Today in Dublin, BellX1 fever is more virulent than the office outbreak of winter flu. They’re on the radio, doing in-stores on Grafton St. Water-cooler talk is of who’s got a ticket, who doesn’t have a ticket and, as the panic of the ticketless sets in, who’s got a spare one.
To see BellX1 at their hometown show is not just to witness the first live airing of Flock. It’s also the proud moment when our boys come good. Indeed, they’ve taken a confident stride forwards, walking on stage in suits. The audience know they mean business. ‘Reacharound’, a born opener, kicks off the set and after that there’s no fag breaks for an hour and a half. As only fit for such a momentous gig, their spot-on set delivers unrelenting goosebumps, whether it’s brought on by the haunting undertones of ‘First Born For A Song’ or the sheer joy of ‘Alphabet Soup’.
It’s only next to the unrestrained cheers for Music In Mouth songs that the Flock response is put in perspective (for they’ve all but disowned their debut, Neither Am I). The album is only five days on the shelves and it shows. Given time, ‘Flame’ will no doubt be the band’s live highlight, but for this evening the award remains with the night’s closer, ‘I’ll See Your Heart And Raise You Mine’, touchingly delivered by a shut-eyed Paul Noonan as if it were the first time he told the story of the angel who played poker with the devil in the Garden of Eden before it all went pear-shaped.
Noonan stops to thank the crowd three times during the night, sounding genuinely humbled to be number one in the mid-weeks and play to a fervent audience. But when they put on shows as compelling as these, the gratitude’s all ours.