We sat down to have a chat with Cian McCluskey, Barry Lally , Daniel Rooney and Graham Fagan from modernlove. before their headline show in The Sound House Dublin. We talked about how they craft their tunes, live shows and the band gave some solid advice for bands starting a career in music
Watch the interview below
Author : Danu
We sat down to have a spontaneous chat with Claire Miskimmin and Lyndsey McDougall from Belfast band New Pagans before their set supporting Palaye Royale at The Button Factory Dublin. We talked about the band’s sound, their influences and their new single ‘Admire’.
Watch the interview below
Author : Danu
Indie pop quartet modernlove. had their first headline show with Aiken Promotions last Friday with support from TOY GIRL and BRIDGES.The band presented a firecracker of a show filled with synth pop anthems, R&B elements and jazz flavourings.
Dublin based alternative band TOY GIRL kick start the night.Wholly mesmerising this band provides a sound filled with delicate intricacies and rich rhythms that submerge the listener in an endless pool of psychedelic hues and rippling undercurrents.With fragmented guitar pines that venture between crashing moments and funk elements to sweet lush indie tones the band layer their set meticulously, gradually bringing you further into a lulled stage of trance.These guys are fine musicians, the gentle and harsh biting elements are perfectly blended to drift and elegantly slip into each other with a majestic tonality that is utterly compelling. Exuding oodles of passion in each track, Hannah Worrall’s emotive crisp vocals are perhaps the most fascinating constant throughout the set. She lulls and broods with soulful tones as the wispy soundscapes caress and flutter around her immaculate voice. With their extremely tight sound, fine musicianship and calming stage presence TOY GIRL are a must see.
Bridgwater / London band BRIDGES follow. I have a lot of respect for these guys. They provided warm powerful tunes with vigor while battling some frustrating sound issues and rude feedback interruptions coming through the speakers on the night. A set brimming with earnestness and passion the band flood the room with warmth. Ethan Proctor’s vocals glide effortlessly over cosy melodies with a soft rasp and powerful drive as the band flesh out rich bass lines, sweet guitar twinkles and chiming keys between the meaty drum foundation.Members of the crowd dance and request songs as the band play their hearty tunes with charming smiles and a cheerful radiance.With ebullient sing along ready choruses and pretty slick guitar work BRIDGES put on one dynamic and enthusiastic set.
As the crowd rush forward modernlove. take to the stage.This young band is becoming known for their infectious mature indie pop and catchy songs. I wondered how they would hold up in the live setting. As it turns out … pretty damn well. Barry Lally’s vocals never falter through their longest set so far, his vocals manage to become stronger and more potent as the set progresses. The four piece feed off the crowds enthusiasm delivering a vibrant show of bubbling tunes, massive sing along moments and a little banter. ‘Us’ and ‘Bop’ have the audience dancing as the bands illustrious indie pop shimmers and sparkles into the crowd, igniting them almost instantly.The bands sound is at its best live- more edgy and punchy the music surges into the body compelling you to bop along. Cian McCluskey deftly belts those drums like his life depends on it and perhaps he is the puppeteer making us all dance. The wonderful contrast between the fruity sweet guitar jingles and brawny pull on drums creates the perfect fluctuant soundscape to pull anyone up to dance. Their fans are perhaps just as jubilant as the band’s songs pulling strangers from the side of the stage to dance with them as the venue’s floor becomes buoyant and spongy from all the jumping and dancing. The band glance at each other with cheeky smiles confirming the night’s success as Graham Fagan executes glossy guitar riffs and licks with ease while nodding in acknowledgement to members of the crowd shouting his name. Half-way through the set the dancing hasn’t faulted one iota and neither has the singing along. The crowd knew every word, even the rapid tongue twister in ‘Liquorice’ was shouted back to the band with such passion and excitement. Bassist Daniel Rooney lays down that all important fluid elasticity that truly moves the soul with the body. He injects funky elements into their tracks with fruity stings on guitar as the synth elements and honeyed melodies create a candy-floss sweetness that wisps the venue into an ethereal cloud of delight. With each chorus there is an eruption from the audience as their eyes glisten through the glitzy indie pop atmosphere. modernlove. end their set with new single ‘Hard to Tell You’ leaving the crowd shouting for one more tune to which due to curfew the band could not oblige but hey it left us all craving to see another modernlove. show.
