LIVE REVIEW: Hot Fusion at the Odessa

The night of April 16 was, musically, an eclectic one at Odessa Club with a total of seven performers from the Hot Press MIX course taking the stage in the Dublin venue, for a night of celebration that offered everyone a chance to shine.

Paula Drozd kicked things off with a solo set, accompanying herself on keyboard to a handful of self-penned tunes. She certainly writes to her strengths, with a few somber, yearning numbers well suited to her considerable vocal chops. As impressive a writer as she proved to be, a standout moment came in the form of a cover of Avicii’s ‘Addicted to You,’ which lent itself well to the stripped down arrangement and Drozd’s wounded take.

Next up came Brian Horgan, who lit up the room like a burst of sunshine with his spirited and heartfelt tunes, performed with accompanying pianist. The sweet, sensitive numbers were heavy in sentiment and sounded like they’d be right at home in the next Disney hit, with the emotional ode to brotherhood, ‘The Blood That Binds Us’, particularly gripping the audience. Horgan’s joy and manner were infectious and everyone was left smiling.

In hot pursuit was Molly Sterling, who demonstrated that she’s more than ready to take on Europe at the upcoming 2015 Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna. Sterling recently confessed to Hot Press, “I really haven’t gigged that much yet,” but certainly no one watching could have guessed that with another confident, piano-driven solo set that showcased the 16-year-old’s venerable singing and playing skills. Watch out Europe – our money is on Sterling and‘Playing With Numbers’ in the competition;

At this point you may be wondering why I said the music was ‘eclectic’ at the start of this review, with three consecutive piano/vocal sets. Cue HOOLiGAN. This punk-rock trio rattled the previously quaint room to its core. Their raucous set rocked the foundations of the building, with guitar, bass and drums mingling perfectly – and manically – in the frantic, riff-heavy tunes. Guitarist David Linehan impressed with his lead chops, while bassist Adrian Csapo and drummer Jean Philippe Morer equally floored the crowd with their hard-hitting style. A knock out set.

Tasked with the likely undesirable task of following HOOLiGAN, was Josie Harrington, who proved more than up to the challenge. With a solo singer-songwriter routine immediately following the vicious punk rock, Harrington was undaunted and delivered an endearing set. She worked some fleet fingers on guitar on the standout ‘My Mama Told Me’, a blues song inspired by her early interest in Rory Gallagher. But throughout the set, it was her soulful voice that enthralled most.

After Josie, Gráinne Mellon snuck in to perform a single tune, again accompanying herself on an acoustic guitar. With a deep, expertly delivered blues number sang with Janis Joplin-esque feeling and fervor, Mellon left as much of an impression as any of the performers on the night.

Perhaps no one was better qualified to wrap things up than Prairie Dawgs, a full seven-piece band specialising in good old fashioned juke-joint rock and roll, with a strong tinge of country and Americana. Featuring guitar, mandolin, stand-up bass, violin, drums, harmonica, and a trio of crack singers, the group riveted and got everybody’s feet stomping to their down home, feel-good rhythms. It was a joyous conclusion to a stellar night of music, and the affection for the music and its players was palpable in closing remarks from Gráinne and Josie. Hot Fusion was a night nobody in the room will soon forget.

See Joe LaCorte's full gallery here here.