In line with the annual, "Gigs for…" threads, where people post reviews and have general discussion about shows they see throughout the year, I'm starting this off, as we don't have one yet.
stairs inside the cellar near toilets bring you upstairs
Nice one, thanks
Yeah, it’s well signed but like every small venue in Dublin, it’s still a maze. I always dread to think what would happen in these places if there was a fire. Has it ever happened?
On that cheery note, enjoy the night. I’m still at home, need to get my **** sorted…..
Adore about to hit the stage
I liked Yard... they finish in 5½hrs time, I don't know if I can do this 🤣
Thanks. I’m sticking to the Cellar again….
Oh my goodness. I bet in the advert for this band it mentioned Fontaines as an influence. It was brilliant! https://open.spotify.com/artist/64eXjwiYuMUVSpJ3pP6FNH?si=k6XYmFtaSQi-RCT2c6NaPA
Queen Extravaganza at the Olympia tonight was my first show for 2025.
Quite a few kids at the show, it's great to hear Queen classics being played live.
My next show isn't until Iron Maiden now.
They were incredible and the crowd gave it back in spades.
Borderline was, on the whole, just incredible! The quality across the board was amazing, in some ways it's slightly depressing seeing such talent in a fairly low key setting, but selfishly it's a privilege
I started with Adore, the one band I really wanted to see. They were good but maybe not as great as I hoped, the sound mix meant the vocals were a bit lost, which meant the songs slightly blurred, but there's no denying they have all the ingredients to be great, really enjoyed them
After they finished I headed down to the cellar and caught the last couple of songs of Amy Michelle, late addition to the lineup. Her guitar playing was lovely and her voice was beautiful, would definitely like to hear more of her
But I was in the cellar to see Automotion. I was cynical of them riding on the attention of having Liam Gallagher's son in their ranks but they were properly brilliant, the best band I saw tonight. Sometimes dreamy shoegaze, sometimes balls out post-rock, always great musicianship and so tight as a band. Properly, properly brilliant
I then headed back upstairs for Honesty. A kind of "what if" band for me as I never really hit the club scene and feel like I'd have loved it, they were so good. Behind a translucent screen with great AV, the overall show was so good
They finished early so I dashed down for Makeshift Art Bar who sounded great, but I couldn't get into the stage area to watch them!
Slight lull for me then as I went back up for PVA who didn't work for me. The bass was shaking the ceiling but the mix let them down, just couldn't hear what it was meant to be, so I went back to the cellar for Dog Race. They sounded good but the singer's voice just didn't work for me, couldn't get into it
But then it was Shelf Lives... holy maloney! Just incredible energy, so much fun, great crowd control, decent mosh pit. Loved every second of it, just great fun!
Headed back up for Mandy, Indiana then but could barely get in the room. They sounded great but I couldn't really get into it.
After that I started to think about the bus home and being up with the kids tomorrow so I bailed. I didn't love the sound of OneDa and couldn't be bothered waiting for Yard, though they sounded good
Overall though, absolutely brilliant. Maybe a bit over crowded at a few points but generally brilliant, delighted I went. Thanks to @Irish Aris for the ticket!
Borderline was class, as it was last year. Saw loads of great music but a special shout-out to Makeshift Art Bar, a Belfast noise grunge band. Blew the roof off the cellar and a lovely bunch of lads to boot. Excited to see them again. Mandy, Indiana were also incredible. A wonderful wall of noise.
Managed to snag a Saturday Borderline ticket. Adore were good but not as good as the previous time i saw them. I did enjoy the accidental use of theremin throughout one of their songs though! Freak Slug were ok, suffered from the same problem as most modern shoegaze in that it's very lightweight and poppy. Downstairs then for Makeshift Art Bar who all looked familiar to me as if i'd seen them all in other bands, probably not though. If you like Gilla Band and Chalk etc you'll dig this lot. Expect them at a festival near you soon. Stayed downstairs for Dog Race, don't really know what to make of them, probably not my cuppa overall. Shelf Lives were good fun. Imagine if Confidence Man got tired of superslick clubbing and headed into rock and punk instead. Then finally, Mandy Indiana who were hit and miss for me but that's probably 'cos i was stuck down the back of the room where the sound wasn't as good and my legs were telling me to go home. Feel like i'm doing them a disservice there. If i was nearer the front to get the full volume i'd probably have enjoyed them more. They did have one very slow, sparse tune with phenomenal bass that put me right in the zone. Think i'd have liked more of that from them.
I've said it before but i can't wait for the mullet/shaved locks/bumfluff paedo moustache look to disappear. I've not seen one person yet carry it off. It's dreadful.
Frank Turner, London, Alexandra palace.
My 71st Frank Turner show, his 3 fcking thousandth show.
