Hailing from Northern Ireland, the trio, Strathern brothers Owen and Enda and Stephen “Leaky” Leacoc have slowly but surely began their breakthrough into the UK Indie scene since the release of their single Rebel Get By in 2008. Having formed in 2007, the band don’t appear to have stopped pushing their sound – from their initial performance at their local Glasgowbury Festival, to supporting esteemed bands including The Pigeon Detectives and The Enemy, as well as playing the BBC Introducing stage at Glastonbury 2008. With such considerable achievements already under their belts, this small, intimate bar then at the top of Islington Academy, offered the perfect atmosphere in which to capture the showcase of their forthcoming debut album ‘Buildings’.
Storming straight into the belter Dancing with Girls, the crowd were suitably warmed-up for the distinctive opening chords of We Are the Foolish, a tune all too known to the band’s fans. The crowd certainly took notice of the trio’s instructions to ‘Wake up/Wake up, there’s things you need to know’ as the cheering erupted and the bouncing began. Feeding on their fans’ enthusiasm, the boys exploded through their set with incredibly relentless passion, exhausting their energy levels in each and every performance; almost as though Owen was continually shocked with electric currents through his body, it is little wonder the identity sticker he had so subtly attached to his skinny-jeaned leg detached itself mid-way through!
As a contrast to the thrashing choruses of many of the tracks off the album we were treated to a more calming moment whereby Owen showcased his solo acoustic flair with Sinking Ship, a song considerably gaining favour on Youtube. Stripped back to nothing but voice and guitar, his talent was all the more admirable.
Without undermining their promise, it cannot be denied however, that this band can and will easily face comparisons with the numerous other conveyor belt indie-pop bands that have come before them, growing and fading as quickly as the £3 bunch of flowers you bought from your local supermarket. You can certainly hear the combined influence of the likes of Matt Bowman from the Pigeon Detectives and the fast guitar rifts resounding from The View, weaving through a number of tracks, especially Rebel Get By.
Based on tonight’s performance, are they likely to produce ‘classics’? No. Are they going to be heralded as musical legends in years to come? No. But what can be seen is that these Irish boys can create a layered atmosphere of dirty drum beats, infectious guitar rifts and chords, with a voice that distinctly resounds in your head for days. The Irish fans amongst tonight’s crowd would certainly agree, having appeared to take the opening line of new single Ever So Shy, “Let’s get wasted” all too literally as they raucously fall over each other’s feet in front of the stage. Still, it’s in their genes after all.
With the NME staking the band as one to watch, and XFM regularly blasting them on the waves, such recognition seems as humbling for the boys as it does deserving. They might claim ‘We’re Ever So Shy’, but with a packed calendar of commitments undoubtedly reserved with the approaching release of debut ‘Buildings’, it’ll be interesting to see how they distinguish themselves as their confidence inflates.
STEREOBOARD RATING - 4/5
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
We don't run any advertising! Our editorial content is solely funded by lovely people like yourself using Stereoboard's listings when buying tickets for live events. To keep supporting us, next time you're looking for concert, festival, sport or theatre tickets, please search for "Stereoboard". It costs you nothing, you may find a better price than the usual outlets, and save yourself from waiting in an endless queue on Friday mornings as we list ALL available sellers!
