Last night three up-and-coming indie bands SweetCake, Reserved for Rehab and Sean Looney electrified Fred Zeppelins in Cork.

Sean Looney kicked the night off. His tunes exuded good old-fashioned danceability with funk hues blended between indie and jazz tones. With his musically tight band behind him, the room bounced with vigour as Looney crooned over slick key refrains and smooth melodic flows. These guys are naturals on stage and their organic knack for sweet-toned riffs, rhythmic drums and catchy melodies left no doubt they are a talented band with a lot of potential.

Reserved for Rehab followed. A heavier band in sound, they knocked our socks off with lush grunge tones, dense riffage and pummeling drums that reverberated through the venue. These guys have something, an exciting Je ne sais quoi that I can’t put my finger on. Perhaps its the expressive sinister tone of their unreleased tune ‘Ivory’ ( though unreleased, the song had the crowd singing as if it was a fan favourite of a well-known indie band) or the well-paced track list that showcased very sleek instrumentation and musical prowess but there is a sense that with a bit more time this band could move on to bigger things. Consider me intrigued. 

Just as the name suggests, SweetCake brought the night to a close with some very sweet and lush tunes. These guys are impressive in the live setting. The band exuded charisma with a hint of suave nonchalance onstage however the set list was fun, funky and kept the crowd lively and dancing throughout. Musically their sound is very expressive: guitars effortlessly glide from catchy heavy riffs to debonair licks with ease while grooving basslines stylishly complement rhythmic drums and warm vocals. Unfortunately, I had to rush off before their set finished but keep an eye on these guys.

It’s always refreshing to see the immense talent of upcoming bands displaying their raw talent without fluff or rehearsed bravado and just performing off the natural buzz on stage and feeding off the crowd. It’s a difficult thing to do but SweetCake, Reserved for Rehab and Sean Looney put on a fantastic show. 

Author: Danu