide, you can hear the pain in Dempsey’s voice as he sings the refrain of ‘talk to me and tell me how you feel’ in memory of his departed friends. It’s a song that has a much more immediate and emotional effect live than it does on record.

The more solemn moments of the set were juxtaposed nicely with the more upbeat moments, with Damo’s natural story telling ability apparent in some of the stories he related to the crowd, such as the story about his dad requesting that he write some happy songs for a change that lead us in to a new song, appropriately titled Happy Days. It’s a bouncy, reggae influenced number that sat well with the older material.

Of the latter part of the set, The Rocky Road to Dublin drew a predictably rapturous response while Colony built from very little instrumental accompaniment to a rousing crescendo for the glorious refrain of ‘you will never kill our will to be free’. After dedicating Bustin Outta Here to the crooked bankers, Sing All Our Cares Away closed the main set before the band briefly left the stage before emerging for a blistering encore of Serious, Negative Vibes and Party On, three of his finest songs that had the whole room jumping and people dancing in the aisles of the balcony area.

The night ended with Damo and the band huddled together at the front of the stage for a stunning a cappella version of The Auld Triangle in memory of Sean Potts of The Chieftains, who sadly passed away the previous evening.

A quick Google search of the words ‘Damien’, ‘Dempsey’ and ‘marmite’ will tell you that opinion is very much divided on Dempsey’s work. There are those who love his unique style and those that hate it, but perhaps now would be a good time for those who dislike him to check out his Best Of and maybe go and witness his incredible live performances. They may find themselves pleasantly surprised.

This article originally appeared on dublinconcerts.ie on 14 February 2014