Sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. This was certainly the case for those called upon to judge the cream of Irish musical talent for the Murphy’s Live 2006 competition.
In an event which prides itself upon showcasing the best up-and-coming talent in Ireland, choosing two acts out of six shouldn’t prove an easy task. And I ought to know. I’ve spent the past few weeks serving as judge for the event around Ireland.
The competition offers something to whet all palettes, from the melodic quirky pop of Crayonsmith, to the Stereophonics-esque Brit rock of Philtre.
Details of the competition are as follows: two acts progress through the heats to a forthcoming final in Cork where they’ll support The Walls and play for the kudos of winning plus ¤2000 worth of studio time, which last year’s winners, Ten Past Seven, no doubt benefited hugely from.
Along the way, the six acts also get to share a stage with some of the country’s more established talents and maybe impress enough to earn themselves a future support slot.
We were wowed by local heroes Waiting Room in Cork, The Revs in Killarney and the incredible Chalets in Waterford.
Beginning where it’ll all end, Cork was to stage the first heat, with Crayonsmith and Hope Is Noise given the honour of opening the competition.
An earful of Hope Is Noise’s two EPs attests to a band capable of threading enough melodic riffs through their aggressive hard rock to make it more than accessible. On the night, though, they just didn’t deliver. Too often they deferred to a harder sound and lost the sparkle and precision of songs such as ‘King Of My Own Reflection’ and the wonderfully titled ‘My Head Is In The Clouds, My Feet Are In Your Face’.
All in all, Hope Is Noise are a decent proposition, but were being judged squarely on their performance on the night.
Crayonsmith were another act that failed to live up to the promise of his recorded work. Clearly influenced by Grandaddy, Crayonsmith (aka Ciaran Smith) is one of the more exciting pop prospects doing the rounds. Sadly he was backed by two mates singing out of tune harmonies. If you’re going to do it, do it properly.
By the time we got to Killarney the competition was still wide open. Cork band Lotus Lullaby admirably brought their frantic Depeche Mode-like mix of rock and electronica on the road.
Front man Gavin Dunne is as intense a focus point as they come, and, though a few songs short, there was buckets of potential here. Impressive.
Philtre also left us with something to think about. Crowd favourites in The Granary, the influence of Stereophonics and Oasis was stamped on the band like a rash. If there was one criticism, it’s in Tommy Leahy’s vocals. The boy can certainly sing, though his Kelly Jones impersonations leave nothing to the imagination. Should he find his own voice, these boys may be on to something.
It’s in Waterford where the competition really heats up. The audience at Geoff’s bar will have been delighted to catch The Trains. Blending new wave, west coast vocals, Doves-esque soundscapes and catchy melodic hooks, the quartet from Dublin and Carlow have three or four stunning songs.
If the event was opened by local heroes in Cork, then it’s only fitting that Waterford’s finest should close the heat stages of the competition here in Geoff’s. First up, the awkwardly titled Ashley Sheehan And The Mute were stunning.
I had been previously underwhelmed by the five-piece. In Waterford, however, the energy and punch they injected into their set was nothing short of invigorating.
Sitting somewhere between Arcade Fire and Super Furry Animals, songs like ‘Victoria’ lifted the roof off the place while Fintan Kavanagh’s violin pierced the wall of sound built by Sheehan’s constantly shifting guitar hooks.
Again, they may lack a couple of killer songs. But as a live act they are certainly one of the competition’s best.
Decision time has arrived. And, as good as all six acts have the potential to be, Ashley Sheehan And The Mute and Lotus Lullaby stood out.
Both are likely to prove worthy winners. Both will be in Cyprus Avenue in Cork on Tuesday March 28 for the Murphy’s Live final. It promises to be a belter. See you down the front.