CONCERTO FOR CONSTANTINE – Whelan’s – April 15th 2008

Concerto for Constantine returned to Whelan’s for their third appearance in the venue on Tuesday night. Previous shows included the middle band slot on the November 2007 2FM 2MORO 2OUR which introduced them to the country followed by a guest appearance at the recent School of Rock showcase for younger up and coming bands from around the country. Their third appearance marked their biggest headlining show to date. After support slots for ‘The Smashing Pumpkins, The Futureheads’ and ‘The Enemy’ along with a handful of successful shows around the country, Concerto have sharpened their sound, songs and stage presence to perfection and on Tuesday night they showed a packed crowd in Whelan’s what their years of experience and hard work have produced.

Dublin based Funk/Rock group ‘Leopold’ opened the night. Playing a truly impressive set that brought to mind ‘Soundgarden, Rage Against the Machine’ and ‘The Red Hot Chili Peppers’. Leopold have grown steadily in their two and a half years together and even managed to land support slots for late soul legend ‘James Brown’ and Irish rockers ‘Thin Lizzy’. Although it took a few songs for guitarist Stephen McHale and singer Richie Glynn to get comfortable on the stage, this didn’t manage to affect their performance. Songs such as ‘Loser, Lonely World’ and debut single ‘Subliminal Hit’ show great prospects for their forthcoming EP. Along with acts such as ‘Waiting to Explode’ and ‘Simon and the Ghost’ Leopold are adding a nice dose of Funk back into the Irish rock scene.

As the lights dimmed around 9.30, a very excited wave swept over the crowd. With Whelan’s in darkness, Concerto’s intro track came onto the PA and Strobe lights lit up from the back of the stage. Mark, Gavin and Binzer appeared to a rapturous cheer from their new fan base as forthcoming single ‘Minsk’ opened the show. The fact that Concerto have yet to release any material doesn’t seem to matter one bit to their fans collected in Whelan’s tonight. As the band tore their way through ‘WASP’S, Cats Cradle, Stand In My Way, Falling’ and future single ‘Silver’ the crowd followed every second.

Mark’s shredding vocals are a far cry from his days with ‘JJ72’ and show a new maturity and depth lacking on his previous outputs.

The show was not only a means to give fans a chance to hear Concerto live but it also served as way for Concerto to debut a lot of their unheard material in their own surroundings. This was shown even more when Mark commented his indecisiveness about one of the newer tracks. Mark and Gavin’s usual onstage banter also helped make the crowd more relaxed and the night more enjoyable as y worked their way through the remainder of the set.

After just under an hour and a half, Concerto announced their last song. Black confetti stared to fall from the ceiling as the stage lights went darker and the band played ‘Death in Lisbon’, a haunting instrumental track to round the night off. With the confetti still falling in front of the stage covering everyone in the first six rows, Concerto returned to play an encore of ‘Minsk’, “One for the road” as Mark put it.

Fans may have to wait another while before the band can release a single or an EP and Tuesdays show will only feed that hunger for a release but it’s a great sign of things to come from C4C.

CONCERTO FOR CONSTANTINE: A BRIEF HISTORY 2007 - 2008

Ireland has always had a reputation for great music. It’s been part of tradition and heritage for as long as any one can remember. However, another part of this tradition is many acts getting lost in time and passed over for the sake of another group. Off course this is a common occurrence in the rest of the world and not just an issue within the Irish scene. Unlike other countries though, Irish people embrace American and English music far more than their own. Our country is small to sustain many acts due to most Irish people lack of interest in their local scene and therefore these bands are under pressure to make it in England or America or disappear. With the exception of Aslan, very few bands can survive by touring and releasing albums in Ireland alone.

Therefore, I decided to write up a small piece of my favourite group on the scene at the moment ’Concerto for Constantine’. While the members of the band have all carved out their own place on the Irish scene, they are now working together for something much bigger. National and International acclaim.

