Alive and Kicking

Saturday
Backstage, the acts were unanimous in their praise for the new Live Stage area, curtained off in black drape to create what Lisa Hannigan would describe as a “really great room.” The stage was big, the cameras swooped to capture the action in full glorious flow and the atmosphere was electric from the outset.
It was remarkable how the room emptied after each act and filled again, with great surges heading for the Main Hall at the end of one set and in the opposite direction once the next act was announced. One of the most appealing aspects of The Music Show is that there is no hierarchy. Some of the biggest acts were on earliest and the crowds took note, filling the hall for Bressie at 1.05 on a Saturday afternoon. There is momentum there now and you can feel it: it is a palpable thing...

But first: Saturday started with the Lift Off @ The Music Show winners, Shadowplay, taking to the stage. It is a daunting moment for a young band, going out there on a big stage to open a high-profile festival bill, but they carried it off with aplomb. Combining melodic songs, excellent vocals and superb harmonies with a high level of instrumental ability and a strong stage presence, the three-piece, from Donegal, Louth and Dublin, firmly established themselves as ones to watch with a mightily impressive performance. Their new single ‘Drive’ was especially potent – as fine a slice of Beatles-influenced pop as you’ll ever hear. Mark my words: you’ll be seeing a lot more of these guys in the not-so-distant future...
Next up was former Blizzards frontman and current star of The Voice Of Ireland, Bressie. The Mullingar hunk played to a packed hall, with hundreds of screaming laydeez up front (this reporter was, of course, only there for the music!). The decibel levels went through the roof for new single ‘Breaking My Fall’, an electro belter that the Pet Shop Boys would be proud of. This is well-constructed pop music, delivered with panache and style. And Bressie himself has star quality in abundance. On this showing, he is genuinely a great frontman.
Halfway through their UK tour – they were in Bristol on Friday night and were jetting back for a Manchester gig on Saturday – Dublin trio The Minutes flew in especially for the Music Show, a measure of how important the event has become for Irish bands. With The Minutes what you see is what you get: they performed a typically stomping set, hard, driving and suitably loud. But they understand the virtue of a smart John Lennon-esque melodic twist, ensuring that they never can be dismissed as just another guitar band. Follow that!
From one hugely impressive Dublin outfit to another: next up were The Cast Of Cheers, themselves just about to embark on a major tour of the UK. The four-piece, who released much lauded debut album Chariots last year, drew a huge crowd with a blast of the high-energy post-rock noise we’ve come to know and love. Along with old faves, we got a blast of spiky new single ‘Family’, which recently got the played-twice-in-a-row Undertones treatment on BBC Radio One from Zane Lowe. The lads were a pretty damn fine live act when they left these shores for London, but a year of constant UK gigging has seen them rise to the next level. Afterwards, there was a great buzz about the band, with other musicians and industry heads alike identifying them as major contenders. And rightly so...
The Live Stage at the Music Show also has breadth, reflecting the diverse strengths of the Irish scene at the moment, with all of the key genres getting a look in. To prove it, after TCOC, it was time for music of a more hip-swivelling nature – courtesy of the one and only Mr. Jerry Fish. Backed by a band that included Cáit O’Riordan (ex of The Pogues) on bass and one-time Frames man Dave Hingerty on drums, the gravel-voiced troubadour was in excellent form. A brilliant showman, he encouraged the crowd to sing, dance and grind along to his unique New Orleans-influenced brand of swamp rock. The thoroughly warm reaction said it all: without doubt, he remains one of Ireland’s most polished performers.
Next to take to the stage were long-standing Dublin rockers Aslan, who again proved their enduring appeal. I hope that some of the younger musicians slipped in and stayed for both Jerry Fish and the northside’s finest: Christy Dignam too provided a masterclass in what being a frontman is all about. The band, who celebrate an impressive 30 years together this year, went down a treat with fans. The truth, of course, is that Aslan have the big songs and they thrilled the room with much-loved hits ‘Crazy World’ and ‘This Is’.
Then, it was time to don the earplugs (in a good way). Northern rockers And So I Watch You From Afar are known for turning the amps up to ‘11’, and the instrumental rockers didn’t disappoint – they were in splendidly noisy form. Their brilliantly tight set proved why the Belfast boys have been turning heads all over the world recently: they are a shit hot live proposition, their music exuding power and subtlety all at once. With their second album Gangs released through US label Sargent House, there is a feeling that a bigger stage awaits them. Don’t be surprised if they emerge as one of the festival hits of the summer. They certainly have what it takes, including the kind of bravado that Irish bands traditionally were far too slow to reveal.
Their set done, the crowd surged away sated – only to be replaced by a slightly different, less frenzied-looking audience. All too soon, it was time for the final act of the day and Kildare three-piece Bell X1, who performed a beautifully understated acoustic set, playing a selection of their many hits. Sublime versions of ‘Rocky Took A Lover’ and ‘Flame’ went down particularly well, bringing the day to a wonderfully atmospheric close. Frontman Paul Noonan had started by paying tribute to ASIWYFA, calling them “a hard act to follow”. They were. But Bell X1 pulled it off brilliantly.