For a young band, moderlove. have a compelling stage presence. Their heartfelt, infectious tunes exceed all expectations within the live setting. The Sound House witnessed something special last Friday. These guys have a bright future ahead.
Author ; Danu
Freak Control Live At Whelans Midnight Hour
Friday 21st February At 11.30pm
Freak Control are a fresh Dublin based dance rock duo consisting of Paulus Maximus on Bass VI / Vocals / Synth Pedals & Dietrich Blitzer on Drums.Influenced by the likes of The Chemical Brothers, The Prodigy, 70’s Funk & 60’s Psychedelia, Freak Control have their own original style and flavour which they add to the mix as only they can do.
This band has a raw, gritty sound that invades your brain and runs rampant like a crazed maniac until you succumb to the frenzy. Robust and whiplash-inducing – their acid soaked sound is pretty infectious and not for the faint-hearted but is sure to guarantee one heck of a live show.
Freak Control have just released their new video for upcoming single ‘Alien Fear’ check it out below
Author : Danu
January has a reputation for being a dull, cold and uninteresting month however Whelans refused to allow it to dampen their punters mood. With Donal Quinn playing Whelan’s Midnight hour with support from The Collective and The Bowie Ball night featuring tribute act Heroes From Mars to wander into after… they made sure we forgot all our January blues.
Dublin five piece The Collective kick started the show. The band embrace the task of warming up the crowd with ease. Their pop sprinkled indie tunes which are saturated in sun-kissed tones had a warm and glorious effect on our ears as their honeyed melodies melt upon the effervescent instrumental backdrop. Even with their bassist Cian Moran missing, the band had the crowd in the palm of their hands from the get go. Their cheeky banter and wonderful indie tunes had the crowd dancing and bopping happily. For a young band about to do their leaving cert they certainly have a charismatic and charming stage presence.Guitarist/vocalists Daniel Clarke and Taylor Byrne constantly engaged with the crowd creating a friendly and fun atmosphere “we want you to sing along even if you think its shite..sing along”. One woman in particular spiraled round the dance floor to every tune hopping, wiggling and twirling to their infectious tunes. They allow her to name one of their songs before they played it so i guess now it’s called “ love your face”.
With songs laced in tasty guitar melodies, groove infested drums and chiming keys the band sprinkle some joyous radiance into the venue. Their tracks are catchy from the unforgettable ‘’la la la la “ of ‘Forgettable’ to the sweet melodies in ‘Friends’ and ‘Love On The Streets’ – they have a solid set list. With quirky guitar moves, slick sweet licks and a charismatic presence the band keep everyone on their toes. Ogylle Salvador lays down the body moving beat while Stefan Isbanda tackles the keys to complete their vibrant vigorous sound. This bands musical talent and youthful energetic sound make them ones to keep an eye on .
Donal Quinn strolls on stage. His chilled presence slices through the wild atmosphere created by The Collective. He saunters off the stage to rally the crowd to the front, the crowd happily move forward in anticipation as Quinn begins ‘Do You Like Spicy Food?… ‘. This rapid number re-induces the hyper crowd as they bop along and whoop to his cheeky lyrics. He is alone on stage with just his acoustic guitar which should feel cold and isolating however his presence exudes warmth. He commands the stage..the crowd is enamored by Quinn’s vocal prowess especially for the “ the roof, the roof, the roof is on fire” lyric. Quinn chats between songs and tune ups while galloping through his set list. Dressed all in black there isn’t much fuss.. just good tunes. ‘Twat’, ‘3am’ (which Quinn’s integrates James’ ‘Sit Down’ into the crescendo) and a slick cover of ‘That’s Entertainment’ by The Jam and Arctic Monkeys’ ‘When The Sun Goes Down’ cause subtle swaying and bopping among the crowd as his rasped Drogheda-twanged tonality warms the tracks vibrant melodies. A quirky anecdote about his hair being ruined by rain and wind while filming the video for ‘ Bubble’ has the crowd chuckling as he charms them into the second half of his performance.
