The venue was already crowded when supporting act BATS took to the stage, providing some pulsating punk rock to punch everyone’s adrenalin levels up a notch. When Adebisi Shank arrived, Vinny McCreith was their faceless spokesperson, wearing his trademark red hooded mask. His yellow t-shirt, emblazoned with his own image, acted as a cheeky self-referential poke at the incredible hype that’s surrounded the enigmatic band since they exploded onto the Irish music scene in 2008 – hype they more than lived up to at Whelan’s.
Energy doesn’t build up during an Adebisi Shank concert – rather, it explodes, whether you’re ready for it or not. Kicking the set off with the playful electronic melody ‘International Dreamboat’, layers of synths complimented Vin and Lar Kaye’s staccatoed playing. The lads exuded such primal energy that when Vin started bouncing around on stage, the audience quickly followed suit.
During the pulsing, chest thumping ‘Masa’, Lar’s manic guitar riffs and hyper energy were similarly infectious, and the pumped audience was more than willing to prop him up when he leapt off the stage to crowdsurf.
Vinny also stepped off the stage, disappearing into a sea of frenetic fans, visible only via his bass which he played while thrusting it into the air like a trophy.
Vinny continually joked around with the audience between songs, though not much was needed to entertain the punters – the screams that were elicited by a simple “Hey-o” made Jedward’s hysterical and hormonally-charged teenage fans look downright restrained. This adoration reached religious heights during the encore, when Vinny reached into the crowd and pulled audience members on stage until it was packed, as he and Lar were carried around the room atop the throng, like deities.