Normally while reviewing a gig, we hack types like to think of ourselves as objective observers, even if we are fans. Unfortunately it’s kinda tricky to be impartial when you are trying not to make a holy show of yourself by bursting into tears.
Gosh, your reviewer is very fond of Bell X1 and of course they do have a particular talent for turning out songs with poignant lyrics and clever wordplay, but nonetheless, this reaction was something of a surprise. Stripped back to their bare bones for this acoustic show at Vicar St., Bell X1’s songs wear their raw emotional quality with pride.
Paul Noonan’s voice was in extra fine form, hitting the high notes in a way that sends shivers down your spine. So much so it would be no bad thing if certain songs, such as ‘Flame’ in particular, were always performed this way.
Starting off with ‘Pinball Machine’, the set was a review of the past ten years and a taster of things to come. The band has been performing ‘Velcro’ for a while now, and this along with the second new song, ‘Safer Than Love’, an upbeat, clap-your-hands-and-sing-along number, suggests the next album is shaping up to be a cracker.
Acoustic the set may have been, but the night wasn’t all doom, gloom and heartbreak. Noonan’s mash-up of Outkast’s ‘Hey Ya’ and ‘Next To You’, and the full audience participation during ‘The Great Defector’, were both highlights. For the encore, Bell X1 close with ‘West Of Her Spin’ and ‘Slowset’ – a suitably beautiful ending to a great evening. Lovely stuff altogether.