John Corabi (Unplugged)
Auntie Annie鈥檚, Belfast
Saturday, November 17th
Having played with or fronted the likes of Union, The Scream and Motley Crue 鈥 the latter on their genuinely impressive 1994 self-titled album 鈥 Pennsylvanian fifty-something remains one of the most well travelled and well-versed hard rock performers in the business. With a CV with very few comparisons in the genre, tonight he brings his wide-ranging back catalogue and powerful voice to Belfast, stripped back and bare-boned.
Despite expressing disappointment at the poor turn-out at his two previous Irish dates on the current tour, Corabi has drawn a hefty crowd tonight 鈥 an eclectic melange of youth and experience; the curious and the heartily inducted. Kicking off with a swift one-two of Union tracks propped up on a stool 鈥 including single 鈥楲ove (I Don鈥檛 Need It Anymore)鈥 鈥 he is clearly on fine form; interspersing anecdotes and musings with vigorous yet minimalist renderings of songs faithfully echoed by tonight鈥檚 ever-growing audience.
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The Bonnevilles, The Wood Burning Savages, Troublesome Bucks
The Retro, Portrush
Friday 16th November 2012
This evening is the first of a run of album launches for The Bonnevilles. Having just released their second studio album, 鈥淔olk Art & The Death of Electric Jesus鈥, the duo are travelling across the province to introduce new ears to their retro inspired fusion of blues and punk.听
But first, they don鈥檛 come more classic rock鈥檔鈥檙oll than the Troublesome Bucks. The songs are pretty much standard fare with no frills attached, but this allows the skill of the musicians to stand out. These guys like a good guitar solo and aren鈥檛 afraid of a middle eight either. Fans of Rory Gallager won鈥檛 be disappointed by their sound, which is clearly influenced by his music. 鈥淢idnight Train鈥 is the highlight of a tight set, showcasing a band of accomplished performers.
open with the dark, slighty eccentric chant of 鈥淗igh Rise鈥 over the thrum of a six string bass. It鈥檚 a mixed bag; bright bouncy pop-worthy numbers, such as 鈥淰enus鈥, contrast with almost tribal driven beats. Thankfully the vocals of unlikely frontman Paul Connolly prevent it from getting a bit too bipolar. Don鈥檛 be fooled by his slight stature; jittering on his tiptoes, Connolly鈥檚 voice commands attention and stands out with an ethereal, quivering quality. There鈥檚 a moment when his guitar string breaks and he almost sends his mic stand careening offstage, but he battles on with the same momentum, unphased. 鈥淕oose鈥 stands out for its splendid three part harmonies, whilst closing track 鈥淭houghts of You鈥 defines the stomping and impatient theme that runs through most of their music.
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Villagers, SOAK
The Black Box, Belfast
Sunday 11th November 2012
'Your new stuff is amazing' shouts some guy. It's an amusingly polite heckle, yet no one really laughs. They're too busy nodding in enthusiastic agreement, bemused by these adventurous songs. It helps that the sound is immaculate, every little detail shining through. It's pretty much perfect, really.
Earlier though, we had . Armed just with her acoustic guitar and a few rambling tales, she's a great scene setter, utterly captivating, full of intrigue. The curiosity that comes with such a talanted 16 year old soon dispels however - these songs are pretty universal after all, full of wisdom for one so young. 'Sea Creatures' remains the stand out and, given the masses penchant for a stripped down ballad, surely a future hit. Soak tells us there's Radio 1 daytime plays to look forward to this week and everyone cheers, knowing she's really on to something.
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