One of the first in a debut week-long run of concerts by MCD on the grounds of Trinity, Irish singer-songwriter James Vincent McMorrow took to a newly erected stage on Trinity’s cricket pitch last night. Although having not sold out, the evening set a promising tone for the rest of the week, the production company embarking on a new horizon with the College.
The event came as part of a recent project by production company MCD to develop the private, city-centre space as a concert venue. This project, called the Trinity Summer Series, will play host to Alt-J and Two Door Cinema Club in the coming days, with the series showing a shift from the more commercial sounds MCD tend to push in the summer months.
Smaller in scale than one might have imagined, the bands performed in the shadow of the 24-hour library as those looking to avoid the €44 ticket price listened on from the Pav. The gig took up just about a third of the pitch, surrounded by bars from Jameson and Schweppes, as well as various food trucks and the ever popular Heineken stand. The food and drink options were nicely curated, matching the mature audience that the show had attracted, but due to popularity had long queues stretching the width of the venue floor during the support act.
While those waiting for their gin and tonic stood in line, All Tvvins opened to a not-so-big crowd with a punchy live show, one that stood as something of a contrast to McMorrow. The Irish duo rarely fail to impress, incorporating synth backing with live guitar and high energy, proving themselves with each performance worthy of more than crowd warming. As the night progressed, one could not help but feel they may have been better suited to headline.
McMorrow and his band took to the stage around 9pm. The crowd size had by then doubled, although at no point filling the venue. The smaller crowd was, however, no hindrance to the show’s overall success, with the tranquility of the college grounds culminating in what can only be described as a pleasant evening. In keeping with the nature of his sound, McMorrow’s performance was low key, the atmosphere feeling somewhat subdued at times. The songs flowed from one to the other with little interval time due to the short 90-minute set, which McMorrow himself mentioned was his reason for little interaction with the crowd. Most of his songs felt similar and the lack of audience interaction from the frontman made for some monotony throughout the gig. The audience gave an almost reluctant cheer as the first chords of McMorrow’s popular track “Higher Love” chimed, having stayed quiet throughout much of the set.
A hundred or so fans huddled up front looked on at McMorrow with real admiration and, while his talent and near-flawless performance are not to be overlooked, he did little to get the crowd going.
As for MCD, with a near monopoly on small and large-scale production in the country, the soft-sell evening is to be welcomed. Well seasoned in their work, the evening’s production went swimmingly, with no sound failures or technical glitches. Concert goers were left feeling safe and comfortable throughout. Signage in the venue was lacking, however, and a few stragglers found themselves a little lost around the Hamilton Building. If the rest of the acts in the series entail something more energetic and the high production standard remains, Trinity Summer Series is looking to prove yet another success for MCD. I might, however, think twice about heading to another McMorrow gig.
Ivan Rakhmanin also contributed reporting to this piece.
