Limelight 2, Belfast
Thursday, 5th September 2013
Marking almost a year since it’s conception local showcase Transmit has been performing a sterling civic duty to the music fans of Belfast. On this particular night, we are treated to a mix of three hotly tipped folk centric acts, hailing from various corners of the country.
Representing Dublin are Cry Monster Cry, a duo of brothers Richie & James Martin. Filling the stage out with five members the group dabble in soulful drifts into dreamy folk. It’s an instrumental merry-go-round as a guitar is swapped for a mandolin, with other stringed implements getting in on the act.
Unfortunately their overall sound lacks any real form of stimulation. What’s so disappointing about it all is the abundance of musicianship the band possess, but they never got out of first gear. It hits home as they play an ode to Belfast, wrapping up with a fine cover of Van Morrison’s ‘Gypsy Queen’. A chirpy ending which perks up the crowd.
Bands from Co. Donegal are often adopted as honorary “Nordies”, especially the good ones. If that’s the case thenIn Their Thousands are worth calling dibs on. They are a quality outfit, capturing the full attention of the room instantly. Their rustic tones and earthy rhythms are delivered with such precision that you find yourself hanging on every note. ‘0040’ takes a sharp turn, leaning towards a more Stereophonics-type noise, showing off the wide range the quartet can flaunt.
They slow things down for 'Effort For The Waste' as the entire band huddle around an old worn guitar. They deliver echoing acoustic acapella weaved together with noodly acoustic finger plucking. It’s spellbinding and drips of Mumford etherial spirt. Toe tapping folk mixed with arcadian splendour. A class act.
Antrim based Amidships don’t gallop into things too quickly. They take their time, stringing you along as they build their atmospheric world around you. Frontman John-Paul McCorely hunches over like a lonely poet on stage, conveying musical tales of reverent woe. His husky vocal delivery is strikingly emotive during ‘Oceans and Layers’, the band’s most wistful rout of Arcade Fire esque bliss.
Mood shifts when they strip back to the acoustic guitar for ‘Sine Waves’. A swooning waltz which JP jokes afterwards that the crowd were “very obedient” for - transfixed would be closer to the truth. Where Amidships excel is during their more stirring numbers. Their rhythm section flawlessly beavers away in the background, leaving the space for JP and Fiona McAuley (violin/keys) to add layers of depth and colour to tracks such a ‘The One’. They round out the night with ‘A Friend’. Violin and guitar intertwine to a create a rousing diversion into alternative rock, a final release of passion and energy which leaves us yearning for more. Essential local listening.
Peter Cinnamond
