Two of London’s hottest new bands BLESS. and SISTERAY joined forces for a sweaty night of Rock’n’Roll with support from Ireland’s The New 52 and The Clockworks in the Workman’s Club Dublin. It was a night to remember brimming with high excitement, top rate tunes and thrilling music.
Dublin rock band The New 52 graced the ears of the early birds with a set filled with their entire new EP ‘Green’. These guys have a sublime sound -its smooth, vibrant and just glorious to listen to. ‘We’ll Always Have Paris’ is a delightful number smothered in zealous guitar and a superb running bass. Their tracks are filled with that gripping heart warming vibe that makes you smile while swooning in sweet nostalgia. Darragh Cullen’s vocals are filled with emotion and the harmonies are just delightful. Kicking off a gig can be a difficult task, but I like how these guys went about it – they got up there, did their thing and encased us in their luscious tunes. There are some little gems in their repertoire, ‘Controlling The Night’ features some dazzling guitar moments from Conor McLoughlin while ‘Is There Revolution?’ gives, Mikey Deasy a chance to shine with his running rooted bass grooves and let’s not forget that foot stomping drumming from Sean O’Connor adding a healthy punch to each song. Track after track builds the good vibes even the sweet soppy ‘Love’ to start has that adrenaline rush that Springsteen’s ‘Born To Run’ possesses while remaining tender. It’s a tight display from the four piece.
Galway punk band The Clockworks take the stage with no messing about. They blast straight into ‘Rumours In The Stockroom’ the rapid lyrics fluidly rolling off vocalist James McGregor’s tongue. The tracks are snappy and quick and this four-piece waste no time in delighting our ears with a constant onslaught of punchy instrumentally deft tunes. The guitars are sharp and the rhythm about as pumping, groovy and elastic as you can get. It’s angsty, edgy indie punk that you can dance to at its best. They are a dapper bunch too- adding a slap of sleekness to their punk flavoured brawl. ‘Those Drunken Nights and Pointless Fights’ features a supple steamy 
bassline while the biting sting on guitar slice through your ears in the most thrillingly sharp manner. McGregor is an intense performer giving it all he’s got while Seán Connelly and Tom Freeman stand cool and collected at either side, effortlessly gliding from slinky bass grooves and sultry guitar licks to crashing mosh ready tempos. They write tunes to get you fired up filling your veins with adrenaline ‘The Pills Keep Coming’ is the perfect example of this – its catchy, accelerated and one you won’t forget anytime soon. I loved the “song about dickheads” ‘Mr Tight T-Shirts’ it’s witty honest and to the point with the instrumental backing to make it pretty epic and sticky mosh pit ready.
London’s Sisteray follow next. Whacking straight into ‘Faaast Food’ their staggering swagger coolly oozes through every note. It’s a professional display which seems to take hold when they get on stage. With sharp fuzzed guitars splitting the snappy drums and a driving bass its feisty punchy rock with some sleekness seeping through. The new single ‘Algorithm Prison’ is electrifying live there is the perfect shout along chorus to get any crowd riled up. They blend unbridled rock & roll, relative pop sensibilities and pure attitude to create a sound that is so damn riveting. Niall Rowan is a charismatic
frontman who exudes charm and composure while the swagger of guitarist, Daniel Connolly and bassist Michael Hanrahan is undeniable, they are pros at those guitar poses and rock and roll facial expressions. Older tracks such as ‘A Wise Man Said’ explode with tuneful enthusiasm. A recording of the Queen speaking (which goes on a litter longer than normal) and a sweet jazzy jam which Calum Landau on drums kick starts introduces ‘Queen’s English’ as Connolly deals with a guitar malfunction, they assure us “we are not royalists”. When the track does finally begin its worth the wait, but it’s the new tracks that peeked my attention. These guys are growing as artists and that is exciting to see. Honing in on their skills and making their sound
tighter and more intricately layered. ‘Rumour Mill’ (my favourite track of the night) with its rumbly rhythm and twinkling guitar to start teases the mammoth to come as they blast into the chorus. The steamy guitar whines contrast the rooted danceable rhythm superbly. There is a steady growth here as these guys are refining their sound without loosing the rough edgy rawness we love so much. That instrumental bridge is just magnificent. There is exciting things to come from this band they have not reached their full potential yet.