Quinn puts oodles of passion and emotion into his tracks and it sometimes translates into, an eyes closed performance, however his emotive and passionate lyrics enthrall the hearts of the audience. A quick exchange of info about his brand of guitar ( it’s a Martin ) and a crowd members Harry Potter scarf lead the way into a sleek medley of Oasis ‘Wonderwall’ and ‘Golden Touch’ by Razorlight. It’s a precise, well executed, enjoyable performance and a fantastic end to a night filled with talented Irish artists
Quinn presents his sublime tunes in an acoustic setting with ease and panache. In a live setting his music takes on a new dimension and aesthetic, becoming more intimate and personal. It was a fantastic Friday night in Whelans. Keep an eye on both Donal Quinn and The Collective. They have great potential and give us an indisputable reason to support Irish artists.
Author : Danu
We sat down with Chris Breheny aka Moncrieff in the cosy Library Bar in The Central Hotel Dublin. With the fire glowing, warming the room with its radiance Breheny discussed all – from how he creates his tunes to the events that have brought about his new EP ‘The Early Hurts’.
“Does anyone actually make it to 12 pubs though really?” Breheny inquired as we sat down with our coffee. The very Irish, 12 pubs of Christmas is a boggling conundrum as we wonder does everyone just give up after a few pubs and settle in one just to avoid the hassle of downing one pint and rushing off to another pub. “ I have squinty eyes in the morning” he announces as we take a few pictures “I can’t really see in the morning”. He proceeds to ask me about the blog “Is this your baby”. As I explain the origins of Indie Buddie, I realise I appear to be the interviewee rather than interviewer. His fascination on how bands, artists and media outlets begin becomes apparent as he describes how the Moncrieff moniker was born.
“I had moved to London, 5 years ago with no musical experience really. I was in a band for like a year with my mates before that. It was a Waterford band and we just played covers in our parents sitting rooms, but I became super obsessed with it.I was like I want to go to London. I had no idea what I was doing.I was speaking to one friend who had experience with music in London and he said go to the open mics. I ended up going to one in Shoreditch. It was crazy mobbed I think the BBC were down there filming that evening and all the best people had turned out and I thought oh Jesus Christ! All throughout the night I thought I’m not cut out for this shit.”
After being skipped past on the list Breheny gathers himself to give it a go and asks can he go onstage.
“I was going to sing a cover and ended up singing a song I had written before, about my brother and sister who had passed away.At least that would be real because I was nowhere near the skills of these people but at least it’s from the heart. A guy came up to me after. A guy called William Scott Moncrieff and he was this punter dude.This early 30’s, banker guy, nothing to do with music. He bought me a beer and we ended up having a chat. A lot of our stories had parallels – he’d lost a brother when he was young and he grew up in London and didn’t really have anyone and he just got it. Its hard to describe. Its like something the universe gives you that little thing and you can’t describe why. But you’re very sure that’s what you have to do.It’s so obvious. We left it at that he gave me some money for my taxi home because there was no buses at that time, but I left and the feeling I had after that was sweet lets go, and that was 5 years ago and I liked his name Moncrieff. “
He laughed in astonishment at the fact that there is someone out there that made such an important impact on his life and has no idea as Breheny never met the guy again. With such powerful and soulful vocals you would be forgiven for assuming Breheny always sounded so amazing. However he assures me this was not the case.
“I wouldn’t even dare show you videos of me singing before I moved to London. Jesus Christ !” he laughs. “ I wasn’t great, I mean I could do a bit. Me and my brother used to sing in the little school choir. A little church, country choir when we were like 8 and then I went to secondary school and you have to cut out the singing because singing is social suicide. Come on, in Waterford you don’t sing down there, if you want to do music the only opportunity is to do musicals or be in the school choir and those where both social suicide and all you want to do is fit in. So I stopped singing until I found a Ray Charles CD and I had never heard somebody sing like that. So I mimicked that, really badly, for a long time and I guess that’s where it came from”
Moving to London was the push that Breheny needed
“ I needed to learn so much In such a short space of time and… it was outside my comfort zone. I feel like I love Ireland so much but life would have been too comfortable for me. I would have had all my friends in Dublin, my girlfriend back home, sports and everything and all these distractions. If you really want to get real with what you want to do and achieve you have to get real with the amount of work that you need to put in. I didn’t even know where to start. Let alone what I needed to do. Dublin wouldn’t have worked, I needed to go somewhere that forced me to have nothing to do but music.”
