secret fireworks

photo credit: cheryl http://www.flickr.com/photos/24120498@N07/

Snow Patrol. Everyone's got an opinion on them. From the diehard fans that hold them up as a shining example of the Northern Irish music scene to those that would prefer to listen to screaming chainsaws. Personally, I'm quite a big fan- ever since I listened to Final Straw, I fell in love with the simplicity of the band. My favourite album was When It's All Over And Done We Still Have To Clear Up, which is simply a masterpiece. However, I was always disappointed with the live performances. Gary simply could not sing live, bless. However, we've been patient, and he's improved a hell of a lot.


Saturday's gig at the Odyssey was the second best I've seen in the Odyssey, and it was wonderful. First of all, the two support bands in Ed Zealous and General Fiasco were superb. Ed Zealous really got things going with their set- The Mothership was simply rocking, with wonderful interplay between the guitars and the keyboards. The riffs soar and slide, but the highlight of Ed Zealous' set would have to be due to Paul Irwin, the drummer. My goodness, I have never seen such a drummer on the local scene in this genre. The rhythms are complex and appropriate: he never showboats but he steals the spotlight constantly. The best song of the set has to be "I Will Destroy You" which thrilled and creeped the hell out of me at the same time. It sounds ominous and, well stalkerish. Think She's So Heavy by the Beatles. Minor, sharp vocals, great drumwork, just lovely. A tiny, tiny point that James McAvoy might perhaps pick up on is that while it's great to talk to the crowd, you don't have to keep asking how they all are every break between songs. But hey, he was probably nervous. A lot was asked of Ed Zealous when they were given the slot- and my god, how well did they answer.

General Fiasco were the better of the two supports- on another day, they could have been the best band in the Odyssey. They rocked the place with a ridiculously professional performance from a band that looked like playing the main venue in Northern Ireland was just a walk in the park for them. Owen's vocals, as ever, are stunning. I mean, it's rare to see a frontman that can be note perfect from start to finish and Owen is just one of these guys. As opposed to their Stiff Kitten gig it's not a wall of noise from GF tonight- the guitar lines are ringing out superbly. Something Sometime goes down very well with the crowd, and you're singing along without thinking about it.. the highlight of their set was a song that I haven't heard before- the guitar line sounds a little similar to Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (always, ALWAYS a good thing) and the lyrics are imaginative and clever. These lads are more than just two song wonders.

After the numerous Blackberry ads and obligatory Kings of Leon video, Snow Patrol take to the stage with "If There's A Rocket Tie Me To It", from A Hundred Million Suns. Lightbody and company start the gig like they finish it: they're note perfect, their performance has improved dramatically and Gary's voice is superb. Simply superb. Unrecognisable from the Gary Lightbody that took to the Ulster Hall for the Final Straw homecoming in 2004. The lights show is simply a feast for the eyes, with yellow light streaming out from everywhere and gorgeous visuals for all to see. One thing that particularly makes me feel all happy inside is the reaction of the band. They look like children at Christmas. Nathan and Gary are all smiles and laughing, while Paul and Jonny can barely keep their composure. The atmosphere is amazing.

We love Snow Patrol and they're happy to see us. Gary keeps thanking us and they keep knocking out the hits. "Chocolate" and "Hands Open" are played, with Gary making a small reference to Belfast and we go crazy with delight. He said the name of our city! In a song!

The band have been touring all over the world now over the past four years and it's really starting to show. There's an air of showmanship tonight- running all over the stage, playing to the crowd, it's class. "How To Be Dead" is reinvented on stage and it's nice to hear an older tune- then Gary announces that the legend that is Richard Coburn (from Belle and Sebastian) is on stage drumming tonight. It's that kind of night- this is Snow Patrol's homecoming, and they've brought a few friends with them.