Finally London’s infectiously energetic and insanely enthusiastic BLESS. take to the stage like a hurricane whizzing through their set starting with the vibrant neck snappingly brisk ‘Old Man Jake’. Vocalist Joei Silvester is a riot on the stage- throwing every pose and shape that is imaginable. Using his guitar as a gun he shoots at the crowd,dances, hops and wiggles – it’s a spectacle for sure and thoroughly entertaining. Kieran Kearns on vocals and keyboard is another mesmerising character who can squat by the keys for nearly the entire set while also wiggling and dancing. It was a fun and enjoyable set that raced by so fast we didn’t see it coming. Their tracks are catchy with melodies that sneak into your brain and refuse to leave. Its difficult to resist the charms of this band the melodies are delightful, guitars jangly and sharp and the rhythm is set to dance mode – what’s not to love?. “what we don’t like is ignorant f*cking arseholes who are fat and talk a load of rubbish you wish you understood but don’t really wish you understood cos that would make you just as bad as them so you just keep you mouth shut so you don’t stick out and you hate yourself for it” is the epic introduction to ‘Fat Stan’. 
‘Easy Lover’ is my favourite track on their set list. It’s sultry desert western riff seeps and creeps while a luring rhythm lurks behind building in intensity up to the manic chorus. It all goes a bit crazy here Silvester mistreats a tambourine and begins whacking it around while dancing suggestively. Short for time, they speed into the next few tracks. They finish their set the best way possible .. with a Halloween song – anyone who knows me knows my love for Halloween (its better than Christmas) so, ‘Skeleton Dance’ was the perfect ending to their frantic highly entertaining set. They do a surprise encore once Jake Barnett sorts his rogue guitar out. Ending with Silvester and Kearns sprawled out on the stage on their backs.
These are four fantastic bands that everyone should jump on the bandwagon and get familiar with. They are all ones to keep an eye on.
demonstrate this perfectly with intricate licks, flicks and sing along ready chorus’. Scally raps and belts with enough chest-thumping pride and fiery attitude to keep you pumped and ready to join him in his Kiedis- esque dancing and limb flailing. They deal with technical difficulties like pros, and in true Kiedis manner the shirt comes off for the brazen ‘Lets Fuck’. It’s a fiery kinetic set with the blistering lead guitar leaving scorching burn marks through infectious bass grooves while Colin O’Brien literally breaks the drums with his pounding elastic beats, and to bring it all together is a charismatic, fearless frontman. The definition of swagger.
The band are on top form all smiles and cheery. Banter is at a minimal as they waste no time whacking out their infectious tunes ‘Gun In Your Pocket’ in particular is one catchy song- you will have to prise that one out of your brain. It’s rumbling strident bassline runs along building in intensity before the track explodes with shrilling crashing guitars and mighty drums. When these guys are sleek and sultry it’s sublime ‘Headlights’ in particular comes across magnificently live. There is not doubt these guys are ones not to be missed live.