Life in school for Breheny was a mixed bag. The image of a young man trying to find a medium between the things he loved and surviving school life was a task.
“ I never sang properly again until I was 18. It’s crazy I used to get bullied because I played hurling, like waterford minor. I wasn’t ever amazing I was always the lad who was fourth sub, third sub but always really trying hard to really get on the team, ” he laughs. “Just because I loved it but everyone on the team knew that I did some musicals and someone would see your face in the back of the paper somewhere and you would get the piss ripped out of you. Musicals were great growing up because obviously there was more girls than boys doing them and it would be constant flirting for like three weeks”
Breheny’s style of music is self described on his social media as “neo-noir soul”. His sound combines a mix of both classic gritty blues and modern urban pop influences. He is constantly developing and changing his sound with each track he releases delving deep into his repertoire of emotive melodies and gripping soundscapes.
“ I don’t think I came up with the sound. I feel like we are the generation who grew up and have listened to Spotify and stuff. So you are exposed to so many different genres. I could show you the last 10 songs I listened to and they are all completely different genres. My stuff is just an amalgamation of everything of what I am influenced by. My voice is soulful and I won’t be able to get away from that but everything else I just take it as it comes. Whatever I think is a good song.”
As well as working as a recording artist in his own right, Breheny has also worked with some of the world’s biggest artists, perhaps most notably as a backing vocalist for Adele .
“ yes that was a very mad couple of days.I came up super randomly from a friend of mine, he’s a drummer and he played with a lot of bigger pop acts. I was on a ferry back from Fishguard to Rosslare and he sent me a text and I was on one bar of signal just leaving the port in the middle of Wales and I sent a message back saying yeah and I just got the two ticks.It was mad though such a cool experience.I learned a lot about how the whole production was set up, how many people were involved and all the preparation that goes into it.It was such an eye opening experience. She was amazing.Her voice was incredible. “
The new EP ‘The Early Hurts’ is a summary of all the most significant people, places and events that happened to Breheny from moving to London until the age of 22.
“ I wanted to frame that part of my development. It’s a collection of stories.”
Its an emotional EP and a very powerful expression of Breheny as an artist.
“Haha! I’m an emotional guy. I think the best songs are when you hit a vibe, you connect with something, the lyrics then come really quickly. A lot of the time with my songs I’ll probably spend two days writing the song, but if you put a camera in there or a stopwatch on the moments of inspiration they would probably add up to like two hours max over like 20 hours because other times you are just out of it and you are not connected to whatever is going to come through you.Lyrics, they come in shoots. I will be fumbling around for ages and then in an instant I will have a verse and then I will be back to hitting against a wall with absolutely no hope for another hour and then something will happen. You have to just stick in there.”
A stand out track on the EP is ‘Villains’. It has a bluesy sultry tone with a Rag’n’Bone Man vibe and apparently is the flagship track of a bunch of songs like this. He also gives us a sneaky insight into one particular track ‘Serial Killer’
“ I had come out of a really weird relationship with this girl.She was just a bit mad, There is a song called Serial Killer that I wrote about her and then I bought in to this idea of you can do whatever the fuck you want in relationships and getting into bad habits and not caring in a bad way and thinking that was cool. Villains is cool I really like the vibe of it.I really want to do a video of it. There is going to be more songs down the line with that vibe.”
A very cheery and charming chap Breheny laughs and banters his way through our interview with an honest and joyful approach. I couldn’t help but notice the contrast between his intense performances and his fun-filled attitude outside of his performances – especially his performance of Selena Gomez’s ‘Lose You To Love Me’ on RTE2FM.