The band comprises of Mark Greany (former vocal’s and axe man for JJ72, a very successful Irish group for the late nineties/ early millennium). Mark managed to amount great success in his time with JJ72 as they released two albums, selling nearly a million copies, and toured the world for years. An astonishing feat, especially considering that JJ72 was formed and started recording while all the members were in the middle of their leaving cert. Unfortunately, JJ72 ran into difficulties. Original bass player ’Hilary Woods’ left to peruse a college degree and a family in 2003, leaving remaining members Mark and Fergal Matthews to carry on with her replacement ’Sarah Fox’. The band appeared as if they were on a hiatus for two years while they wrote and recorded their third album. They returned in 2005 with a single ’She’s Gone’ and a tour in support of its release. Later in the year they released a second single entitled ’Coming Home’ and promoted it by doing a tour of small venues across the UK and Ireland culminating in a main stage slot of Donnington’s ’Download’ Festival.
In early 2006, JJ72 split under the frustration of issues with the release of their third album. Mark carried on working on solo material after the split and even went on a UK tour in support of Simple Kid to preview some of the material. While Mark was writing material for his solo debut in New York, he received a call from old friend ’Gavin Fox’ that lead to the formation of Concerto for Constantine.

“Even, Mark at one stage hinted that I might join JJ72 and play guitar on tour with them, but at the time Turn had just formed and were kicking off and JJ72 worked well as a three piece. Eventually the chance came up when I left Vega4. Mark was in New York working on his solo album and I gave him a call and said ’Let’s do this, lets form a rock band now” – Gavin Fox, 2008

Gavin Fox has an equally full experience on the music scene as Mark. Gavin first came to prominence with Irish indie legends ’Turn’. The Kell’s group formed by Ollie Cole, Gavin and Ian Melady in 1998. Gavin spent roughly four years with Turn before leaving to join Idelwild. Like JJ72, Turn experienced many issues from the start of their career with the record industry. Although their first three singles and first EP (Facedown, Beretta, Beeswax and Check My Ears) all came out in quick succession, they were self financed and uncomplicated. It was their debut that marked the start of Turn’s problems. (2000’s Antisocial). The album gained high acclaim from most critics, however, lack of endorsement from their label (Infectious) and no advertising or promotion budget forced the band to leave the label and once again try on their own. In 2001 the ’In Position EP’ was released on their own ’Nurture’ label and once again put the group back in the Irish spotlight. Although once again the band didn’t have the funds to advertise or promote the album outside of touring.

While recording their follow up ’Forward’ in late 2001, Gavin got a call from ’Idlewild’ with an offer to join their group. Frustrated with Turn’s lack of growth, Gavin left to join the Scottish Rockers and remained art of the group for over four years. After Idelwild, Gavin joined ’Vega4’, a London based group which he played in for just under a year. It was after leaving Vega4 he decided to call Mark.

The line up was completed by Paul ’Binzer’ Brennan after an invitation from Gavin to come down and join himself and Mark for a rehearsal. Although Mark had never met ’Binzer’, he was welcomed with open arms to the group on their first meeting. Paul has played with some of Ireland best acts and on many famous recordings, including ’The Frames, Dance the Devil’ and ’Bell X1’s Music in Mouth’ to name but two. He has toured and recorded with other acts such as ’Paddy Casey, Mundy, Gemma Hayes, Halite’ and many more. His experience and talent behind the kit made him the perfect choice for Concerto and completed the lineup.

Concerto started rehearing new material and songs that Mark had been working on for his sole release were shelved as the band decided to turn back to their roots and starting writing music based on their influences (Early 90’s alt/rock such as ’Nirvana’, The Pixies ad The Smashing Pumpkins) while also giving the songs a more modern touch. Rehearsals started in late August 2007 and the band started writing and recording demos’ instantly. In September, they were invited to perform on the 2FM 2MORO 2OUR. A nation wide showcase held twice a year in order to give new groups a platform to play their music in front of live audiences and promote themselves. It was this invite that promoted the band to consider a name for their new group that properly reflected their new sound.

“We were confirming the details and they asked ’what’s the name of the band’ because they were doing up posters for the tour, so I said yeah it’s ready…I’ll call ya back in a couple of Hours” - Mark Greany 2008

The name was completed by using ’Concerto for’ which Gavin had seen on ITunes while scrolling through song names and completed by ’Constantine’. A name the Synonymous with a recurring dream Mark’s mother had been having for years about a young boy walking a lobster (on a leash) on a beach at night while a voice calls the name ’Constantine’ from beyond the sand dunes. Marks mother had told him only the week before the 2FM call that she had the dream again and Mark felt it was a sign.