and the first riff sing along of the night. From the get-go members of the crowd are crowd surfing. Practically everyone has a go, sometimes two or three at a time. From the melodic sweet mellow melodies to the hefty thumping rhythms the crowd know every pulse and waver in the tracks. One small command from Taran Plouzané and the crowd descend to their knees ready for the massive instrumental blow up that brings heavy, manic moshing and pushing. Bicurious’ set never feels repetitive, nor less than electrifying to watch. As an instrumental band they keep their audience engaged with intricate, luscious riffs and sweet melodies while packing in a thrilling heavy dose of mosh ready ferocity. Plouzané stomps about the stage while Purcell throws his drumsticks into the air and gestures to the crowd to go wild. The crowd began circle pit moshing as people were flung about the floor, it was a sweaty spectacle for sure. Their as of yet unnamed ‘New Song’ which went down a treat, showcased a slight shift in the duo’s sound. Sounding like an acid drenched dance rave it made the crowd go nuts. With the green lighting it was definitely a dizzying savage 
bombardment to the senses. ‘Sleep’ brings about another blitz of hair swishing, sweat flicking moshing which surprisingly brought a nice whiff of sweet smelling shampoo my way not exactly the smell you’d expect, but a welcome one. The band bring Mark Barry from Dicey up on stage for a monstrous cover of Rage Against the Machine’s ‘Bulls on Parade’. Experiencing a mic dilemma Barry belts out the track anyway with the crowd helping to amplify the vocal line. Naturally a Rage Against the Machine cover sparks total anarchy among the crowd making the faulty mic unnoticeable. Multiple crowd surfing, a torn down curtain and many spilt drinks later we come to the end of the duo’s magnificent set. Bicurious’ set was so furious and fast that their hour whizzed by in what seemed like 10 minutes. ‘Father’ closes their set resulting in the duo crowd surfing as the audience lift them high and proud, Purcell lays back fully horizontal, “like a boss” raised above the crowd. Plouzané joins him in what looks like a blissful state of ecstasy.
synchronized head movement between O’Hanlon and Ross Farrelly add a nice bit of humour and fun to what is a slick proficient set. Their stage personas are becoming larger than life and they seem at their best live, smiling and bantering with the crowd. They create a modest effect of frenzy among the crowd who are a wee bit tamer than the last show I saw the Strypes at. The girl frenzy is turned down a touch at the start but they scream when Farrelly slides down his glasses to look over them and they lose their sh*t when he strolls down to the front holding the mic out for them to sing along. Josh McClorey shows off his nimble steamy guitar skills and rock and roll guitar facial expressions as he adds some ornamentation throughout their set which is particularly impressive during ‘Angel Eyes’. They balance their set between a perfect mix of the beloved tracks from all albums
‘Black Shades Over Red Eyes ‘provoking a massive clap along while ’Get Into It‘ and ‘Freckle And Burn‘ cause a shimmy dance and mosh frenzy. All tracks go down well with the crowd. It’s a room full of youthful exuberance and good tunes. They are a charismatic, mesmerising quartet on stage, each member managing to hold your attention and leave you gob smacked at the swagger and finesse this young band possess.
triumphant brass blasts fill out their infectious sound with warmth, depth and might. The grooves are body moving and the guitar lines sharp, thrilling and vibrant. These guys brought their party tunes packed with a sound that coaxes you to the dance floor and commands you to dance entrapped and mesmerised. They have fun on stage, smiley faces galore as they let the good vibes lure the crowd to dance and groove. Murphy is an expressive frontwoman and exudes oodles of sass and swagger as she hops and boogies on stage. Though their songs have a light fun exterior they pack a hefty punch behind them with gritty guitar lines and mighty drums. ‘Wake Up’ their most recent single translates magnificently live. It’s one designed to get those feet tapping. A Jamiroquai cover of ‘Just Dance’ and a funkadelic 
rendition of Spice Girls ‘Who Do You Think You Are’ gets the crowd singing along and bopping while a fallen earring and a story about “Patrick The Snake” keeps the banter brief and sweet, so the tunes can grease up the crowds hips and get them limber for MUNKY.
