Captain's Live - Opening night, Blanchardstown

Saturday night headliner Declan O’Rourke opens his set with ‘Galileo’, one of the most beautiful songs ever written by an Irish artist. As he slips into the wonderful ‘Sarah’, the chatter doesn’t show any signs of abating. It was that kind of night, its liveliness making it less than easy for someone emphasising subtlety.

O’Rourke performs acoustically with a cello accompaniment, whereas the likes of The Mighty Stef could drown out World War III with sheer wattage. Me And The General might not quite have the tunes in place just yet but one song sounded vaguely like ‘Human Fly’ by The Cramps, which is always a recommendation. The highlight for me were The Chapters, whose songs lodge in your head and refuse to leave. As he wandered around, mic in hand, lead singer Ross McNally could have passed for an Irish Robert Pollard of Guided By Voices. He has a fantastic voice that might yet be the making of this fine band.