“Yeah it’s so funny I can’t help it. It is what it is. I remember looking back at it and I knew the recording was good and I didn’t think it was bad but I had a feeling that people were going to see these ridiculous faces that I pull and be like oh what’s this lad up to. I’ve been trying to carve what I do on a stage or when I do a live song and it just feels forced so whatever, it is what it is.It has to be sincere”
On the topic of advice for other artists Breheny feels pressure to leave some words of wisdom.
“ Oh I should prepare for this. I would say… don’t ever define yourself as your vision of the past.You should make an active choice to define yourself by your vision of yourself in the future and literally do that as in say I see myself doing this .. whatever future me is going to do… so what does present me have to do to get there. We all do this about the past. You can actively choose to go forward and that will define who you are.Life is so short you should go do what you want to do.If you do it enough and enjoy it, it never feels like wasted time.You will eventually become good at it and when you are good at it someone will pay you for it.Have faith in yourself and don’t care what other people think.It’s easier said than done but you have to be true to yourself.”
Moncrieff has a show in The Academy, Dublin: Thursday 16th April, 2020. He has been in the studio in Brighton finishing off six tracks for next year.
“ These tracks are where I’m at now. Its going to be very different. I’m thinking ah no,, people in Ireland are just starting to really enjoy the EP and I’m just going to give them this.” He winces “ we will see, but I’m really looking forward to it” ….. so are we.
Stream ‘The Early Hurts’ below
Author : Danu
We sat down to have a chat with Josh Jenkinson , Eli Hewson, Robert Keating and Ryan McMahon from Inhaler before their sold out shows in The Button Factory Dublin. We talked about how they form their tracks, the pressure on bands and artists now and what advice they would give new artists based on their experience.
Watch the interview below
Author : Danu
Author : Danu
Security move the eager front line back from the stage as the crowd in The Button Factory, Dublin gush about how many times they have seen new risers Inhaler and why “these guys are the best band out there at the moment”. There is a varied fan base for these young rock stars, a healthy crowd of all ages throng the venue to see what Inhaler have in store for their second sold out night. Many had seen them the night before, some traveled from the UK and farther afield to see the Dublin quartet. One fan in particular told me she had seen them the previous week in London and had tickets to see them again two more times in the UK next year. There is a buzz about Inhaler that is the envy of many artists on the circuit. They have even been long-listed for BBC Music Sound of 2020. I thought to myself, could this fresh faced quartet live up to the hype and deliver a great live show? Well …yes, actually they can deliver… with oodles of swagger and explosive onstage persona. The Button Factory witnessed something special Thursday night – a budding band which is destined to go far.
But first we are treated to one of the most impressive support slots of the year. Kilkenny’s The Wha embrace with ease the task of warming up the crowd. The band provide tantalizing tunes laced in psychedelic indie bliss with dreamy, moody, melodic undertones. ‘Innocents’ introduced the crowd to their melodically lush sound. The band’s modest stance and simple stage presence make them instantly charming however their musical prowess is not to be underestimated. These guys are a talented bunch of musicians. They had more control over our swaying bodies than we did. The Wha’s songs will make you bop and move before you even realise you want to. Bassist Marek Lech and drummer Abe G. Harris provide a solid, driving groove that is impeccably elastic and malleable. ‘Blue For You’, ‘40 Odd Years’ and ‘She Won’t Believe Her Eyes’ all exude wonderful hazy melodies with heavy blasts. The refined, precise guitar melodies executed ever so coolly by dual vocalists Finn Cusack and Sam Cullen had the crowd in the palm of their hands.
These guys are prime quality indie and sure to skyrocket due to their clever musicianship and delicious melodies. They are cool, competent musicians. The Wha are a band you need to know and listen to.
Inhaler triumphantly take to the stage to a mass of cheers. The rock ‘n’ roll band’s lively energy distinguishes their live performance from other acts. They are inimitable onstage, each members larger than life persona oozed confidence and skill beyond their years.
