You can practially smell the buzz about Galway. Heineken Green Spheres has rolled into town, and taking to the Radisson Live Lounge stage are Australian electro-indie act Cut Copy.
The foursome set out on this tour a few weeks back, following the release of third album Zonoscope. This is their first Irish appearance since a Button Factory gig last year, and their Galway fans (in extra fine fettle thanks to some complimentary Heino), are excitedly awaiting the boys’ arrival.
And as the band slip on stage, it’s clear they’re something of a reserved bunch, exuding a seriousness which seems almost at odds with the funky electro-pop that’ll shortly have this crowd dancing like maniacs. Without so much as a ‘G’day’, the boys launch straight into a fantastically energetic set, kicking off with material from second album In Ghost Colours. They may be men of few words, but – cliché alert! – the music here really speaks for itself.
Having won us over with the likes of ‘Lights And Music’ and ‘Feel The Love’, frontman Dan Whitford then lets us know it’s time for the new stuff. Cue the excellent Fleetwood Mac-esque ‘Take Me Over’ from Zonoscope. Performance-wise, they give it their all – the Cut Copy live experience is by no means a staunch and stationary ‘blippy’ affair. Rather, guitars, bass and an electonic drumkit ensure that we’re seeing a band really perform tonight. Indeed, as bassist Ben Bowling recently told HP, “We work the opposite to most bands, in that record sales and success are only useful to us in terms of gauging people’s reactions for our live show.”
When they finally reach the end of their set and quietly slink off stage, the crowd are hungry for more. A chorus of “One more choon!” brings the Aussies back on stage, where they launch into Zonoscope’s first (and arguably finest) track, the anthemic ‘Need You Now’. Couldn’t have put it better myself lads.