Applause Music Reviews: Belfast and Northern Ireland

The Duke Of York, one of Belfast’s most prolific venues. Situated in the heart of the Cathedral Quarter, it has seen plenty of the city’s talent come through its doors at one time or another, even playing host to the first ever Snow Patrol gig. Tonight, Wynona Bleach and friends take centre stage for the release of their newest EP. The alt-rockers have developed a cult following behind their diet of addictive riffs (fitting then, that the EP is named ‘Sugar’) and a neon green aesthetic. Tonight is a release, both of a new EP and of a collective breath. The bands performing tonight sit together and laugh loudly. The hard part is over, now its time to celebrate. Alt-folk singer-songwriter  Joel Harkin  begins the night’s proceedings in the only way he can. “This is a song about killing your girlfriend and stealing her money.” Oh. Harkin remains candidly informal, raising his voice to silence an impolite group at the bar in between song, and giving frequent context for his music. ev

Left a bit. Now right. Right, right, right, right rightrightrightrigTOO MUCH. Right. Back to the start, alright, gods sake, ease it in now. Slowly… sloooowly. Perfect. It’s not often that arriving at a gig matches the adrenaline of the event, but parallel parking in the Cathedral Quarter rivals some Olympic sports for its highoctane stakes. I abandon my vehicle (Less perfect now that I’m out of the car. Honestly, quite shameful) and make my way down the slick cobblestones of Gordon Street to tonight’s venue. There’s great music to be found on this street, whether it be from the street’s namesake bar or the Oh Yeah Centre to my right. A mural of Stevie Scullion aka Malojian glares at passers-by like the eyes of TJ Eckleburg. I hurry on through the cold shadows towards the lights of 39 Gordon Street. I am not the only one. The hyperbolic wallpaper and violent red neon lighting confirm that I am indeed in the right place. Some of the performer’s mill around the floor, greet

Modern Rome - Under Wraps  Belfast alternative four-piece Modern Rome (MR) are back at it again with their latest release, proudly sticking to their trademark lighter, refreshing take on the genre. Following their well-received earlier release, Work In Progress, the quartet return with melodically heavy Under Wraps. Most arresting is the vocal of frontman Danny Boyle, which has an almost choral element to them. Indeed, the entire song has a vested interest in a mixture of spiritual and alt-rock, which brings to mind hints of Biffy Clyro in the way in echoes and enlarges. Impassioned and aching with a healthy dancey kick, Under Wraps has a solid back line of bass and percussion which is cemented firmly in the ground with its rock roots, while the indie (dare I say, pop-ish?) aspirations sees MR reaching for the sky. A tune with a surprisingly satisfying chomp during its heaviest moments and a sweeping, gush of orchestral keys, during its lightest, MR have their eyes fir

John Andrews & Don Maple - 7th December 2018 You would think that on this fateful night, your intrepid reviewer would be making his way to the SSE arena for Gary Lightbody and Co. HA I say. HA. Instead, I find myself braving the Lagan winds and northern rain as I make a stoic match towards The Barge for a night of local music. Smaller in scale perhaps, but equally impressive. The Barge itself is one of Belfast most unique venues. Purchased in Amsterdam twelve years ago and sailed back, it houses a unique charity and some of the most authentic Belfast memorabilia available. Bankrolled by the Heritage Lottery Fund, I was given a walkthrough by its proprietor Susan Doherty who described it’s dual purpose. On the historical aspect, she informed me “We have hundreds of hours of video footage, men and women who worked in the shipyards, in the rope works and so forth. We salvage a lot of original material… but we are a living museum” while on the performance space she stated

Owen Lamont, Glass Wings, Rory Nellis & Sonja Sleator Thursday 6th December 2018 –  Empire Music Hall, Belfast Some venues you associate with a feeling or a sensation. The buzz of overhead lights. The roar of the crowd. For The Empire, it’s burning thighs. Those stairs up top are no joke in this weather. I make my way through the quadruple door opening into its storied halls. A man bumps my shoulder with an over-shoulder apology, his T-Shirt reads “Be Excellent To Each Other.” While I don’t put any stock in fate, I’m a big believer in foreshadowing. Sonja Sleator , one of the faces of Tin Man Heart Records, opened the night and set the tone high with her full, well-rounded sound. A slight swooping country feel with a brittle, teeth clenching rock and roll edge, Sleator was quick to thank her band and audience for attending, particularly in a touching moment with her aunt, who made the late night journey. Not shy from expanding her range, Sleator set varied from her lead si

Courtney Marie Andrews with support from Joel Harkin Sunday 2nd December 2018 – The Black Box  The wet slap of DMs on cobbled streets. The flat stench of stale cigarettes and beer foam as you approach the door. The venue name, white blazed upon black. There are few venues that can boast the history of the Black Box and many more who envy its cult status. A unique mix of intimate and sprawling, tonight it adds two more names to its illustrious list of performers. The opener for the evening is Letterkenny’s own  Joel Harkin . An aficionado of alt-folk, he announces himself to the crowd as such: “Are you okay? It’s good to be okay. I’d like to be okay someday.” The proud owner of a new (“very nicely received” – direct quote from the artist himself) EP Rose Water, Harkin’s brief opening monologue soon gives way to ‘Old Churches’, a dark, breathless tune and the most impressive from his latest release. Following this, conversation is resumed as if there wasn’t a folkish edda in betw