The band blast full speed into their set. Another proficient bassist, Robert Keating provides the infectious groove throughout their tracks with an effortless attitude. His serious stance charms some members of the audience to gush about his stern smoulder while his sublime and intricate bass lines impress the masses. The quartet have the crowd eating out of the palm of their hands from the get go. Everyone wanted a picture/ video of this young band in action. Ryan McMahon tackles the drums, raised on a drum riser his hair flops in time with the rapid powerful beat. His rhythmic thumping commands the crowd to dance. The bands sound is blazing as they weave psychedelic hues into their pummeling rock ‘n’ roll. “This one is the slow one so if you wanna go take a piss do that now” frontman Eli Hewson announces before the sultry ‘A Night On The Floor’. Quite the dynamic frontman he prances about the stage each flick, strut and pose praised with whoops from the crowd. Hewson’s charming personality is infectious. He moves to the front of the stage, reaching out to fans while executing a sweet little shuffle/wiggle with his feet. He holds everyone’s attention while his warm rasped vocals drape over the bands pop-drizzled melodies with a velvety croon.
‘Ice Cream Sundae’ ignites one of the most excitable reactions from the crowd as they bellow back the lyrics wholeheartedly and lovingly. It’s a non stop party. ‘Falling In’ continues the kinetic energy with its scorching rush of intensity and swagger. This band have an impressive first rate lineup of musicians. Josh Jenkinson is one class act guitarist. He meanders beautifully through intricate, lush guitar lines. His adept skill is majestic and a joy to watch.
It’s easy to see why Inhaler have an audience ranging from all ages. From the clapping stomp of ‘My King Will Be Kind’ to the glistening ‘Cheer Up Baby’ the band seamlessly drift through multi tones and genres providing something everyone can enjoy. ‘My Honest Face’ closes the bands set with the crowd going absolutely crazy. It’s a dark enigmatic track laced in explosive, thrilling and glorious instrumentation. No one wants Inhaler’s set to end. However the band don’t appear to stand on ceremony and they leave the stage with a bow.
Inhaler are a slick, well primed machine that are cultivating their sound and brand superbly. They are creating something truly captivating and relevant. It is easy to realise what all the hype is about and how they have garnered such a loyal adoring fanbase. They are an act to get excited about. They are mesmerising to watch onstage and with such a great sound, if they keep doing what they are doing these proficient musicians will be very big indeed.
We sat down to have a chat with Rocco Hueting from De Staat before their show in The Academy Dublin. We discussed the bands transformation through their six album long repertoire so far, the ‘Pikachu’ dance and the intricacies of how they form their tracks. Watch out for cameos as Torre Florim and Vedran Mircetic make sneaky appearances.
Watch The Interview Below
Author : Danu
Dutch five piece De Staat took The Academy, Dublin by storm last night. A band renowned for their high energy, intoxicating live shows brought their trademark fun, shredding tunes and dancing to the Irish crowd who went utterly bonkers for the band. It was an incredible sight to behold.
Dublin’s rock ‘n’ roll duo New Valley Wolves took the task of warming up the crowd in their stride. ‘Shake Your Bones’ aptly kick starts their set loosening up the crowds hips. This band are a raw rock duo that produce no nonsense tracks saturated in steamy blues and gritty riffs. Their lusty sound filled the venue with razor sharp guitar lines and pulverising drum progressions that could shake the floor of hell. Their set is a battering assault of crashing rock at its purest. ‘Animal’, ‘Eyes On Me’ and ‘All You Do Is Talk’ wrestle the ears and command you to dance and mosh and the crowd gladly obliged – headbanging and bouncing to the duo’s infectious rock. There is little banter with the crowd – Jonny and Baz are there to rock our socks off and boy! they did. The duo were as tight as ever, musically impeccable and their sound dropped into the venue like a heavy atom bomb. Jonny’s vocals howl out the sharp spitting lyrics while he nimbly maneuvers through slick swagger-filled riffs with ease. There is a coolness to this band that oozes out of everything they play – well, that is until Baz describes them as “dad rockers” to which Jonny replies “ don’t say that we will look un-cool”. The band play their new single which is due for release tomorrow ‘Snake Spit Venom’ – a catchy, acid drizzled slithery number laced in the neck breaking drums and fiery riffs that New Valley Wolves are known for. This band are professionals and are unfazed by the task of warming up the crowd. They sprawl their scorching tunes into the atmosphere consuming all with ears. I’ve seen these guys perform to a packed venue of their devoted fans moshing and jumping in unison a few times now so it’s refreshing to see the band perform to a new fresh-faced audience and see them win them over one by one until the crowd are moshing and wiggling by the final ballsy track ‘Fire In The Blood’. There is never a lagging moment in this duo’s set and they put on a whopping, fantastic show no matter the setting.
