Rams’ Pocket Radio, Runaway Go & VerseChorusVerse, live Upstairs at Whelan's

“These are whiskey drinkin’ songs, just so you know...” explains gravel-voiced crooner Tony Wright, and while it might just be a snappy attempt to stay on-brand (we’re here to celebrate the launch of Bushmills Irish Honey, after all!), he’s right. Jagged melodies, determined strumming and spirited turns on the harmonica, combined with the ever-so-subtle rasp in Wright’s voice, make his earnest ballads and alternative pub songs just perfect for sharing a late-night tipple with friends.
The man formerly known as the fury behind instrumental behemoth And So I Watch You From Afar and currently known for his acoustic rabble-rousing as VerseChorusVerse is in terrific form tonight; whether prompting us into a high-energy singalong with the fiendishly addictive ‘You Can’t Win Back Your Freedom If You’ve Never Been Free At All’, or stopping mid-way through an inspired cover of Merle Travis’ ‘16 Tons’ to note that it’s his “favourite verse of any song”, the crowd are putty in his hands.

Next up are Belfast indie-poppers Runaway Go, who kick off a relentlessly vibrant set with epic seafaring lovesong ‘Alligator’, a worthy introduction to the sublimely twinned vocal of David Jackson and Fiona O’Kane.
Fuelled by charging percussion, swooning, romantic melodies and spiky guitars, Runaway Go’s kinetic co-singers tirelessly fuse the hard with the soft, matching lovesick lyrics with a frenzied sound that echoes the mighty Two Door Cinema Club. Take riff-led epic ‘Jump Start’ for example. It only takes 20 seconds for Jackson, O’Kane and company to take the vibe in Whelan’s from hushed to hyperactive, and the resulting head rush is nothing short of charming.
Then, before I have time to wonder how Peter McCauley’s stint playing some of Europe’s largest venues with Snow Patrol will affect his performance on one of Dublin’s cosiest stages, we’re hit with a wall of genre-mashing, hook-bearing noise. Inspired by the Bushmills theme of friends coming together, one-man-band Rams’ Pocket Radio delivers a terribly industrious set, joined by a handful of musical guests, including the aforementioned Dave and Fiona of Runaway Go.
The classical flourishes in McCauley’s keywork and palpable rock influences in his drumming are juxtaposed beautifully with a dreamy, radio-friendly voice, while the inclusion of a host of talented musicians make his dynamic art-pop all the more compelling.