LIVE REVIEW: The Strypes in Sweeney's

Five years on from its inception, Sweeney’s Bar on Dame St has proven to be a haven of opportunity for unsigned local acts, offering a chance for exposure and establishing itself as an ideal venue for quality, intimate gigs.
It’s only fitting, then, that it would celebrate its fifth birthday in style. On the bill for the night were the likes of Kicking Bird and Sarah Red, who did a great job of getting the crowd revved up for the headline act.
Off the back of a Top 5 debut album in Ireland and the UK, and armoured with the approval of such music legends as Noel Gallagher and Dave Grohl, it was little wonder that The Strypes succeeded in drawing a colossal crowd. Wristbands for the gig, available free on the door at 6pm, ran out within fifteen minutes, such was the demand.
Introduced by BP Fallon, the Cavan teens delivered a storming set as expected, barely letting up for a single moment. Starting off with third single ‘What A Shame’ from Snapshot, the crowd was well and truly theirs from the off. Losing no time, they followed it up with a cover of The Clash’s ‘Brand New Cadillac’ and a blistering version of album track ‘What The People Don’t See’.
Rumours had spread like wildfire that Bob Geldof was in attendance. This was soon confirmed as the quartet took a moment to introduce “a true legend”, one of their “biggest influences”, and Sir Bob himself joined them onstage for a rendition of Sly And The Family Stone’s ‘There’s A Riot Goin’ On’. One of those once in a lifetime moments, a symbolic passing of the torch from one generation to the next, it was no less than magical.
Only billed as playing for an hour that evening, they pushed this well into two hours, holding the crowd in the palm of their hands for the entire show. With one of their most well-known songs, ‘Blue Collar Jane’, they announced the end of the gig, but they clearly knew well that an encore was in demand, and emphatically delivered with a cover of The Kingsmen's ‘Louie Louie’. The show closed with their breakout hit, their take on Willie Dixon's ‘You Can’t Judge A Book By The Cover’.
A criticism levelled at The Strypes before (not by this writer, mind) has been their propensity for simply borrowing the style of 50’s blues-rock and re-appropriating it for a modern audience – not bringing anything new to the table. Some might say that it’s all just a bit of a show without any staying power... But Christ, if there’s one thing The Strypes know how to do, it's put on a show.