Live Review
Electric Picnic 2010: Fever Ray, Omar Souleyman, Monotonix, Dam Funk
Fever Ray What a difference a festival makes. After her appearance at the cavernous and empty Oxegen dance arena, The Knife’s Karin Dreijer Andersson was ready to obliterate our memories of any prior disappointment with a spectacle of a show in the Electric Arena. A show is the operative word as this felt far...READ »
Hurts – Royal Institute of British Architecture, London
Manchester’s most dapper duo, Hurts, have certainly dressed for the occasion. In the opulent surroundings of the RIBI, the be-suited twosome find that their grandiose 80s-influenced pop fits perfectly. To say it evokes the spirit of the ’80s is an understatement – touches of Ultravox, Depeche Mode and Duran Duran swirl into a mix...READ »
Electric Picnic 2010: Two Door Cinema Club, Friendly Fires
Two Door Cinema Club Ah, to be local heroes. Sure, they might come from a small corner of Northern Ireland, but the homecoming Kings is exactly what Two Door Cinema Club feel like today, wheeling out their brand of infectious, playful pop-rock in the midst of an Electric Arena love in. From opener ‘Cigarettes...READ »
Electric Picnic 2010: Villagers, Robyn, Crystal Fighters, Steve Mason
Robyn (Electric Arena & ThisisPopBaby tent) Swedish popstrel Robyn (pictured) has always been a bit of an enigma to State. Lauded by hipsters, critics, bloggers and fashionistas, there seemed little in her pop songs to suggest she was anything truly special. Of course, we hadn’t seen her live and the two performances at Electric...READ »
Electric Picnic 2010: Fight Like Apes
The Electric Picnic has a special place in Fight Like Apes‘ hearts. A cold, nightmarish place but a place nonetheless. It was here that they arrived in 2007, the buzz band of the moment and preceded to make an utter balls of their Sunday afternoon set. Three years, a few hours and two albums...READ »
Electric Picnic 2010: Hot Chip, Crystal Castles, ASIWYFA
And So I Watch You From Afar Early afternoon and lyric-less noise oiks And So I Watch You From Afar are not a natural combination. In fact, giving Belfast’s most boisterous band a slot that early is an affront to our hangovers (and no doubt theirs, too), but the four-piece attack the stage with...READ »
Electric Picnic 2010: Modest Mouse, Hurts, Chew Lips, Cloud Castle Lake
Cloud Castle Lake Cloud Castle Lake are the first of the Irish draws on the Friday. The Dubliners produced a spacey performance that welcomed the Crawdaddy Stage effectively to the sheer range of music on offer at Electric Picnic. Their live show is all about atmospherics, a laid back, mellow-electronic vibe accompanied by the...READ »
Electric Picnic 2010: Marc Almond, Laura Marling, Duke Special, PiL
Marc Almond No alarms. No surprises. This year’s Electric Picnic seemed familiar in so many ways, a warm feeling for certain but also one that leads you to feel that you know exactly what to expect. And then you wander into a tent and see Marc Almond in a gold sequined jacket. It’s something...READ »
Electric Picnic 2010: Rubberbandits, Freelance Whales, The Holy Roman Army
The Holy Roman Army A fine example of what makes the Picnic so special. Carlow’s The Holy Roman Army were finishing up their set on the Body and Soul Love Letter stage with an extended outro. A gathering of people parked on benches are watching. No-one is dancing. One lone dancer spreads his wings...READ »
Guns N’ Roses – The O2, Dublin
“We want to stay and play but one more bottle and we will walk off the stage.”… Ask any Guns N’ Roses fan if they think this quote from Axl Rose would be out of place at any Guns gig and the answer would invariably be no. The band haven’t played in Dublin since the Download festival came...READ »
Blink 182 – The O2, Dublin
“We love Jedward,” Blink 182 announce to a chorus of boos, “you would too if you’d ever had them sit on your face and slowly spread their ass cheeks…” Clearly, after all these years, if there’s one thing you can still expect from Blink 182, it’s downright immaturity. They might have taken a slight right...READ »
Fight Like Apes bring Midnight Mass to Tower Records
With their second album The Body of Christ and the Legs of Tina Turner… garnering widespread critical acclaim in advance of its nationwide release, it is safe to say that there was a strong air of anticipation surrounding this special album launch. A limited number of wristbands were available in Tower Records from 9am...READ »
Beirut – Tripod, Dublin
The last time Zach Condon and friends played Dublin city in June 2007, it wasn’t exactly as triumphant as one would have hoped. For many in attendance, it was the first opportunity to see the band. It was their first headline slot also, having supported Calexico in the Olympia Theatre back in November 2006....READ »
Jónsi, Vega, Copenhagen
There aren’t many tours that come with their own trailer and there aren’t many tours which take in relatively small venues that employ a theatrical production company to help build it. The plan for Jónsi’s first solo album tour is a cross between film, art, theatre with animation and, of course, the live music...READ »
