Live Music

The Frank & The Walters

Info: www.thefrankandwalters.ie - www.myspace.com/thefrankandwalters

They cannot be faulted on their top notch tunes and showmanship. I have to wonder how many new fans they would be able to garner for a possible second coming. Nevertheless overall it was a great show.

Pilotlight

Fight Like Apes

Hipple Street unveiled their new single Naturally in Harmony on the 18th July with a launch party in Capel Streets Bleu Note Bar. Naturally in Harmony is the second single from the funky Dublin four-piece. The band hit the top 30 last year with their debut EP and could quite possibly be the next big Irish export. Devoid of pretension they produce polished pop gems that one would expect to emerge from sunny west-coast California then from drizzly Dublin.

The band played 12 song set in two halves, opening and closing the set with stonking alternate versions of their debut hit, last years Inspector Rita. The band is capably fronted by Neil Byrne (Guitar and Vocals) and Nigel Wheatley (Bass, Vocals and funky shapes) with Andrew O’Duffy on keys and James Kinsella (Drums and Percussion). Citing influences of Steely Dan, Earth Wind & Fire, George Benson and Stevie Wonder, the bands own blend of pop, funk and classic rock is utterly infectious. The slick production of their recent recordings transferred almost entirely to the stage whipping up a gentle happy-storm in the Bleu Note. If I had a complaint it would be that the mix all but buried the keys and didn’t lend itself to some of the harmonies that create that compulsive Hipple Street vibe.

With covers of tracks by Mika, George Benson and Stevie Wonder sitting very comfortably with the bands own material, the future for Hipple Street can be nothing but bright and shiny.

Just when you thought that summer had passed us by Hipple Street provide us with phonic sunshine via this cool, funky follow up to their Inspector Rita which breezed into the top thirty last year. Drenched in the bands trademark harmony and smooth vocals this track begs for repeated listens. Hipple Street are fast becoming the forerunners of melodic Irish pop. These guys can write a hook with sharp edge that will penetrate your brain on first listen.

As an additional bonus for those who buy the CD single get the added treasure of the fantastic One Day which no doubt was a contender for release in it’s own right.

Neosupervital

Info: www.neosupervital.com - www.myspace.com/neosupervital

Oppenheimer

As the 4 piece enter, the men donned in suit and tie, the ladies in 60’s style go-go dresses, all with the trademark shades, you immediately get a taste of what you’re in for. Neosupervital, it soon became evident, is a band you can’t fully appreciate until you’ve seen live. Their synth hooks and high octane drum machine are brought out to their foot tapping best with a venue style sound system. Onstage hi-jinks are also big part of the show with the appropriately monikered ‘Dancing Vin’ heading off stage to interact and boogie for the crowd as Lead ‘Tim Vital’ O’Donovan (Also the drummer with Bell X1) joking with the crowd (“Does Brian Kennedy open floodgates?”) and making witty observations (Like stopping mid-song to notice one of the crowd mention ‘Herpes’). This helped to hype up the initially subdued (and only just over half full) crowd.

Stand out numbers of the night included a cover of latter era Van Halen’s ‘Why Can’t This Be Love?’ (complete with Sammy Hagar shout sample and jazz break) and from their own material the bombastic drum and fetching hooks of ‘Pathetic Human Being’, ending off with ever catchy ‘Now That I Found It’.

Support came in the form of Belfast 2-piece, Oppenheimer. Whilst playing to a very small crowd the band soon gain its attention with a secession of quality numbers. Their music can best be described (by me anyhow) as alternative choral snyth equally matched with thumping drums with a vocal style somewhere between the Beach Boys and Ash (not surprisingly as I learned as lead vocalist Shaun Robinson used to tour with the band and was schoolmates with their drummer, Rick McMurray). As they finished up with the blistering anthem ‘Saturday Looks Bad To Me’ many could be seen reach for their wallets to buy the album, me included.

My verdict is that Neosupervital earned their reputation offering up a fun-filled, energetic show (if slightly hampered by a lesser turn out). Oppenheimer in support were a revelation and I wish them all future success.

Special thanks also to the classy and hard-working floor and bar staff at Whelan’s of Wexford Street.

A force to be reckoned with in Irish Rock music and in several senses besides.

A highly polished rock performance from an act which is destined for much more success.

All around class rock performance, all but for the slight hitch in the sound production.