Considering that you’d pay a small fortune to see a better-known outfit yawning through the usual stuff that they take for granted will entertain us, Garageland gigs are a bargain for your €8. Tonight’s unsigned acts were on their toes and eager to impress the partisan crowd, so from the beginning that guaranteed a great atmosphere.
First up was Pearl Jam-esque singer Ray Scully. His remarkably mature, deep and gorgeous voice belted out melodies of a well-worn grunge sort that kept his audience riveted. This was all very much at odds with Scully’s personality though; some desperately shy mumblings about his new EP Picture With A Twist were almost lost among the claps and bustle.
The Slick Hippies upped the tempo with a Primal Scream/Oasis Britpop template that, a mere 40 minutes or so into the evening, managed effortlessly to fill the dancefloor. A less fragile bunch, their ‘Funny Hat’ was a fun and catchy tune and ‘Blue Jean Queen’ is the kind of polished song with smart lyrics and tight harmonies that explains the lead singer’s rather shameless strutting.
The á la carte music menu continued with the seriously attractive indie outfit Benson, whose Frames-style repertoire ranged from acoustic guitars, soft – though occasionally overripe – vocals, to their own fiddle-player; who’s angelic appearance and elegant vocals put her in securely in the Lisa Hannigan category of ethereal singing delight.
To wrap things up, the by now well-soaked crowd were violently assaulted by the fantastic Shorty & The Fat Bastards, whose tiny blonde singer wasted no time in asserting her alpha-female dominance over the stage. Shorty & co. go a long way in satisfying that need for relentlessly savage, selfish, solipsistic ranting and roaring, and would give Slipknot or Korn a good run for their money. Proving there’s more to them than rage, they threw out a ska-style number that made the place go mental. We look forward the next Garageland gig with shattered nerves.