Concerto for Constantine continued rehearsing and on the 28^th September, made their radio debut on the Jenny Huston show on 2FM. The band played two tracks acoustically which were recorded live on air.

On the 15^th November 2007, the group played their first live show at the Sky venue, Portlaois. The band later claimed this to be the worst show of the tour. They played a further 10 dates on the tour in venues across Ireland. By the end they had established a basic fan base.
The group spent a further two months rehearsing and recording before returning to the stage. The future single ’Minsk’ was recorded between December and February’. An early version was posted on their Myspace along with four other songs ’Gaps, Killing Fields, WASP’s and Cat’s Cradle’. However, this version was replaced by newer recording featuring a much raunchier bass line. In late January, the band announced that they were invited to support ’The Smashing Pumpkins’ at their Irish dates in Dublin and Belfast (9^th and 10^th February 2008 respectively). They were also invited to support ’The Futureheads’ for a one off show in Sligo’s newest venue ’The Clarence’. The Smashing Pumpkins support slot fulfilled a life long dream for Mark who had come close to supporting Billy Corgan on to previous occasions while he was with JJ72. The band even managed to find three stage props for the occasion. Three box’s made to look like Amp heads with each word of the bands name in ’Georgia’ font, that lit up.

During the Pumpkins support slot, the band announced their first headlining show at Dublin infamous rock bar ’Fibber Magee’s’, an event organized by ’Muzzle Music’. On February 22^nd the group took to the stage playing nine songs, the five that had been previewed on their MySpace and four un heard tracks, “Silver, Falling, Everything and Knife”. The show was sold out and promotion for the night included everything from posters and flyer’s to stickers. It was considered a triumph and the band wasted no time announcing another headlining show in the same venue on the 17^th March 2008, this time for ’Secondlife.com’ who were webcasting the show. They were also confirmed as special guests for 2FM’s ’School of Rock’ showcase. A competition for younger groups to play in a large venue and win prizes such as vouchers for musical equipment and recording time. Concerto played the event on the 9^th March making it their second appearance in Whelan’s and also their second day time show (the first being the Village on the 25^th November as the last date of the 2FM 2MORO 2OUR).

Unfortunately, the second headlining show in Fibber’s didn’t capture the magic from the first. The promoters for the event hadn’t advertised the show anywhere and there wasn’t so much as a poster put up about the performance. There was also an issue with stage times as the band were originally scheduled to appear at 8:00pm. However, the pub was next to empty (being St. Patrick’s day and a Monday, most people had finished drinking at 6:00 in order to be able to work the following morning, They instead went onstage at 10:30 and played for just under an hour. Their performance was further hindered by problems with Gavin’s Bass head and the lack of a crowd.

The following day, Concerto embarked for London to play two shows, the first at The Dublin Castle (March 18th), a legendary underground venue for Indie and rock talent. The second was at Club 229 (19th). Both shows were described as a massive success.

On March 11^th the band announced their first headlining show in Whelan’s on April 15^th. The event, which is being promoted by MCD and Phantom FM is the set to be the biggest show the band have played to date. The are also set to play the IMRO showcase on the 11^th of April in The Sugar Club. They also announced on the 8^th April that they have been asked to support ’The Enemy’ at their show on the 9^th in Dublin’s Ambassador.

After only eight moths together the band have already achieved more than most bands with records and more dates under their belt could dream of in their first two years. Some critics of the band base this on each members already established reputations on the scene. Although this has made thing go a little smoother for the group, it would be very wrong to deny that their music isn’t up to scratch for the offers and acclaim they are receiving.
Fans of the band are hoping to see some material released in 2008 such as an EP or even a full debut album. In the mean time, the band are content with promoting themselves through their incredible live performances which show the work they have been putting in during breaks between shows. They have also amassed an albums worth of material which can only be added to over the year.

