The Strypes - Live at The Black Box, Belfast - January 29th 2016 (Originally written February 6th 2016)

So The Strypes played The Black Box on Friday there (Friday 29th that is). Who are The Strypes I hear you ask? Let me respond to that query with a question of my own. Where have you been?

I first became aware of The Strypes back on their first appearance on RTE’s “The Late Late Show” and really the rest, as they say, has been history. Going from strength to strength on the back of their unique combination of pseudo-Dr Feelgood Pub Rock sound, indie sensibilities (as evident on their latest album “Little Victories” which featured a tonal shift away from the repetitiveness of first album “Snapshot”, and created a much more rounded rock style), refreshing ‘old-is-new’ sheen and rip-roaring live sets, they’ve quickly become one of the most popular and entertaining young acts in Ireland and the UK. I went along on Friday to ascertain if the hype was real or if you could judge this book by its cover. Besides, a sold-out show in The Black Box, where tickets were only £14? What have I got to lose?

The Strypes sauntered out of their dressing room through the crowd, as if they had just returned from robbing the county bank, and took the stage to begin their show. There was no banter with the crowd from frontman Ross Farelly, who remained all business until the end of the show. Instead, it was the lead guitarist, Josh McClorey, who took the reins of getting into it with the crowd. Once the show started, however, it was all work and no play. Say what you want about these guys, but they give it 90 every song they play and for an hour you feel like you’re watching Dr Feelgood in some boozer in London.

Opening with smash hit ‘Hometown Girls’ got the crowd going almost immediately. The fast-paced single had the entire crowd surging forward and jiving from side to side within seconds of starting the gig. “Get Into It” provided vicious foot-stomping riffs and the typical gig sign along (you know the one, where everyone forgets the words and just shouts something that sounds like the correct melody). The group continued from strength to strength with crowd pleasers ‘I Don’t Wanna Know’ and ‘Three Streets & A Village Green’ coming up immediately after. Both coming from the new album, they provided heavier riffs, stronger beats and more songs that you could jump into other people to.

The newer songs persisted for the next few songs, giving the gig a much heavier-yet-indie feel. ‘Cruel Brunette’ sounds like it could be plucked from a ‘Vaccines’ setlist with its pop licks and singalong harmonies, while ‘Eighty-Four’ propelled what little resisting members of the audience still at the bar onto the floor with its hammering drum beat and backing vocals. ‘Now She’s Gone’ proved to be a great success with what seemed like half of the cathedral quarter joining in for the chorus of “I tell everybody that I’m a shadow of the shadow I USED TO BEEEE”. This was deemed to be the correct time to bring things down a notch with slower number ‘A Good Night’s Sleep and A Cab Fare Home’, which did enough to stall the head banging before someone hurt themselves. Evidence of Hip-hop styled lyric delivery was evident among the verses before the chorus ignited another (but not the last) crowd singalong. Lyrics about nights out and looking for a female companion seem to be a staple of Strypes discography, as becomes evident in this song as crowd favourite ‘Angel Eyes’ wherein the band takes it down another notch again to give the appearance and atmosphere of a Noire t.v. show set, before McClorey tore into the ferocious solo that had grown men behind me exclaiming “How?! HOW?!?”

By this point, the hits began to come in quick succession, indicating the main act was coming to its last numbers. The crowd reacted as such, desperate to grab as much ambient energy as possible. Spurred on by O’Hanlon’s antic, Drummer Evan Walsh heroics (God love him, the front man stood in front of him the whole time) and the double act of McClorey and Farelly on the same mic had you linking shoulders with humans you have never met (and most likely never will ever again) as if you were long-separated family members. ‘Queen Of The Half Crown’ and ‘You Can't Judge A Book’ provided the R&B flavour for the night, with their erratic licks and driving beat and lyrics, stirring the crowd into a state of near maniacal boogie. Little did we know, this was merely the table setting for three of the bands biggest hits. First comes ‘What A Shame’, the group's song of protest against record executives who insist on appearance over aptitude. A rebellious favourite of fans everywhere with its limerick-quality lyrics and foot slamming crescendo, just in time for the hectic mess that was ‘Mystery Man’. Blues-rock riffs abound and slammed listeners as you find your body moving to the beat in ways you were unaware of moments before. And then the harmonica kicks in and all of a sudden the entire crowd had its hands in the air. Eager to capitalise on this vitality, Farelly quickly launched into ‘Scumbag City’ (an act which some young man to my right deemed worthy of worship, given his dropping to the floor on his knees and praising the band). A harsh and dirty song, absolutely drenched in satire and static feedback had us all howling for more as the group dropped their instruments as if nothing had happened and resumed their simian stroll straight off the stage.

Perhaps one of the most enjoyable and exciting gigs I’ve been to in a long time, The Strypes promised to raise hairs and they did not disappoint