I found Turner opening for gaslight anthem in 2009, 5 years later I was at 10 shows, 5 years after that it was 40, I have seen him in 6 countries and international waters, been to every lost evenings, I've booked trips to New York on 3 weeks notice to see him twice (once because he put me on Guestlist, once because I got dumped) I've seen the grand canyon and Niagara falls because they could be worked around Turner gigs, shared 50+ of those shows with one of my oldest friends and met some of the most genuinely fantastic human beings because of him. I even used his lyrics in my mother's eulogy.
Yesterday people from every corner of the earth gathered to celebrate this achievement, 10000 strong crammed into a very sweaty ally pally, the place absolutely exploding as a counter hit 2999 and slowly rolled over.
There was a noticeable increase in the stage show, two screens either side of the stage and a black flag inspired 5 screen set up behind him which didn't get massively used, bar a fantastic montage of photos playing through prufrock.
He'd played 4 warm up shows in the week leading up to 3000, so the set list was no shocker, and I felt it took too long to hit second gear but that's me, the crowd were in fine singing voice, even if it never crossed the bridge into complete insanity.
Was this my favourite Turner gig ever? No, it probably wouldn't crack top 10, but it wasn't designed to be a great gig, it was designed to be a celebration, and archive, a snapshot of an achievement that very few artists will ever achieve, it was 10000 people giving him his flowers, and it smashed it.
I don't know how long I can do this (I'll absolutely hit 100 shows unless one of us dies first) but as long as I can I will........
Very impressive fanship.
I don't even crack the top 10%
I have no idea who Frank Turner is 😂
Shame on me I guess.
It was a great night, met some lovely people and the sense of community in the fan group was brilliant to see, so many people offering help and support and just being there for others. I first saw him support Dropkick Murphys in 2013 and since then I've seen him 20+ times in 7 countries, and if I had the cash I'd go a lot more…. ("not a cult" 🤣)
Enjoyed Snow Patrol in the 3Arena last night. Perfect setlist with a mix of hits and a few new songs thrown in. A bit of an underrated band, they put on a good show and I'd recommend going to see them this summer
Next up James Blunt in the 3Arena
Thanks for review.
I must say, I've always felt Snow Patrol get a bad press. Get 'lumped in' with Coldplay (tho' I'm sure they'd be happy to be as commercially successful!). I saw them play in Botanic Gardens (Tennent's Vital, 23.08.06), & were supported by Editors (great live) & Duke Special (ditto) amongst others. Very enjoyable. And I admire Gary Lightbody's upfrontedness about his grappling with demons. Some songs do come with a fair helping of cheese, but I like 'em.
There are worse bands…!
Snow Patrol are pretty decent their main problem is the waft of crap that tried to take after them Walking on Cars, Keane, Kodaline etc etc. They have in part the misfortune of polluting Irish airwaves for decades and it hasn't even been with their own music!!
Strongly agree with that!
Waiting to see The Violet Breaks in the Workman’s facing the Liffey. Why do they put 7pm doors and 82 minutes later you are still waiting? Just like airports…..
doors 7, support 8 and headliner 9pm has been standard for decades at this point
So the support is 30 minutes late already. If only they could find a microphone and tell you what’s going on. 🙄
Its a small venue. They want you in early to earn some cash from the bar.
Yes, we have to remember they are not charities and without them we wouldn’t be able to hear great live music. (Last night was not one of those moments though, TVB just not my thing at all but their fans loved them). As a disrupter, I see so many opportunities for a better customer experience when it comes to live music events. Hopefully one day I’ll get to test them out.
Ended up just going for a walk.
https://open.spotify.com/track/3DFjWyIJ2FA8ehRRynybpO?si=opd6hatnRbmn20LJN3Rtrw
Great tune, always loved it.
Fat Dog in Opium last night were ok. I couldn't get into it really. Didn't seem a patch on the Grand Social gig a few months back. Crowd were enjoying it though so maybe it was just me.
I agree I was at both and even though it was high energy it felt a bit flat (for me). Third gig of the weekend so I was a bit jaded and actually glad that it finished on time @ 10.00pm with no encore. Also the GS gig benefited from surprise (for me), having never seen them before. A girl at the front was really annoying Joe, persistantly trying to get him to drink from her bottle (of water?) or otherwise pulling out of him when he came to the front of the stage - think it stopped him coming into the crowd to supervise the mosh pit as he did in the GS.
Yeah, I was up front with a few people and we spotted her being a bit clingy and noted that he didn't come into the crowd. Had an absolute blast though, disappointed we didn't get Satisfaction like at the end of the Grand Social gig.
it was a naggen of vodka/gin. She was offering it to them all. Bass guy accepted. Thought we were in for a cracker when, by the second song, he had the mosh bowing but apart from a couple of crazy moments, they never peaked.