And my my, it's easy to rock the Odyssey. To bring it down a notch and play a slower song takes guts and skill, and how well did Snow Patrol pull it off. The gorgeous musicbox keyboards ring out as "You Could Be Happy" starts up, and once again, Gary's vocals are wonderful. I can't state enough the massive improvement that has taken place. Then, surprisingly early, we hear those first few chords of "Run", and we go a little beserk. Leona Lewis' version of "Run" may be moving, but it's nothing compared to 10,000 people singing in perfect harmony. It's stunning. Claps ring out around the Odyssey and it just feels so special.

The encore of "The Lightning Strike" is stunning. I talked about the feast for the eyes that was the light show, but the video for this symphony is mesmerising. It's just hypnotising as the flowers make shapes and spawn. "What If The Storm Ends?" sounds better live than it does on CD- it's the best track on A Hundred Million Suns and if this is the direction Snow Patrol is heading in, I will be a very happy man.

All in all, it is a professional and gorgeous performance. It's a shame nothing was played from the first two albums, and Gary's mic completely drowned out the harmonies- a complete crime considering the complex vocal layers that SP are famed for- but they've set the bar pretty high for any acts from here. The spotlight was literally on Mr Lightbody for the entire show and he shone. Snow Patrol pleaded for mothers and fathers of the world to be patient with their children- that patience has certainly paid off.

Labels: ed zealous, general fiasco, snow patrol

(this is a work in progress so I'll add more info when I find my notes)
(photo credit: Alternative Ulster)

Devotion. One word that sums up Northern Ireland's relationship with the Ulster Hall. Since 1862, the Ulster Hall has been the venue for events in Belfast. However, as a music venue it really shines and it always has done. The Ulster Hall has wonderful acoustics and a certain magic when you enter the hall, as if ghosts of musicians past and present haunted the hallowed venue. The renovations to the Ulster Hall started in 2007 and robbed the local music scene of a wonderful place: you either had to settle for the Odyssey (which isn't intimate at all), Mandela Hall (which is nice enough but isn't great for under 18s) or St George's Market (which has terrible acoustics and generally stinks as a venue).


However, the renovations finished a few weeks ago and the Ulster Hall is looking more wonderful than ever before. And my goodness, judging by last night's musical extravaganza, we gave it one hell of a welcome back. The ATL/Belfast City Council "Do You Remember The First Time" gig featured surprises, wonderful new music, some classics, some wonderful covers and even fireworks.

The Lowly Knights kicked it off with their wonderful tune "Devotion"- a gorgeous, happy tune with handclaps, beautiful harmonies and mandolins. Mandolins! There's been a few comparisons made to The Arcade Fire but I like to imagine the Knights as more of a folksy Polyphonic Spree or Reindeer Section- they've got a lot of heart and they're a lot of fun to see in concert. They covered a Divine Comedy song (Something For The Weekend) which was lovely: it had the sheen that we've come to expect from the band, wonderfully poppy but with feeling and musically exquisite.

Kowalski were as wonderful as we've come to expect- an accomplished performance combining gorgeous electro beats and guitars with vocals that suit perfectly. It's almost hypnotic watching the lads, with an infectious chorus quickly getting into the heads of the audience. Their cover of This Modern Love did the original justice, but I hoped they'd do something a little different with it- however it's a small point on a great performance. Cashier No9 were simply awesome: their unique sound amalgamating folk, rock, indie, electro and country certainly blew a few minds (including mine) with When Jackie Shone.

Foy Vance stole the spotlight of the first half of the show: his gorgeous guitar playing and his magnificent vocals were obvious as he covered the Crash Test Dummies, but he stunned the entire hall with his "unfinished new song" Be The Son. There were three noises during that song: the guitar, Foy's voice, and roughly 1,000 gulps as men and women held back tears. Damien Rice became a household name due to Cannonball- when Foy releases this song, he will become a megastar and rightly so. It seemed the spirit of musicians past possessed both the crowd and Mr Vance- what a magnificent act.