08-04-2008 Update:

Concerto for Constantine have gotten ’Minsk’ remixed by classic JJ72 and Turn producer ’Marc Carolan’. The original recording and mix of ’Minsk’ was done by ’Neil Mitchell’

16-04-2008 Update:

Concerto played their first full headlining show in Whelan’s last night and blew the place away. The venue was packed and the upstairs section had to be opened to deal with the amount of people who turned up. They played 12 songs with ‘Minsk’ opening and closing the show (I assume they played Minsk twice as a result of running out of songs and also to ensure the audience got to hear songs they knew as they still have no Single, EP or album for sale)

They truly pulled out all the stops for what I can only describe as their best performance yet. Review to follow,

 

Whelan’s – April 15^th Set list:

• Minsk
• WASP’s
• Cats Cradle
• Stand in my Way
• Falling
• New Song (Possibly Knife)
• New Song (Unheard)
• Silver
• Gaps
• Killing Fields (With a drum solo intro)
• New Song (Instrumental preformed on acoustic guitar by Gav and Blue Electric by Mark)
• Minsk (“One for the Road”)

 

Concerto Gig History:

2007

Nov 15 - Sky Venue, Portlaoise
Nov 16 - Electric Avenue, Watherford
Nov 17 - Cyprus Avenue, Cork (All Ages Show + Evening Show)
Nov 18 - Trinity Rooms, Limerick
Nov 19 - Roisin Dubh, Galway
Nov 21 - Left Bank Sligo
Nov 22 - Spirit Store, Dundalk
Nov 23 - The Stables, Mullingar
Nov 24 - Whelan’s, Dublin
Nov 25 - The Village, Dublin

2008

January

Jan 31 - The Clarence, Sligo (Heineken Green Sphere’s supporting The Futureheads)

February

Feb 09 - The R.D.S., Dublin (Supporting the Smashing Pumpkins)
Feb 10 - The King’s Hall, Belfast (Supporting The Smashing Pumpkins)
Feb 22 - Fibber Magee’s, Dublin (First Headlining Show)

March

Mar 09 - Whelan’s, Dublin (2FM School of Rock show)
Mar 17 - Fibber Magee’s, Dublin (St. Patrick’s Day Show)
Mar 18 - Dublin Castle, London
Mar 19 - Club 229, London

April

Apr 09 - The Ambassador, Dublin (Supporting The Enemy)
Apr 11 - The Sugar Club, Dublin (IMRO Showcase)
Apr 15 - Whelan’s, Dublin (First Headlining show in Whelan’s)

Recording’s

Four songs were recorded for a 2FM Live Session in September 2007. ’Gap’s’, WASP’s, Killing Field’s and Cats Cradle’. All current recordings are considered Demo’s and will be rerecorded for any official release.

’Minsk’ was recorded between January and February 2008 and produced by Neil Mitchell. Two versions were mixed and previewed on MySpace. On the 7^th April 2008 a new mix of the song was posted to MySpace. Mark confirmed this version had been mixed by long time JJ72 and Turn producer ’Marc Carolan’ who now mixes songs for ’The Cure’ and ’Muse’

There has never been any official word of demos for “Silver, Falling, Everything or Knife” although it’s more than likely that all four songs have been recorded for demo’s along with other unheard tracks especially considering Binzer’s comments about the support slot for ’The Enemy’

“We figure it’d be a good opportunity to road test some new tunes for our Whelan’s gig on the 15^th” – Binzer April 8^th 2008

 

 

 

MURPHY’S LIVE SEMI-FINALS 2008 - BRAVADO Vs Stagger Lee + CATHY DAVEY

Whelan’s was packed to the rafters as it hosted the ’Murphy’s Live 2008’ semi finals. Even after the doors had been opened there was still a queue of people stretching back to the front of the pub. The heat inside the venue was so heavy you could barely move without breaking sweat. The tickets hadn’t lied about having to be inside early.

Two bands were on hand to compete against each other for a place in the final round of the competition. ’Stagger Lee’ an incredibly talented and professional quartet with a sound that fuses ’PJ Harvey, Garbage and Sonic Youth’ and ’Bravado’ a fresh young band who are proving themselves with every performance they give. On first sight it’s easy to be pessimistic due to their age but once they play you can hear great potential in their future. Also on the bill, as special guest headliner, is the Award winning and extremely talented and energetic ’Cathy Davey’ who won the award for ’Best Irish Female’ and was nominated in the ’Best Irish Album’ category for her second studio output ’Tales of Silversleeve’ at last years Meteor’s.

