Peter, Bjorn and John have released one of the finest pop albums of the year in the shape of Writer’s Block. As their first Irish headline show, tonight’s gig, therefore, has the potential to be something memorable. It is, but for all the wrong reasons.
For starters, the sound is dreadful. So murky is the mix, Peter Bjorn and John may as well have been playing from the toilets. Some of the best tracks from Writer’s Block pass without making the slightest impression. The insanely catchy single ‘Young Folks’ falls flat, suffering from delayed vocals; ‘Amsterdam’ sounds like piped music, and not in a good way. What makes all of this harder to take is the fact that, during support band Hot Club De Paris’s set, the sound was absolutely pristine.
Things improve a little towards the end (unless my ears were just starting to acclimatise). ‘Objects Of My Affection’ and ‘Up Against The Wall’ at least bear a passing resemblance to how they should sound on record. Alas, it is a case of too little too late. The crowd, determined to make the most of a bad situation, give the band a good reception throughout. But we are really short-changed on this one.
Pic: Naomi McArdle