La Faro were wonderful, really rocking the Ulster Hall to its very (new) foundations. Their cover of Juicebox by the Strokes really got the place going, reminding Belfast of that wonderful night where Casablancas et al rocked the Hall. I think most people wondered how Iain Archer and his friends would manage to follow the Derry lads... and goodness, how wrong we were. After a gorgeous solo track, two guys walked onto stage looking a little tired, a little weary, and a little nervous. Gary Lightbody and Nathan Connolly brought the Ulster Hall down. The stars really were coming out tonight. A great cover of the Frames' "Lay Me Down" set the scene nicely but the Snow Patrol tracks (Chocolate and Chasing Cars) maybe didn't do the lads justice. Having said that, just having those stars back in the Ulster Hall was immense.

Neil Hannon probably stole the second half of the show in my eyes. He walked on stage fully relaxed, cracking jokes and looking oddly like Ringo Starr. After Rigsy's gushing introduction "not just the greatest songwriter from Northern Ireland but up there with Lennon and McCartney" it would be tough to live up to that introduction but this is Neil Hannon, ladies and gentlemen. A pretty version of Tonight We Fly showed exactly what Rigsy was talking about: a beatiful piano part, excellent witty lyrics and that unmistakable voice. Then the best cover of the night: a version of Gigantic by the Pixies. Simply astonishing, tune in and watch it on St Patrick's Day.

Duke Special (and friends) delivered a polished performance, covering the Waterboys' classic Fisherman's Blues with aplomb and stagediving at the end of Diggin' an Early Grave with Foy Vance. Fighting With Wire and Jetplane Landing were, well, interesting. I have to laugh every time I see Cahir O'Doherty move on stage: it's a very unusual way of dancing, but who cares: his vocals have grown so much stronger over the past few months and the Hall was rocking. The cover of You Really Got Me emphasised this- strong vocals but the guitars were driving, the drums were excellent and the bass was chugging. Jetplane Landing were excellent- at times cringeworthy comments were issued telling us to put a fist in the air, put another fist in the air etc, but my goodness did they make a lot of noise. Their cover of Know Your Enemy by Rage Against The Machine did the original justice as well as justifying the inclusion of a man in a gremlin mask on stage as well as a man wearing what could only be described as a cross between a gimp and a superhero mask. I guess you had to be there!

Ash got the biggest cheer of the night as they took to the stage: their cover of Mrs Robinson was, to be honest, pretty ordinary. However their performance of Shining Light was the Ash we know and love: showcasing the wonderful, wonderful songwriter that is Tim Wheeler and reminding us that Tim, Mark and Rick are still knocking about (sadly, Charlotte isn't with the band) on the Northern Irish scene! Therapy? finished off the night- it's quite fitting that the band that really kickstarting the Northern Irish scene were the final act on show. Andy Cairns certainly seemed to take advantage of the "if it's after the watershed" rule, cussing and swearing like there was no tomorrow. But hey, that's how we were rolling on Monday night. Their cover of Alternative Ulster was a huge wall of noise but topped off a wonderful gig- you could barely hear a lyric but most of us had the words on our lips. Simply brilliant.

Finally, in a scene resembling Band Aid, all 14 bands came on stage in a scene that resembled a who's who of Northern Irish music- there were many drinks on stage and it was clear to see that the bands were ecstatic to just be part of the night. The opening chords of Teenage Kicks were played- the Ulster Hall erupted. There was singing, there was dancing, there were hugs, there were kisses, and I'm sure there were even tears. The Ulster Hall is back, literally, with a bang. A wonderful, wonderful, wonderful night.

Do not underestimate the work that Across The Line and Belfast City Council have put into this. Read this post and you'll see the hours of work that have gone into this excellent night. I've used dozens of superlatives to describe this concert but there would never be enough to describe this musical jamboree. Northern Ireland has more to offer than just Snow Patrol and Dana : the evidence is right in front of you.

Labels: ash, cashier no 9, duke special, fighting with wire, foy vance, ian archer, jetplane landing, kowalski, lafaro, snow patrol, the divine comedy, the lowly knights, therapy?, ulster hall