Buds You Like

A Plastic Rose played live on Friday and Saturday night, and as ever, they gave it socks. On the first of these, the Belfast venue was busy and excitable and so Gerry and the firm were at their best. On Saturday around 6pm, they jumped into their van at the Manor Park recording studio and high-tailed it to Crumlin, where a modest turn-out had gathered. No matter for these guys. "We'll play it like we always do," Gerry assured us. "Like there's a thousand people in the hall."

And that's exactly how it transpired. It was a girl's birthday and she was in decent spirits and so APR encouraged her and her mates to dance at the front. There was even an invitation to clap and the crowd obliged. Gerry, y'see is a natural communicator and he'll pitch everything at his potential fans. So many other acts have a reserve and debilitating cool, even a deal of shyness. And so, their rapport with the crowd is weakened. But even when APR were learning their job a couple of years ago and the music was patchy, Gerry always talked their efforts up to the max.

Saturday also provided the chance to see The Wonder Villains. They've been rightly hailed by Stephen McAuley at Radio Foyle and by the ATL team. Their music is sharp and vibrant while they have the melodies, the bleating synths and an unaffected air that you hope will sustain.