LIVE REVIEW: Jameson St. Patricks Live

Most of the businesses (other than certain ones serving beverages) were all but closed, with the theatres and cinemas around the top of the street relatively sedate.

In the mix of these was The Ambassador’s Theatre, which was the venue this year for Jameson’s ‘St. Patricks Live’ the annual upmarket hootenanny celebrating the most sacred eve in the Irish calendar, St. Patricks Eve.
Many commented it was a weird choice as the venue had fallen out of favour in regard to music events, becoming mainly a traditional show theatre.
You would never have known it though, the sold out venue was tastefully turned into a collage of old Whiskey distillery and concert hall, with Cocktails on the playlist and music on the menu.
The place was full of excitement, enthusiasm and was complimented with a mix of clientele from all walks of Dublin and beyond.

The first act were Darling an upcoming Dublin band who had released their debut EP late in 2012, for an opening act, they carried themselves well and got the crowd on side quickly. Including a barnstorming cover of ‘Sounds Of Silence’ that sounded like The Ramones had written it first.

Honourable mention goes to the sound team, as the acoustics and sound balance were solid for a venue that hadn’t had a music gig in years.

Darling were followed by Funeral Suits who upon taking the stage, wasted little time in drenching the entire theatre in atmosphere. Their unique brand of Industrial electronic rock, though an acquired taste gained many admirers over their 45 minute set. Sending many of the crowd into a trance like state often only achieved by the finest atmospheric rock.

The big draw for the night however were the headliners White Lies. Though they have a dedicated following in Ireland, they haven’t played a gig in the country for five years, and when chatting to some of the crowd during the show, it was clear that their fan base was still strong.

Upon their announcement to the stage, the theatre which had remain upbeat and courteous to the previous acts suddenly erupted.
Opening with ’To Lose My Life’ off their most recent album Big TV they kicked off their set with drama, professionalism and a slick lighting crew.

It was clear with performances of ‘Farewell to the Underground’ and ‘Streetlights’ than fans were eagerly waiting for this moment, faithfully relaying all the words back to a clearly ecstatic Harry McVeigh.

By the time they reached the encore of ‘Bigger than Us’ the energy in the room was at its peak, the band were redeemed, the crowd was euphoric and the night was turning into St.Paddy’s Day.