Hard Working Class Heroes: Friday Night Review

On Friday 28 September I had the privilege of attending four performances from some amazing homegrown talent at the Hard Working Class Heroes festival. 

First up was Xo Mo, who played Yamamori Tengu at 9.30pm. A small intimate venue for what was a highly original, reserved and at times goosebump inducing performance. Their synth laden trip hop has its base in producer Elliots electronic beats with vocalist Jordan adding the magic touch of a voice that proves amazing singing skills don’t belong on reality tv contests but in organic and ambitious groups like this. Highlight of the performance for me was ‘Wild Dogs’, which showcased the groups perfect blend of Elliots brooding and atmospheric beats with Jordan’s stellar voice. A larger venue would have certainly suited the group as the distorted beats and soaring vocals rattled walls and pint glasses alike, but no doubt they will be headlining one very soon.This duo sound like an army and I predict big things for them in coming years. Watch this space.

I made the long and arduous trek over to the Grand Social to see Wild Youth, who have had a lot of buzz about them in the last year, between supporting Niall Horan and sessions with The Script's Danny O'Donoghue. They have charisma and style in spades and are not afraid to show it. The performance featured a slew of never before heard tracks that the group have recently been working on in London. Nearly a year since they had their first headline gig in the venue, it was a full circle performance for a band who made it clear they are set for big things. ’Making Me Dance’ showcased their maturing songwriting capabilities and dance-pop edge. Their marketable but original tracks got people dancing whilst frontman David Whelan’s energetic delivery and natural showmanship shows this band have every intention of making themselves a household name. Not for me personally, but a consistent and memorable performance nonetheless. 

Over then to Workman’s for Pillow Queens who were without a doubt highlight of the night. I found myself nearly unable to take notes as most of my time there was spent standing mouth open in awe at the sheer musical ingenuity that was going on before my eyes. The four piece showcased their musical talent, brash attitude and ingenious songwriting capabilities to a crowd that started off quite small but by the third song had filled the venue. ‘Ragin’ was the track that brought the house down, delivered in their trademark, seething Dublin vernacular, and showcased their blend of punk sensibility with gorgeous and inspired harmonies, while ‘Gay Girls’ confirmed their status as my pick of the evening. Poppy punk, punky pop, whatever you’d call it doesn’t really matter, they kicked ass.They’ve made serious waves over the last two years and closed off the summer with a stunning performance at Electric Picnic, but this Working Class Heroes gig was a flawless performance where we saw the group at their best.

I finished off the night back at the Grand Social with True Tides. The performance started late but they didn’t let that phase them. They showcased their catchy and crowd pleasing songbook with ‘Survive’ being the highlight. Their songs blended into each other slightly with the frequent presence of chanty choruses and radio friendly pop rock. Despite my reservations about the genre they have placed themselves in, the performance was a fine example of a group that will develop in the coming months and strive to place themselves out there amongst bands like Picture This and Kodaline.

If nothing else, the gigs convinced me that we have a music scene in this city populated by a very high calibre of acts that we should cherish, with every group I saw have the potential of making it big. The names performing at this festival will be too big in the coming years to play these moderate sized venues, so it was a privilege to see them here while I had the chance.