Eagles of Death Metal | Dolan’s Warehouse  | Tuesday August 25th

They rocked our socks off and charmed our knickers off. When an over enthusiastic guy shouts ‘Boots Electric you’re the sexiest man alive’ at you from the crowd, you know you’ve got it. Eagles of Death Metal really know how to work the crowd in to a rock fuelled frenzy. They put on one hell of a show in Dolan’s on August 25^th. EODM played a sold out show and seemed to unleash the rock n’ roll maniac that lurks in all of us. They played an equal mix of songs from Peace Love Death Metal, Death By Sexy, and their latest album Heart On, with the crowd going wild for I Want You So Hard and Cherry Cola. It seemed like they had a huge fan base, but I discovered while chatting in the smoking area afterwards that a lot of people had gone to the gig after hearing how amazing their live shows were, and judging by the response of the elated crowd not one person was disappointed, certainly not me.

Ciara Peters

Lisa Hannigan  | Daghdha Dance Space  | Thursday August 6^th

After a whirlwind year that saw Ms Hannigan move from playing her ‘little big tour’ before the release of her now Mercury Prize Nominated debut album Sea Sew last August, to supporting Jason Mraz on a 42 date tour of the U.S followed by a solo jaunt of her own, Lisa Hannigan came to Daghdha, poised and perfectly comfortable as the front woman and beating heart of her great band. Still shy and quiet between songs, it was no matter, as she moved seamlessly from opener Pistachio, through Sea Song and Splishy Splashy, within minutes she had the full house in the enchanting Daghdha Church hooked. Tightly lined up between her guitarist Gavin Glass and Tom Osander on percussion, Lisa’s voice lifted and lulled the audience from the softest of notes to the most buoyant of booming heights. Goosepimply at this stage. A beautiful cover of Dylan’s Tom Thumbs Blues followed, with Ocean and a Rock jaunting us further along. Lisa and the boys have picked up a medley of weird and wonderful instruments on their travels; added to the harmonium and xylophone are an array of percussive shakers bringing more jingle to the jangly pop they are revered for. Stand out songs included her new track Brolly Beats while her rousing performance of Lille closed the show beautifully. Coming back on stage to perform another new track solo, the winsome Passengers told the tale of a broken heart trailing through the cities of the states thinking on her lover, simply lovely. The full ensemble returned to close the show with the bassy album banger, Keep it All, after a brief tangle with her guitar strap, a beguiling laugh and thanks to the crowd they were gone but the upbeat, joyous and captivating atmosphere with which they had filled the room lingered, giving the same buzz as catching the perfume of someone you fancy on your clothes, long after they’ve left. Rooms like Daghdha are made for performers like Lisa Hannigan. What a night.

** Editors note (to the editor) Lisa Hannigan was an Eightball.ie show, and reminded me in living colour, lights, sound and atmosphere why I love my job so.

Sarah

Nick Carswell & The Elective Orchestra Oceanview Tour  | Dolan’s Upstairs | Tuesday August 11^th

Somethings are worth waiting for and Nick Carswell and The Elective Orchestra’s E.P and launch party in Dolan’s was one such event. Understated, perfectly pitched, gently entrancing, the music wraps around you like a misty fog on a fresh winters morning, waking you up while making you want to dive into it’s misty goodness. Wow, where am I going with this. In a nutshell, Nick with Bart on Percussion, Ferg on Bass, Dee & Kate Cussen on Cello and Violin respectively charmed an eager crowd with songs like the new release Oceanview, When I’m Not Around, From the Ground Up and Running on Empty. One negative about this great gig, there should have been a full house there to see it. Quality music making from one of the best groups in the country.

Catch Nick Carswell & The Elective Orchestra on The Green Stage | Body & Soul Arena |  Electric Picnic @ 7pm on Saturday September 5^th.

Humble Grumble @ The ARTiculate Sessions | Baker Place  | Saturday October 1^st

If you missed Humble Grumble play in Baker place, well lets just say you’re unfortunate! Humble Grumble are a culturally diverse group, with plenty of attitude and a profound identity. Their mix of folk sounds, combined with lyrics, overflowing with humor enchanted the crowd. Though their name suggests humble, their musical ability is far from it. Each musician is capable of taking their instrument to the ultimate extreme, together they sound magnificent and can take on any stage. Rarely have I seen an audience so focused on such a crazy bunch. Definitely a band you do not want to miss. When they return it’s a must see, you’ll be in for an evening of mad surprise.

Katie Nanne and her husband