Belfast’s Limelight rapidly filled up last night for the return of bluegrass rockers Hayseed Dixie. The packed venue was welcome refuge from the cold and the crowd was in a buoyant mood by the time the night’s support took to the stage.
Onlookers were as confused as the band was as to why they were chosen for the gig. With a style worlds apart from Hayseed Dixie, Phoenix Fire front man Dave admitted they were shocked to have been selected. Despite this, the band, formerly known as Kagura, received a warm reception from a crowd who maybe expected something very different. Dual lead vocals of Dave Jackson and Fiona O’Kane are the stand out feature of a solid set. At times the songs create a sense of serenity, only for this to be shattered by explosive guitars and drums in rockier songs like ‘Kills The Enemy.’ An enjoyable set which turned a few heads, but Phoenix Fire failed to fully capture the attention of the majority of the crowd, excusable maybe by the gulf in style between them and the headliners.
In the case of Hayseed Dixie you really have to see and hear them to believe it’s real. Mixing original songs with covers of everything from AC/DC to Pink Floyd and beyond, Hayseed Dixie delivered an unforgettable performance to an ecstatic Belfast crowd. It can be hard to take them seriously with original song titles such as ‘Alien Abduction Probe,’ and ‘Poop in a Jar,’ and lyrics to match, but the best thing to do is to disregard these sane inhibitions and enjoy the hilarity of the experience. Lead singer, guitarist and violinist ‘Barley Scotch’ holds the audience in the palm of his hand as he preaches the four elements of a great song; ‘drinkin’, cheatin’, killin’ and hell. Old classics like ‘Walk This Way,’ ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ and a selection of AC/DC songs are interwoven with more modern songs like Green Day’s ‘Holiday,’ and the surprise inclusion of some Mozart thrilled an already hysterical crowd.
It’s obvious that these are four men who truly love what they do, with no delusions of grandeur they mingle before and after their set, happy to chat to anybody in the crowd. It’s not something you often see at the gigs of other touring bands, then again, Hayseed Dixie are more than your average band.
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