Six relatively-unknown Irish groups playing half-hour sets: at concerts like this, it is natural to expect an increasingly high standard as the evening progresses. The more established bands, further up the bill, tend to have a little more confidence and experience than their predecessors.
But for every rule, there is an exception. Tonight, the lower-ranked artists are the ones who shine.
Opening act Dali are breezy and accomplished, often resembling a folkier, tighter Sonic Youth. They are guilty of playing it a little too straight at times, but the group’s slim catalogue of songs is consistently melodic, and their female lead singer possesses a voice of remarkable sweetness.
Corsairs are a lean, skinny-tie-sporting power trio. They look dressed to rip it up, though their opening couple of songs are surprisingly languid and mid tempo. The gentle Dylan-esque wheeze of the harmonica is pleasing, but the group excel when they move up a gear: the more uptempo numbers are trashed, elegant and gorgeous.
Colm Heaney and The Bad DJ’s deliver an enjoyable set of good-time, quasi-Texan country-rock, though there are one or two hitches. The group’s keyboardist assumes trumpet duties on the set’s opener, and occasionally sounds like he has picked up the instrument for the first time. There is also a mid-show technical fault involving the group’s monitor, but they keep their cool admirably, while a repair man clambers onstage to save the day.
Karrier, the evening’s fourth act, are certainly not preoccupied with cool. Their lead singer moves awkwardly, and reaches for his air-guitar a little too frequently. Uncomfortable performers, but – more importantly – talented musicians; their impassioned, agricultural rock manages to elicit a warm audience reaction.
The two closing acts are, arguably, the least satisfactory of the night. Travega’s polished, emo-tinged rock ballads are accomplished, but prove difficult to warm to.
The evening’s climax is also something of a damp squib, as Eyeslave’s decision to begin their set at midnight misfires badly. The group may have intended to draw attention to the midnight release of their latest single ‘Rise’, but the rub is that many audience members have departed well before that to catch the last bus.
In truth, these early-goers have already witnessed the night’s highlights, as the headliners’ gurning stadium-grunge carries a whiff of Creed and Nickelback.
An enjoyable show, but not for the reasons one might initially have predicted.