First up was ’Stagger Lee’ who did everything in their power to get the crowd energetic from the word go. They had already upped their promotion by providing free badges at the door for all in attendance and were also selling promotional T-shirts. Everything about Stagger’s performance was tight, despite a couple of instances involving high heels and microphone cables; they had their set down to a T, delivering a nice mixture of punk esque rock songs and slower relaxed material. Donna McCabe (vocals) voice gave the songs a ’PJ Harvey, Siouxsie Sioux, Shirley Mason’ feel and the music had an overall 90’s grunge sound about it with some crunchy Bass lines. Tracks such as ’Between Control Confusion, Misery River and their debut single ’Bad shoes’ serve as a taste of thing’s to come when they release their next EP.

’Bravado’ came on second and so did their fans. One thing about being in one of these competitions, ensure your friends, family and fans are there on the night to cheer you on. The lads were a little slower to relax into their set, which I’m sure was on account of the massive crowd in front of them and their inexperience with shows this size, however lead singer Brian Whittington didn’t seem phased in the slightest as he belted into tracks from their first EP including Running, Artificial AngelsOne Day and more recent material like ’Any Other Way, Take your Pick and Too Tired to Sleep’ and

This was the second time I have seen Bravado and they have grown enormously since the quarter finals. On first sight of Stager Lee the thought passed my mind that Bravado were now out of their depth, however they once again surprised me and I’m sure many others. The judges have a very tough decision in front of them and no matter who gets through to the finals; both bands have proven they’ve got what it takes.

As the judges reconvened on the balcony to discuss Bravado and Stager Lee’s performances, Cathy Davey came on stage to a rapturous cheer. Cathy’s recent residency shows around the country, awards and recent singles are really paying off and this could be one of the last chances to see her, not only for free, but in a venue as intimate as Whelan’s. She is set to play the Olympia in June and hopefully, she will follow in the footsteps of Damien Rice, Bell X1, Glen Hansard and Paddy Casey to international acclaim and stardom.

Although this wasn’t Cathy’s night, she preformed with the same grace, power and energy she always does. Opening with ’Mr Kill’ from her new album, she played a fantastic set which included old favorites such as Swing It, Yak Yak’ and new material from ’Tales of Silversleeve’ such as ’Reuben, Sing for your Supper, Collector’ and ’Moving’ which blended perfectly with her debut album material.

Mouth pressed firmly into the microphone, covered in sweat (like every one else in the venue), Cathy closed the night with a single encore and proceeded straight to the fresh cold air awaiting us all outside. Another hugely enjoyable Murphy’s Live evening of music and certainly a reason to start applying for tickets to the final as your guaranteed at least one incredible talent to go through from tonight.

Cathy Davey

Stagger Lee

Bravado

Concerto for Constantine - Fibber Magee’s AGAIN - March 17th 2008

St. Patrick’s Day in the capital always seemed like too much of a nightmare to get involved in. For years I have avoided going near the town on ‘Ireland’s biggest drinking day’. So being forced to choose between another Paddy’s day on the couch or Concerto for Constantine live in Fibber Magee’s was …..not that difficult J

Entering the capital was a little strange. Talbot street was packed with people walking towards Connolly station. Little green hats and American accents filled the eye’s and the ears for the 10 minute walk, St. Patrick had arrived. Once on O’Connell street, it was very clear that most people had already left the northside. The pubs were half full, the streets were as busy as a normal Friday night (possibly quieter).

Concerto were scheduled to go on stage at 7.30. Whoever, the site of two dozen people, some of them young children, caused the management and the lads to agree on 10:00 o’clock instead.

Across the road I settled down in an amazing pub called ‘The Shakespeare’. Possibly the funniest pub in Dublin. I advise everyone to check this place out because you’ll never see anything else like it. Just think of Father Ted’.

By 9:45 it was time to head back to Fibbers. The crowd had certainly changed by them. The kids and families were gone (thank god) and the second support band were just finishing up. The crowds were nothing like those at Concerto’s last headlining show in Fibbers three weeks previously. Although, for a show with no advertising, no official announcements and changing stage times, there was enough of an attendance to show Concerto have already established a dedicated fan base.

Concerto eventually got to the stage at 10:30. Forthcoming single ‘Minsk’ once again opened their set. A song that only gets better everything you hear it. Unfortunately, Paddy’s day drinking got the better of me and I can’t remember the exact set list. I can remember ‘Gap’s, Cat’s Cradle, WASP’s’, and new song ‘Knife’ all being played to the high standards Concerto have set for themselves. Even Gavin’s Bass head shorting out didn’t manage to kill the mood of the night.