De Staat enter, casually taking up their instruments as the crowd cheer in excited anticipation. Torre Florim the ever flamboyant and entertaining frontman dressed in a silver suit begins to wiggle and dance while he spits out the lyrics to ‘Me Time’. The five piece are an increasingly eccentric and energetic band and their show even more so. Last night De Staat’s set traveled between genres. Wobbly, piercing and intricate guitar maneuvers come from Vedran Mircetic, who is perhaps the most calm and collected person in the venue. His stance is simple and his guitar pedals are almost uncountable as he steps and strides his way between different combinations while producing the most exhilarating and unique sounds. ‘Down Town’ creates stomping frenzy among the audience. The rapid gallop of the track is a hyperactive infection that causes limbs to flail in every direction imaginable. Rocco Hueting multi-tasks between synths, percussion and guitar but it’s that ‘Pikachu’ dance he performs with Florim that is the icing on the cake. These guys create fun, dance-able tunes that bend your mind in many delicious ways. From the techno tones, the hip hop R&B elements of ‘Fake It Till You Make It’ and swag of ‘Peptalk’ and the psychedelic brain trampling of ‘Make Way For The Passenger ‘ these guys create an atmosphere for you to let everything go and dance. Tim van Delft on drums creates those infectious grooves with finesse while occasionally standing to encourage the crowd’s frenzy and showcase his chic golden embossed shirt. The set goes from one high point to another as the mass sing along’s and Florim’s dance-filled antics continue. Florim ventures towards the crowd commanding them like his worshiping congregation. I don’t think there is even one person who didn’t know every word of the lyrics. Everyone knows when to clap and when to shout as Florim passes the mic to members of the crowd to sing the “You gotta help yourself” lyric of ‘Help Yourself’. However it is ‘Witch Doctor’ that is the most wonderful sight to behold. I’ve heard of it and always wanted to witness it first hand – anyone who has seen the ‘Best Animation in a Video UK Music Video Awards 2016′ winning video will be aware of the concept of Florim standing in the middle of a mass of people like some wicked circus ring-leader and commanding them into a circle of death. Well, last night when the band performed ‘Witch Doctor’ the crowd began this circle themselves as Florim stood at the front of the stage swirling his hands like a master puppeteer as if he was churning the crowd round while they jumped and moved in a circular motion. It was a whole room filled with a sea of bodies moving in one moshing mush. However, the fun did not end there. No way were the crowd going to let the show end there. The audience shouted for “one more tune” until the band returned for their electrifying encore. Jop van Summeren operates the bass with majesty creating unique and wacky sounds while laying down slinky grooves especially for closing track ‘KITTY KITTY’. ‘KITTY KITTY’ is one outstanding piece of work but I wondered how would it measure up live. Well…. pretty damn fantastic. That bass intro is brilliant live. It has the mystery and luring power that could introduce the main character in a Quentin Tarantino movie while also adding a sweet sleek quality to this adrenaline building track. The crowd erupted – singing, dancing and screaming throughout the song, A fantastic end to a riveting night.
I was aware that De Staat put on a good show but last night it was from a whole other world. The five piece put on a whirlwind show and had the audience eating out of the palm of their hands, drooling for more. Once you see these guys live you will wonder what you have been doing with your life up to now. Maybe it’s the raw ecstasy of their tracks or the hyper rhythms, slinky guitar and psychedelic hues, but once you see them live De Staat become the drug you just can’t quit.
Author : Danu
