Derry Showcase at OhYeah!
Intermission, Furlo, Best Boy Grip, Future Chaser
Derry Showcase, Oh Yeah! Centre,
Tuesday 1st November, 2011
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As we stroll in Future Chaser are already in full swing at the Oh Yeah Centre and getting the place going with some high energy alternative rock. They have something about their music that stirs something inside of you. 'Chances' gives off a melancholic and thoughtful vibe associated with acts like Angels and Airwaves, the heavy drum beat acting like a call to arms, whilst on the other hand 'Japan' gives you a more pop rock experience with zealous vocals, something that easily gets your foot tapping.
They're a tight and switched on band with no airs or graces and they've set us up for a great night.
On come Best Boy Grip and to look at them you wouldn't think they were a band, but never judge a book by it's cover. They start off with 'Soldier Boy' and this immediately puts a smile on everybody's face, frontman Eoin O'Callaghan captivates the hall with his masterful use of the piano and his charming voice. One song down and the hall has nearly filled up, they must be doing something right.
The band exits the room leaving Eoin on his own where he gives a heartfelt and soulful performance of 'Monster and Me' that he describes as 鈥渁 song about liking somebody but the person you like turns out to be an ***.鈥 During this song you forget what is going on around you, engrossed in the simple yet deep performance of a man and his piano; you really feel like these songs have meaning and substance to them.
It feels like the night may have prematurely peaked when they end their set with 'Barbara', a fast paced, melodic triumph of a song that has nearly everybody on their feet. Best Boy Grip are Derry's answer to Ben Folds Five and have set a high bar for the rest of the night.
It's Furlo's turn on the stage and they make things interesting with 'Shake', it's got a real Caribbean vibe to it's guitar intro which is backed up by almost 8-bit sounding keyboards and precisely timed vocals, it's a song that really shows off their versatility. Songs like 'Logic Too Late', prove that they are great songwriters, producing something that is not only thought provoking but anthemic in it's nature.
Finally it's time for Intermission, the three-piece from Derry are here to give you a wake up call and they plunge straight in with 'Mess We Made', lead singer Glenn delivers his epic vocals that would give Cormac Neeson from The Answer a run for his money. Right after that we experience 'Break This Boy', the band playing like a well oiled machine and with such intensity that you're just waiting for the guitar strings to snap.
The band really enjoy what they do and that feeling is contagious, passing itself on to the crowd as they thrash along to 'The Way', a frenzied drum solo coupled with an even more panicked guitar solo. It's time for a song off their new EP 'Escaping Dharma' called 'Little More Help', it breaks straight into an amazing riff followed by bellowing, awe inspiring vocals that need to be seen live to be believed.
Frontman Glenn addresses the crowd and says, 鈥淭his next song is about when you get a little bit drunk and start going through names on your phone, especially female names...鈥 We're given a more reserved performance in 'Tied Up and Twisted' with all the passion of an alternative love song that's not actually about love. Intermission give nothing but 100% intensity from start to finish and blow us all away with 'No Reason', slowly building pressure with a solid bassline and eventually exploding in a dramatic and tremendous fashion.
If tonight is anything to go by then Derry still has so much to contribute to the music scene of Northern Ireland, each band tonight represented different genres and they all brought something unique to the table. Whether it is pop, rock, indie or electro, Derry has got you covered.
James J Magill
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