The set was short, although packed with nothing but incredibility savage rock songs. For a band with no release’s and only a handful of shows under their belt it’s a lot more than you would normally expect. ‘Killing Fields’ closed the show. Afterwards the band jumped of the stage and put their bumpiest show yet behind them.

Despite the changing stage times, no advertising, faulty equipment and missing members, Concerto pulled off another fantastic show. Afterwards, the members left early enough as the band were heading to London the next day for their first English dates. Hopefully they will come back to our shores with AnR interest.

 Be sure to catch Concerto at Whelan’s on the 15^th of April and (not or) the IMRO showcase gig at the Suagar Club on the 11^th April.

Music In Ireland - 1st Draft (still rough and very unfinished)

Ireland has always been seen by the world as small country associated with Terrorism, Drink and Music. When you think about it, the I.R.A., Guinness and U2 have been this countries most synonymous synonymous synonymous gifts to the world. For years, up and down the country these three aspects of Irish life have been prominent. The image of small rural pubs, with raging fires, a trad band in the corner and hordes of locals coming together to drink and sing along have been the stamps of our country. However, unlike like most stereotypical images of countries around the world, this image has been quite alive in our villages, towns and cities for hundreds of years.

When you look at old news footage in shows live ‘Reeling in the Years’ and old pictures in local halls, pubs and houses, you can clearly see this was not some idealised image of Ireland, but was a part of everyday life.

Over the years, various means and economic changes have broken this trend in most parts of the countries. Improved Education, Free College for all citizens, increased support for rural towns, villages, and underprivileged member’s of society have all helped Irish people move out of a purely rural based mind set into a new age for the country, an economic boom. Other contributing factors can be linked to the Smoking Ban, the increase in prices of Alcohol and cigarettes and also the vast improvement in Garda patrols on our streets and more so, our roads. Indeed, Drink related accidents, illnesses and fatalities have dropped considerably over the years, as have the unemployment rates, illiteracy rates and …so on.

This is all great news for the country and the direction it’s headed, but what of the old traditions? Are they to fall into their own memories and become less well known as the people who experienced this Ireland pass away around us? Could drinking in the pub and great music become a part of old Ireland? Looking around city centres and local towns, it doesn’t seem likely that weekend drinking is under and threat just yet. But what of our great tradition of music, what has become of it? Along with Bono and U2, Irish bands such has Thin Lizzy, Therapy, The Undertones, the Boom Town Rats, Planxty, and performers such as Enya, Christy Moore, Chris De Burg, Van Morison have entertained the world for decades, along with countless others like Sinead O’Connor, The Dubliners, Paul Brady and more.

So why haven’t many of the newer generation Irish performers measured up to this success enjoyed by their predecessors. Why doesn’t Ireland have any more Bono’s, Phil Lynotts or Enya’s on the international scene? Westlife, Boyzone and Damien Rice seem to have been the biggest musical exports Irish music has enjoyed in the last ten years. No one else has seemed to last. We see countless performers trying every year on ‘Your A Star’, competing for Europe’s largest song contest, but we never hear of them before or after that in most cases which makes it very difficult to take any of these people as serious performers. But, should we take this as an indication of what Irish people like these days? The answer is sadly, yes.

Irish people have shown more and more in recent years that their music taste has followed that of the British and attention has switched from true musicians, groups and performers, who tour and record relentlessly, to manufactured reality TV flavours of the month. In years to come it will be hard to imagine people talking about ‘Six’ and ‘U2’ in the same context.

So what of the Irish music scene!, is that the end, are their no true musicians left to carry on one of the finest traditions this country has to offer? Off course there are, you just don’t see or hear them very often. Despite efforts of DJ’s such as Jenny Huston and Tom Dunne and VJ’s such as Dave Fanning and Leagues O’Toole, Irish National Broadcasters gives little or no exposure to the true talent of our current scene. Instead on endorsing Hard Working Bands like The Frames, Turn, Bell X1, The Future Kings of Spain, Jape, Humanzi, and countless others, they decide to promote flash in the pan, once off artist’s like ‘Six’, ‘Samantha Mumba’ and parades of similar English and American thrash that is destroying the minds both on Radio and Television.

