A host of promising local acts performed in Whelan’s last night, offering up some of the best live music from around the country. With three stages throughout the bar, there was an abundance of bands to choose from and they certainly did not disappoint. There may not have been a lot of genre diversity on show, with much of the night’s line-up firmly rooted in indie rock, but the quality of the bands more than made up for this, with the show highlighting the liveliness of Ireland’s musical scene.
One of the more impressive early acts last night was Tanjier, an exciting electro-pop band based in Dublin. Providing a change of pace from the rest of the evening’s more standard rock stylings, the trio’s electronic beats and falsettos eased a gathering crowd into the night of music. Delayed and hazy guitar lines drifted in and out of growling synths, reminiscent of The xx. The highlight of the band’s set came with their newest single “Hymn”. This textured track gave Tommy Buckley’s voice space to really shine, silencing the audience with its power and emotion.
There was of course rock to be heard last night too, with Sub Motion delivering some of the most raucous songs of the concert. The group was the only one on the evening that managed to start a brief mosh in their audience, and for good reason. Heavy distortion, thumping drums and impressive vocal performances from the whole band made for a memorable wall of sound that sounded more polished than one might expect. Rebecca Geary, the band’s lead vocalist, kept energy high throughout the blistering pace of their songs, moving from the microphone to occasionally sing at the crowd through a megaphone.
The liveliest of shows came from the closer on the second stage, where Susie Blue brought her punk-pop to a full house. The songs were, of course, excellent. Distorted guitars and a deafening drum beat mixed with arpeggiated synths to form her signature sound, but it was Blue’s stage presence that made this the best show of the night.
From inviting the audience to waltz to one of her dancier tunes to teaching those new to her band the words to her final song, she kept the room engaged in a way that only a veteran of the stage can. Her band finished the set with an instrumental outro as she joined the crowd to dance with her fans in a perfect end to a gig that saw her blur the lines between audience and performer.
Akora ended the night on the main stage and it was clear as soon as the band started why that was the case. Fusing experimental elements with funk and soul, Akora created a unique sound that was heightened by Ciara O’Connor’s powerful and emotive voice. The band’s Tribe Called Quest-inspired rhythm section managed to get an often subdued crowd moving and singing along – a rare sight on the night.
Whelan’s once again has managed to create a space for young Irish acts to shine and reach a wider audience, highlighting the wealth of talent on offer among local acts.
