Propeller Palms rock The Grand Social

Hot Press’ Olaf Tyaransen was in attendance for the launch of hotly-tipped new Waterford outfit Propellor Palms’ debut album All In This Together at The Grand Social last night (Thursday February 16).

“They played a stormer,” says Olaf. “A two-hour set full of tracks from the album and other songs. It’s a pretty impressive line-up, especially when you see all ten members dotted across the stage. They managed to blow out not one, but two guitar amps just before they started but luckily someone was able to come to their rescue.

“They played two encores,” he adds. “Their great strength is as a live act, that impact of having ten people, three beautiful backing singers and a three-man brass section. It really made for a great visual. Paul Butler is a born frontman and he really gave it welly on the stage, lots of Phil Lynott style kicks in the mix.”

Speaking in the current issue of Hot Press, Butler spoke of his early days in music and his first attempts at becoming a rock star in Australia.

“I auditioned for lots of guitar places,” he recalls. “I didn’t get any of them, but what happened was when I kept meeting these same people at the auditions – a drummer and a bass-player and a keyboard-player – and one day we all looked at each other and said, ‘How about we start our own band?’ Then we auditioned singers and we couldn’t get one, so one day I produced a poem and said, ‘can I give it a go?’ So I did it and they all went, (strong Aussie accent) ‘Fuck it, you do it, mate!’”

For a full gallery from the night's events, click here.