Three things are being launched here tonight – the annual Spraoi Festival, the newly revamped Shefflin’s Bar and Widescreen’s debut EP on Ruby Records – so it’s hardly surprising that there’s an air of general chaos in the venue. Those who aren’t already drunk are getting high on the smell of paint and varnish. Add to this the fact that local radio are broadcasting the gig live and the stage floor is like wire spaghetti and . . . well, it’s a recipe for disaster.
Basically guinea pigs for a brand new and untested sound system, Widescreen are battling sound problems from the off, and their frustration is obvious. It doesn’t help that there’s seven members of the band (including a saxophonist). They peddle a neat line in blues and jazz tinged rock & roll but, for the most part, tonight’s sound is more muddy than Muddy Waters.
Fortunately, frontman Paul Butler is obviously a believer in Jim Morrison’s maxim “play every show like it’s your last.” Despite the technical problems, the ex-Neuro man gives it his all, somehow overcoming his obvious annoyance and injecting real passion into numbers like ‘Hollow’ and ’Bed of Nails’.
As their name implies, Widescreen obviously have their eyes on the bigger picture. Tonight, though, through no real fault of their own, they were slightly out of focus. Still, every band has a bad gig now and then, and from what I witnessed tonight I’ll definitely be tuning in to them again.