floppily in time with the music. Donnelly and Russell playfully interact during the tracks as Donnelly, now well on his way to becoming a master showman hops, wiggles, falls to his knees and air drums dramatically. It’s a spectacle for sure and entertaining to watch. The tunes are massive and the crowd lap up every psychedelic distortion, hefty drum roll and elastic bass joggle. Zachary Stephenson pines, bellows and exclaims over the mic. Hair is everywhere both on stage and among the crowd as everyone throws themselves wholly into each magnifying track moshing frantically. Backing vocalists- the lovely trio Taylor Maslanka, Rebecca Geary and Edwina Van Kuyk wiggle and bop charmingly adding a bit off class to the chaotically fantastic mayhem on the floor. The crowd bellow back the lyrics adoringly almost proud of these four chaps on stage as they shred through our eardrums in the most fantastic assault to the senses. The band seem blown away by the crowd’s adoration and enthusiasm they didn’t appear to expect them to sing every word without fail. ‘7am’ has the moshers grooving to the slinky rhythm and singing along to the “do do do” lyrics. When the audience sing your guitar riffs and licks you know you are on to something good
and that’s exactly what happened last Friday night. They sang guitar melodies, basslines and air drummed along with Russell as well as bellowing out the lyrics as if they narrated the lives of everyone in the room. They cheer and whoop the band like heroes returning from war before the thrilling rumbling intro to ‘Jam and Banana‘. MUNKY blend sweet luscious melodies with heavy skull bashing tunes effortlessly and the crowd worship each and every track- singing along to the sweet ‘I Can’t Quit’ just as zealously and passionately as ‘Hunter Gatherer Blues’ which was so loud I don’t think I could even hear Stephenson’s vocals above the crowd singing along. ‘Ms. Communication’ closes their set after the rowdy crowd yell for “one more tune!” Stephenson obliges on the condition that the crowd help him sing. ‘Ms. Communication’ kicks off and Stephenson doesn’t even have to sing the chorus. The crowd take over vigorously bellowing out the “we don’t wanna talk about it we just wanna get F*cked” lyric merrily. It was spectacular. The perfect end to a show which displayed a band that are destined for big things. Their larger than life persona and infectious tunes teamed with masterful musicianship and hard work makes these guys ones to watch for sure.
your teeth?, let me see your teeth” he bellows while the crowd scream back and you could for sure feel the sound pounding through your body bashing your senses. It was a mighty frenetic set that was unforgettable. Cedric Bixler-Zaval is tireless he doesn’t stop moving from climbing onto the speakers and karate kicking to springing into the air frantically. He gets the audience riled up and pumped. The mass of spiraling interweaving guitars pulverising drums and screaming vocals grip the crowd into submission, At The Drive In are a force to be reckoned with.
into his frontman role and is taking it in his stride as he slickly blasts out those lusty beefy riffs. “I don’t believe this is happening to us tonight this place is huge” he admits before the explosive ‘Come On Over’. It’s a tireless set of moshing singing and hair everywhere. Ben Thatcher’s pulverising drumming is so powerful and mighty it sends the crowd into a frenzy of headbanging. With dashing backing singers introduced for ‘I Only Lie When I Love You’ these guys exude a new suaveness. They’ve learned a lot and for a two-piece filled the arena with their larger than life swagger. Track after track is announced to mammoth screams and whiplash causing headbanging. They pulled out all the stops from a dramatic clap along, shredding solos to a stick on fire hitting a gong. Royal Blood made sure they put on a show to remember. There was crowd surfing, pushing, fighting for the drum sticks Thatcher threw out followed by the “Olé, Olé, Olé” chant. The duo had the crowd in the palm of their hands. Though these guys have developed a rock and roll persona they haven’t left their humbleness behind “we feel very uncomfortable right now. Worst front man of all time. I’m a man and I’m at the front and that’s it.” Kerr admits before the knock out ‘Hole In Your Heart’ which sees Kerr relocate to the front of the stage to play keys. Kerr recalls their first time in Dublin where they got “so f**king drunk… I feel like we fit in here, I feel like we all drink the same”.
flight and a floatability to his jumps. From the instantly singable ‘Class Historian’ to the slick shaky ‘Señora Borealis’ these guys put on a swagger drenched flamboyant show that oozes suave and swagger. It’s difficult not to wiggle and bop to these tunes and BRONCHO let the music do all the talking with little to no banter between tracks except for the chanting of “Queens of the Stone Age” which the crowd were only too happy to join in. Their tunes are power pop smacks of delight, their sound is fresh and invigorating, ideal for hazy summer days and just what those early bird queuers needed to defrost.