The new millennium has seen such a rise in reality TV that it went from being everywhere to just being standard. Shows like the ‘Real O.C.’,’Sweet 16’ and what ever other rubbish MTV manage to think up to replace another 30 minutes of music, have broken so far into our culture that people under the age of 16 all seem to have American accents. Next time your on the dart, train or bus, listen to them. As for musical tastes, well MTV and all the reality crap have ensured that it is now very hard for a band that has formed themselves and written their own material to get any decent support or Airplay. Along with our national stations doing as little as possible to ratify or challenge this (for fear of other stations getting the ratings), it casts a very bleak out look for the future of our scene.

Another view I saw, while discussing some Irish groups with a French man I work with was the price and availability of Irish music. He discussed trying to buy albums from Humanzi, Turn, The Frames, Bell X1 and more and the price of these releases. I will say that the price of these albums isn’t above average or anything but when you come to a country and want to discover some of the local scene, your hardly going to shell out E100 for four albums you haven’t heard.

It will be a very sad day if the countless Irish musicians out there, writing amazing material, or forced to leave Ireland to gain some sort of recognition, or even if they remain to become another ‘Stunning’.

IRISH PEOPLE, GIVE YOUR SUPPORT TO YOUR LOCAL SCENE AND DON’T LET ANOTER PART OF OUR CULTURE SLIP AWAY.

Velvet Revolver - The Ambassador Theatre - March 12th 2008

Velvet Revolver landed in Ireland this month to play two sold out nights at the Ambassador Theatre in Dublin and Tickets There decided that Slash’s presence in Ireland deserved a mention (personal favourite ya see).

I wouldn’t call myself a Velvet Revolver fan. Their first album was half decent and I remember being pretty excited buying it just before heading to Alice Cooper in the Olympia a few years ago. The first full length collaboration with Slash, Duff Makagan and Matt Sorum, since the last Guns N’ Roses album (The Spaghetti Incident). The excitement managed to cover up the obvious flaws in the album for a few months. By the time their second album came out I had lost much of the interest that attracted me to the group initially. I had spent months following the silent goings on in the Guns N’ Roses world and the new Velvet Revolver album was the enemy, another barrier between the new Guns N Roses and the former band mates.

Liberty, as it was known, turned out to be one of the most over hyped pieces of rubbish I have ever had the displeasure of buying. Every song was a repetition of the track listing from the first album. ‘Big Machine’ became ‘She Builds Quick Machines’, ‘Fall to Pieces’ became ‘Gravedancer’. I remember it promoted me to write one of my first pieces, a short but scathing attack……and here I go again.

The gig was sold out, but there was no atmosphere. The crowd was at least 70% male and made up of ageing Guns N Roses rockers, extreme studiers (you know what I mean, the kind of guys who paid E175 to meet the band pre-show and get every album cover signed), Emo’s (four really annoying ones in particular) and kids…lots of kids.

Support was provided by ‘Year long Disaster’. At first they seemed like…well I don’t know what, just another post millennium metal band. Slow, meaningful lyrics, backed up hard, slow and BORING riffs. However, halfway through their set they really kicked things off, spiralling into classic ‘Les Paul’ jams and spur off’s. ‘Y.L.D. proved to be pretty good considering…..considering they leave the nonsense metal out of it. Slayer did it as well as it can be done already so what’s the point.

VR came on stage about 9.30 hammering straight into ‘Let it Roll’, the first track from the last album. ‘Let It Roll’ had all the trademarks of an incredible fast paced, slap in the face, rock anthem except it fails to deliver, much like the rest of the their catalogue.

I wouldn’t even bother describing the rest of the set song by song as it was all the same. Slash managed to get the loudest cheers every time he’d come to the front of the stage, Duff a close second, Then Scott. Rhythm guitarist Dave Kushner was seen occasionally hanging around while Matt tried desperately to perform strong enough so Slash and Duff wouldn’t wake up and realize their not in Guns N Roses anymore. Each song was delivered exactly the same except a quiet moment or two for the acoustics to be brought out. Even renditions of Guns N’ Roses classics ‘It’s so Easy’, ‘Mr Brownstone’ and ‘Patience’ didn’t manage to impress (me, lots of other people were having a great time). I felt more disgusted that Slash and Duff would let Scott sing three of their greatest works.

