- Music
- 11 Jun 01
Kicking things off, Donegal outfit Berkley displayed a neat line in edgy, guitar-driven pop, which was tight and well rehearsed. They also demonstrated solid songwriting skills which, combined with an obvious live ability marked them out as definite future contenders.
Kicking things off, Donegal outfit Berkley displayed a neat line in edgy, guitar-driven pop, which was tight and well rehearsed. They also demonstrated solid songwriting skills which, combined with an obvious live ability marked them out as definite future contenders.
Four-piece Soundrive came on with a big synthesised 1980’s sound reminiscent of long forgotten bands like Hue And Cry and the Blow Monkeys. With an excellent vocalist, a slew of good original songs and a strong visual sense they were easily the most accessible act of the night.
With two females – on vocals and bass – Kade were visually appealing even before they’d played a note. Their sound, rooted in abrasive punk/grunge was a cross between Nirvana and The Ramones and despite a pony-tailed guitarist who was overly fond of the effects pedal, they were enjoyable.
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Already highly regarded on the local scene Blue Sun clearly knew what they were doing – the singer/frontman Brue, a black American living in Ireland possessed true star quality while his songs were original and inspired.
By now the audience had dwindled to about twenty-seven souls, (I counted ‘em!) but despite this, the final act of the evening Tripstone managed to pull it together, their main calling card being a confident female vocalist and a strong pop sensibility.