If you’re wondering why Raheny was strangely devoid of anyone aged between 18 and 21 last Thursday, it’s because they’d all piled into town to see Bravado try and battle their way through to next month’s Murphy’s Live Final in Cork.
The talk among the faithful is of the band having a run in the previous night with the Garda Siochana who, like the neighbours, weren’t impressed by the lateness and loudness of their practice session. Meanies.
Judging by how tight they are tonight in comparison to their previous Whelan’s appearance in February, there have been plenty of rehearsals, which haven’t fallen foul of the local SWAT team.
The rabbit-in-the-headlights fear they exhibited two months ago has been replaced by the self-assured swagger, which spiky terrace anthems like ‘Any Other Way’ and ‘Artificial Angels’ merit.
While the ‘Irish Arctic Monkeys’ claims being made on their behalf are premature, Bravado definitely have the raw talent to extend their hero status beyond Dublin 5.
Brian, Kev, Milky, Gaz and Corcy’s lads next-door matey-ness gives way to the glacial cool of Stagger Lee who have their psychobilly shtick worked out to perfection. Going to the same dark places previously visited by the likes of The Cramps and The Gun Club, they’ve no shortage of great songs – ‘I Should Have Killed You (While I Had The Chance)’ and ‘Between Control & Confusion’ being prime examples – but because of their imperiousness fail to really connect with the packed Whelan’s crowd.
A charge, which can’t be leveled at Cathy Davey who has everybody eating out of her hands from the off. Having overcome the chronic stagefright that threatened to derail her career, the Choice nominee has developed into the sort of supremely confident and quirkily affable performer that you can imagine the US in particular clasping to its breast. All of her Tales From Silversleeve favourites are present and correct, with the ‘Eliciting High-Pitched Squeals Of Approval When Introduced’ award going to ‘Reuben’.