School of Seven Bells - Live Review

I was deeply saddened and shocked to hear of the passing of the great Benjamin Curtis in the last few days and I realised how lucky I was to have been able to see him perform with School of Seven Bells when they played Dublin a couple of years ago. Here is my review of the night.

An air of a well kept secret swept across the admiring audience when New York trio School of Seven Bells took to the stage of a packed Whelans on a Monday night. It seemed almost wrong that a band like this were playing such a small venue with such a mature sound and likeability.

James Yorkston - Live Review

An old review of a very memorable night
 
From the moment James Yorkston took to the stage of a packed out Crawdaddy, the room was filled with a hushed respect for the Scottish singer. The audience was treated to an acoustic gig, without his backing band The Athletes; which was a perfect opportunity to enjoy his smooth and silky vocals and guitar playing.

Yorkston didn’t seem to have a set list per-say, so he just kept playing song after song with intermittent shy banter. Each song was sung with such tenderness that even the smallest creak could be heard in the room by fans who hung on his every word.

Yorkston’s real talent lies in the poetry of his lyrics and his speech in general and his songs tell incredibly raw, sometimes melancholic, stories.

A highlight of the night was when he called for a female member of the audience at random to join him singing ‘Blue Bleezin’ Blind Drunk’; which turned out to be a beautiful duet, as the traditional nature of the song suited the Irish female voice. He was also joined on stage by his support for the night and good friend Adrian Crowley.

 It was wonderfully intimate, thoroughly enjoyable night.

Deirdre O’Brien

Of Montreal - Live Review

This review was written a few years ago and was my first introduction to this great band who know how to turn a gig into a party!
 
Georgia band Of Montreal took to the stage of a sold-out Button Factory to the rapturous applause of an audience that immediately started dancing on seats and cheering.

The band itself made a colourful sight; adorning neon blazers, over-sized sunglasses and black angel wings. It looked like they had been beamed straight out of the glam rock era of the seventies.

Live, the band sound like an eclectic mixture of The Killers, The Rapture, David Bowie and Prince. The songs built up to a frenzied crescendo.

Dry ice, disco lighting, smoke machines and neon images on the screen behind the stage seemed like a perfect accompaniment to this energetic, colourful group.

The music was a perfect mixture of electro, pop, funk and rock and charismatic lead vocalist, Kevin Barnes’, voice was the most impressive part of the performance; soaring in Brandon Flowers fashion through a range of both upbeat and piano-driven numbers.

It was almost a theatrical experience which was impossible not to enjoy.

Deirdre O’Brien.

David Byrne Live at the National Concert Hall

I wrote this review of a gig I could easily say is in my top three concerts of all time. I was left with the widest grin for days after this show and still think of it often. I think because I wasn't expecting the night to be so incredible it made it even more enjoyable. If you ever get the chance to see David Byrne live, I would highly recommend going without a second thought; he's a musical wizard!

David Byrne’s live performance in the National Concert Hall was a once in a lifetime experience for music lovers. The former Talking Heads front man was joined on stage for the night by a seven-piece band and three interpretive dancers, who added to the performance greatly.

Musical Musings: An Interview With Kristin Hersh

An interview that is one of my fondest memories, on the weekend of the launch of Kristin Hersh’s gripping memoir Paradoxical Undressing I caught up with the Throwing Muses front woman for Verbal before its demise to discuss the diary the book is based on, her lifelong love affair with music and the fascinating characters she has met along the way.

 

Although the period of Kristin Hersh's life that Paradoxical Undressing is based on was in many ways deeply troubling, her voice remains sweet and endearing throughout. When I meet Hersh in Dublin’s Buswells Hotel I find her to be just as engaging as the narration throughout the book. The interview turns into a wonderful warm chat and we are also joined by Billy O’Connell, her husband and manager of 20 years.