The 1975 - A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships What an odd predicament. If you had told me X-amount of years ago that a band forced to start their own label because they couldn’t convince anyone to give them a chance would arguably own a decade musically, I might have laughed at you. Or called you a liar. Probably both. And yet here we are. From the intimate grime of their self-titled debut to the expansive electro/drug pop of behemoth I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it, The 1975 have been the defining band of the 2010s, an image spurred largely by the relentless mania of frontman Matt Healy. Known for their addictive hooks and exclusive mix of radio-friendly melodies, dance rock and illicit imagery, the quartet return with A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships and a sober frontman, now free of his heroin addiction. So. What happens when a band driven by a drug-riddled organised chaos strips away all the hyperbole? Never shi

Dreamreading - 25th November 2018 Vibrant though our scene may be, at its core it is powered by young, dedicated artists. Among this group is Dreamreading, one of the youngest, brightest bands on the scene. While their youth has been a barrier to their gigging career, their determination and talent remain undiminished. One of the more cohesive, organised and resolute bands around, I sat down to talk with them about their new EP, influences and plans for the future. So how did you guy’s actually meet up?  Ruben Carver (Drums): I just met Orion on the bus where he started talking about being a guitarist. I mentioned I was a drummer, then I said ‘I have this studio in my garden, do you want to come over and jam for a bit? I have a spare bass and a REALLY bad amp.’ It went really well and the next day in school, he came up to me like ‘Hey, I’m in a band, I like your style, do you want to be in the band?’ Jack Marshall (Guitar): The first person I met was Rory, who I met a co

Alpha Twin - Cloud Mountain EP Belfast rocker trio return with their second EP, Cloud Mountain, an apt name given the colossal new heights aimed for on this tree track release. Replacing their blistering pace with a toothsome groove and heavy funk, CM shows a conscious step towards advancing their sound while maintaining the atmospheric presence that has made them such a force locally. Furthermore, there is a noticeably lyrical improvement from their previous releases. Opener The Stranger is a winner, with tight vocals ensuring a pleasing delivery - “It’s like an earthquake, in my chest, I digress, I don't know, how much more more more I can take...” might be their most electric lyrical line yet just from an energy and syntactic standpoint. Accompanying this new sound and improvement is the same spidery, grimy, malevolent sound, but now with a spicy funk twist. The undisguised fury and relentless indulgence in heaviness remain, but the group have matured considerably sin

Tropical Fuck Storm - A Laughing Death In Meatspace I think if there was one more thing needed in 2018, it’s for everyone to lighten up for an hour and just have a laugh. 2018, meet Tropical Fuck Storm (TFS). Drawn as I was to the hyperbole of their title, the Aussie quartet have also released one of the more intriguing albums of the year, saddling themselves in the same vein as IDLES in that they write angry songs you can be happy to. Self-proclaiming to make “weird music for people who are sick of the same old shit.” Intriguing. Weirdos, stand up and be counted, the hymns are about to begin. Haphazard and, most importantly, different, TFS seems more akin to an avalanche than an orchestra. On Soft Power, floaty female backing vocals drift in an out, a juxtaposition to the organised chaos occurring between the lead vocals, guitar and drums, while You Let My Tyres Down is an anarchist anthem, dripping in nihilism, substance abuse, and menacingly curled lips.  But most strikin

Allusinlove - Allusinlove Once you are able to make your way past the Chinese finger trap masquerading as a band name, I invite you to enjoy one of England's freshest and most exciting new prospects. Allusinlove (AUIL), the latest to emerge from the Leeds/Yorkshire rock scene are a red-hot quartet with a message and an effective means of delivery: tasty tunes. Despite their youth and hunger, AUIL has a distinct Jurassic feeling to them. Part of a movement of rockers modernising the heavier influences from the past, their stomping riffs and straightforward spirit seems plucked straight from the ’70s. Nothing is hidden and everything is given at face value, be it their feel-good, hip swinging inspired riffs or their scorching vocals, AUIL has a little something for everyone. Opener All Good People is a searing lick fest with a shout-along chorus, and Bad Girls is a tar dipped fist-pumper that seems designed with the festival circuit in mind. Appearing just manic enough to

Jeaous Of The Birds Secret Gig – ZOOL Records, 29 th November 2018 “I am… lost.” Co-founder of Zool Records Nolan Donnelly stalks the floor of the ZOOL office. Hopefully, he finds himself at some point, as there's a show to put on tonight. As I kick back in my chair, a whose-who of local faces enter and exit. Crew carry in merch and equipment, discuss setups and sup alcohol. Over the loudspeakers, math rock duo WASPS 'Here Comes Mothra' blares. Part Time Pilots Frontman Enda Mc Crory makes a brief appearance, laughs loudly at nothing and then disappears. Downstairs, recent ZOOL initiate Blxxd mingles with a host of other musicians. Laughter and raised voices ensue. I never really get over the buzz from attending secret gigs (although ‘secret’ may not be the correct word to describe tonight judging from the ever-growing crowd). There’s a different energy in the air, a musky adrenaline mixed with uncertainty, eliciting an almost ecstatic fear from the onlooker