It’s approaching 17:59 Thursday evening, but the vibe is more late night at the Savoy Theatre. The venue is heaving with an eager audience (predominantly female), who have managed to make it in time to see Paolo Nutini.
All the acts have a strict 25 minute limit on their sets (around five songs) and it makes sense to pull out the hits, which is certainly the case for Nutini. He opens with ‘Pencil Full of Lead’, which sets the mood perfectly: the brass section is uplifting, adding to the already jazz-infused feel with a scatt style delivery from Nutini and it feels all Mardi Gras. Just as you find yourself settling into the pace, he switches genres altogether following up with ska-driven single, ’10/10’.
The surprise song is ‘Candy’. The recording is a sweet acoustic effort, but hearing it performed live is a revelation. Nutini and his band unleash a hot wave of energy, fuelled by the bass and drums, which not only dilutes the sweetness, but gives it a cooler edge.
The crowd may have dispersed a little from Nutini, however it was still a good size and the punters were definitely up for Kilkenny four piece, Reko. Fronted by Stephanie Coady, a confident, sultry performer with a bit of rock chick attitude, her vocals contrasted nicely with the pumping basslines. Opening song, ‘Day Walker’ definitely set the pace, introducing Reko’s electronica sound.
Sharon Corr backed by her seven piece band opened with a traditional number before moving into a familiar tune from The Corrs’ repertoire but otherwise it was a set of fresh sounding tracks from her new album. O Emperor played a set of beautifully crafted songs. And by the time The View come on the audience are well up for a dance. Jumping along to the ska rhythms in their opener, it’s hard not to notice the half dressed drummer, who looks like he’s having more of a workout than banging the skins.