distractions, it’s the five piece and the crowd and it is extraordinary. The charisma, swagger and just plain godliness has the crowd in awe. There is so much happening on stage as each member exudes fiery stamina. Like a tag team they keep everyone on their toes with their explosive vigour. ‘Monster in your Parasol’ ’My God Is The Sun’ three songs in and it’s total turmoil in the mosh pit. Limbs flailing everywhere, hair flicking into strangers faces and necks whipping while the five-piece stride back and forth on stage jumping and kicking. ‘Feet Don’t Fail Me’ whacks the crowd into another frenzy. This is the thing with a band like Queens of the Stone Age they have so many cracking tracks a live show is a constant thrilling battering to your body. Michael Shuman strides about the stage with a fierce, intense, sultry stage presence belting out lusty mammoth bass lines and haunting backing vocals. While Troy Van
Leeuwen suave and dobonair as always skips about the stage in a red suit. “We came to dance, drink and hopefully get everyone laid.. let’s get loose” Homme declares before introducing ‘The Way You Used To Do’ as Dean Fertita ventures from behind the keys to add some brawn on guitar. Members of the audience are already being lifted out of the pit all kerfuffled and distressed from the mania. It’s all crowd surfing, shoes in the face craziness. With so many guitarists on stage the band members at times crash into the free-standing strips of light while wandering and spinning around the stage. ‘No One Knows’ evokes screams as the crowd bellow out the riff and lyrics along with the band once again causing total anarchy among the crowd. Jon Theodore showcases his slick pummelling drumming skills for first of two drum solos while Homme lights up a cigarette and watches the crowd’s reaction smiling. The crowd erupt shouting “Olé, Olé, Olé” “that’s exactly why we are here…that, right there, that’s the f**king moment… tonight, it’s our night, your f**king night, our f**king night” Homme responds before the finale of ‘No One Knows’. Usually a drum solo is a brave move but it’s Jon Theodore for god sake it was legendary! Homme is effortlessly cool with his slicked back swagger and sensual guitar licks his presence commands the attention of the arena. We all subdue to his every wish. ‘I Sat By The Ocean’ ‘Smooth Sailing’ every track bashing out relentless stamina and maintaining the frenzy of the crowd. ‘Make It Wit Chu’ and ‘Villains Of Circumstance’ act as the breathers on the set list giving something to sway and sing along to while also allowing the body feel the pain of the moshing and battering from the previous tracks.
into ‘Ophelia’, Ciarán Traynor on guitar charming the audience (causing screams every time he approached the front of the stage) with his smiley enthusiasm while fluctuant guitars add a hazy dreamy euphoria to the trippy brooding track. Their set drifting from swoony sways to fuzz filled shimmy ready rock and roll it’s a refreshing listen. ‘Mondays Don’t Mean Anything’ follows featuring an elastic punchy rhythm and energetic bounce mixed with thrilling shrills of guitar distortion. There is something retro and familiar about this four piece. Each track is performed with an effortless classic charm and charisma with a modern twist. They finish their set with ‘Mountain’ featuring a nod to Talking Heads ‘Psycho Killer’ “Fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-far” lyric in the middle. An impressively professional and panache soaked set from the newly formed band.
dreamy hazy bliss with fiery punchy blasts creating a power-driven set packed with blistering intense energy. “You’re a beautiful crowd……enjoy alcohol responsibly” Marc Ó Cearnaigh declares to the crowd before the infectious riff of ‘Window Licker’ kicks in. It’s a slick track exuding swagger and warm light indie vibes. Their mature suave sound resonates through the “slower” ‘Honey and Lemon’ which will be on their next EP. Its a jittery smooth operator packed with passionate expressive vocals, moody beat and sublime guitar lines. With a shredding sick guitar solo thrown in for good measure it’s pretty epic. The raw 
aggressive ‘Tick’ brings a mosh frenzy of delight among the crowd, girls scream as Ó Cearnaigh introduces the rest of the band Robert McDonnell (Guitar/Vocals), Christopher O’Sullivan (Drums) and J.J. Lee (Bass). Not even a mishap with the mic could hinder their stride Ó Cearnaigh laughs it off in true rock and roll manner and carries on. These guys are a confident bunch of lads and they put on a first-rate show for sure.
