Brendan Feeney, Gorbachov’s frontman (pictured), made a quick exit after tonight’s show – he was due in work at a Waterford butcher's at 9am the following morning! Before showing us a clean pair of heels, though, The ‘Chov cranked out a pulsing set to a packed dancefloor. The quintet spent most of last year sharing a leaky four-bedroom apartment in Liverpool while putting their debut album together. In Cyprus Avenue, their tight basslines and flawless guitar sync provided the platform for Feeney to stomp and stare through his on-stage dementia.
Contrary to appearances, when asked if lead man Feeney is as horrorshow as he looks, Henno the drummer assures that he is “the most sensible one out of all of us”. Drawing on influences as diverse as Talking Heads and Queens Of The Stone Age, Gorbachov’s terrace tune ‘Go On My Son’ and lyrics like “you kiss like a pit-bull with lipstick” stirred the crowd. The spectacle of the lead man’s stage psychosis was off-set by the professionalism and timing of a well-rehearsed band.
Up next, the uncouth and uncontrollable Walter Mitty and The Realists came out swinging with their brawling song ‘Sucker Punch’, which left hats, glasses and guitar strings strewn across the stage. The crowd engagement began with lead vocalist Niall McTaidgh asking the bouncing revellers “has anyone seen my glasses?” While the raw energy and raucous talent of this Limerick/Leitrim four-piece was evident, their balls-out madness cost them some composure in songs like ‘Lie In The Summer’.They certainly showed plenty of musical versatility but, overall, there was an underlying sense that they're capable of more,
Living up to their headline billing were The Flaws, whose effortless brilliance drew every last punter from the bar to the dancefloor. The group delivered cracking renditions of songs from their Meteor and Choice awards nominated debut album, Achieving Vagueness, and proved a huge hit with the crowd. It was the ideal way to end a night of electrifying rock action.
Kenny Browne