Live Review: The Gaslight Anthem

There's no Hall & Oates record standing atop Alex Levine's bass amp this time round. Instead, a number of action figures and football scarves are left to tremble beneath the blistering sound of John Bonham's drumming. It's been a long time since the New Jerseyites rock 'n' rolled on Irish soil, over two-and-a-half years to be precise, and they are eager.

Following the apt intro, frontman Brian Fallon, proudly sporting his E Street Nation t-shirt, gets the ball rolling in energetic style with 'High Lonesome'. He bellows out with a smile, clearly pleased to be back, while an excited Olympia audience screams in unison.

The band begin dipping in and out of their expanded repertoire, with a seamless transition into '59 Sound', the track that first put Fallon & Co. on the map for many people back in 2009. 'Handwritten', the lead single from their latest album, follows as a raw, fast-paced flurry ridicules any suggestions of gaps in the band's sound, as a live apparatus.

The addition of Ian Perkins gives lead axeman Alex Rosamilia the freedom to drift into the background at his leisure and ultimately express himself on stage as he does on record, while Fallon's vocal capacity is stronger than ever, perhaps best demonstrated on the immaculate 'She Loves You', which significantly slows the pace, after a series of spellbinding covers including Bob Dylan's 'Changing Of The Guards' and an impromptu rendition of the Ramones' classic 'My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down'. "We just thought we'd do that for you guys" says Fallon, "and, wow, I think we should try it out more often!"

Like a well-oiled machine they effortlessly dish out the 'oldies' like 'Red In The Morning' and '1930', much to the surprise and delight of some of the seasoned fans in the room that remember them from their Irish debut in the Academy some four years ago. New tracks like the rapturous 'Howl' and the ingenious 'Keepsake' bring proceedings to a close, but the chorus of 'Oh Sha La La's leaves the tattooed troubadours beaming as they swiftly return to the stage for 'Here Comes My Man'. An immaculate encore crowns an immaculate performance, proving this long-awaited comeback was well worth the wait.

Photos: Graham Keogh
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