Mulligan “Take your top off” he replies, “I can’t do that my mam is here”. The crowd dance hop and sing along to every word. It’s an intoxicating blast of bubbly indie rock, each track short snappy and delightfully catchy. In truth, the pace was pretty much flawless throughout the entire set, as the four-piece played their delicious menu of tunes, mixing the sweet tender ‘Bloodlove’ and honeyed ‘Let Go’ (which has members of the audience belting out every word they even sing out the intro) with their darker heavier tunes like ‘Undercover’. From there, the energy only rises further. The band throw some new tracks into the set as well keeping the crowd on their toes and giving them some new tunes to sink their teeth into. Mark O’Keeffe’s sweet vocals coo over the blistering instrumentation their live show brings. These guys put on a tight show its no nonsense, slick, bubbly and steamy all at once. The hooks couldn’t be hookier, the guitars thrillingly zealous and sharp and the drums fluctuate between peppy and light to heavy. Girls scream manically through the slick rendition of ‘Got a Secret’ before the room erupts with clapping for the bridge. When was the last time we heard as sweet and engaging a guitar hook as the one that powers closing track ‘Worth It’. The crowd joyously bellow the “oh oh oh oh” lyrics back.
blasts out some shredding riffs. Their infectious rhythm and slick display for ‘I Don’t Know Why I Do It’ has the crowd fluctuating between grooving and moshing. The tracks are anthemic the guitars frantic and blistering and that rhythm – nimble gritty and snappy. They are compelling to watch delivering a full bodied dynamic set that leaves you craving more. They close their set with the fantastic ‘Thoughts Of You’, now this track was my favourite its intense dark and explosive all at once. It’s one to just go mad to and a fantastic mouth-watering way to end their set.
melodies its quite the deadly cocktail. The crowd loved it heavily moshing and just plain going crazy to every track. The last track sees Oisin jump into the crowd while bassist Joey (who is preforming his last show with the band) smashes his bass off the stage. The crowd swarmed on the stage to gather the remaining pieces of his guitar until nothing was left even a small splinter that was overlooked was swiftly snapped up by an audience member. They removed every trace of his guitar. Thumper’s set ignited the crowd turning the mosh pit into a blur of flailing limbs and tumbling bodies with their speed-riffing tunes.
when he does he takes on his frontman role zealously. He wastes no time in jumping into the crowd singing and playing in the middle of them. Appearing more comfortable on stage and learning a few new tricks they are adding swagger to their list of qualities. Their set is as fierce and dynamic as ever but there is a change from the first time we saw them a new confidence and slick panache with some stage help at the ready to keep things running smoothly. Kevin Keane and Dara Coleman control the audience like puppeteers by keeping a steady pounding skull bashing flexible rhythm which pummels through the audience making them head bang frantically. With his boyish smile lurking amidst the shadows King takes a sip of water from a cup with flashing lights on it saying “this is what all the strobe warnings were for” before an electric rendition of ‘Bad Words’. The crowd bellow back the lyrics to each track fist pumping the air and soaking up the trio’s dense brand of garage rock. They dedicate ‘Lightning’ to Kings younger brother who is in hospital, live this track displays the bands firm grip
on hooks and melody. They slice through with sharp guitars and strangle you with a melodic ecstasy that hooks you in with its sugar-coated buzz. ’Loner’ is announced to cheers and whoops, it’s raw unadulterated and unfiltered bliss. Naturally crowd surfing happened as King was lifted above the heads of their adoring fans while confetti fell at the end of ‘Bullet Head’. The band returned for an encore with a shredding dark eerie cover of ‘Suspicious Mind’.