There were a few highlights of the night. Firstly the presence of Slash and Duff McKagan (have I mentioned them yet?), Slash playing a double neck guitar during patience, The Ambassador’s smoking area and …..well, I’m sure there was any more.

Even the final song of the night ‘Slither’ their classic first single, was too far into the set to save the night. I had already visited the cloak room for my bag before they had left the stage.

 Set List: Velvet Revolver, Dublin, March 12th/2008,

• Let It Roll
• She Mine
• Sucker Train Blues
• Do It For the Kids
• Just Sixteen
• Big Machine
• American Man
• Vasoline
• The Last Fight
• Interstate Love Song
• Patience
• She Builds Quick Machines
• Get Out The Door
• Fall To Pieces
• It’s So Easy
• Set Me Free

Encore:

• Mr. Brownstone
• Sex Type Thing
• Slither

 

Concerto for Constantine Interview – Rock returns to Ireland

If ever there was a night in my life I should have been prepared for, this was it. An exclusive interview with one of Irelands newest and most exciting groups ‘Concerto for Constantine’ and (as I discovered later), their first since forming last August. The band comprises of Mark Greaney (Vocals, Guitar and formally of JJ72), Gavin Fox (Bass and formally of Turn, Idlewild and Vega4) and Paul ‘Binzer’ Brennan who was played drums for Mundy, The Frames and BellX1 among many other’s. To say the prospect of sitting down with Concerto, at such an early stage of their career, is exciting would be an understatement and topped with it being their first interview (Minus Binzer) made it all the more special.

However, half way through the dart journey into town, I discovered that the trusted blank tape in my recorder, that was supposedly sitting idle for the last eight or nine months, was missing. The notion of doing this interview by shorthand did not sound appealing, so once in town I went on the search for these relics of the 80’s and 90’s. After several unsuccessful attempts I finally found MoJo records in temple bar, was open. I managed to purchase a very rare album entitled ‘Goodbye Diana, I’m tired of climbing mountains’. I’m sure this album was very special to someone at some stage and will soon be on the crest of a new wave that will forever change music as we know it, tonight however, It would serve as the first official introduction to Ireland’s newest hope for an Rock N’ Roll, When I finally arrived, ‘Goodbye Diana’ ready to go, Mark informed me that Gav was running late, so we ordered drinks and had a chat. After awhile Mark told me Concerto had been given the support spot for the Smashing Pumpkins Dublin and Belfast shows. ‘A dream come true’ in Mark’s words, who came very close to supporting Zwan when they toured Europe, however faith stood in the way, only to give him his chance again.

Once Gavin arrived, we settled in for a night of rock stories, memories that all revolved around Def Leppard, types of wood and Walkers crisps. Not to mention a few questions thrown into the mix.

· How did Concerto for Constantine come about?

Mark – Myself and Gavin have known each since for years and we were always saying ‘Oh we have to form this band or that band’ basically that we had to play music at some stage together.

Gavin – Even, Mark at one stage hinted that I might join JJ72 and play guitar on tour with them, but at the time Turn had just formed and were kicking off and JJ72 worked well as a three piece. Eventually the chance came up when I left Vega4. Mark was in New York working on his solo album and I gave him a call and said ‘Let’s do this, lets form a rock band now’.

Mark – Gavin got Binzer to come down to the first rehearsal and I had never met him but I knew as soon as I heard him play he was right, perfect for the band.

· Are any of you working on anything else at the moment or, are all your energies invested into this group?

Mark – Well I was working in New York last summer on my solo material when I got the call from Gav. I was doing a lot of writing and trying to capture a different sound from rock but at the same time, not appearing like a singer songwriter. When Gavin called and said he was freed up, I thought ‘well, my solo material will always be there and I should do this now while there’s a chance.

Gavin – I had left Vega4 just a few months before I called Mark. Binzer is still working with Mundy, BellX1, The Frames and loads more, but a lot of them aren’t touring at the moment so he had the time to start this with us.

· What do you want to achieve from this group, are you aiming for the top, or do you just want to and enjoy yourself without any pressures?

Mark – I think we’re realistic in what we expect to achieve from this group. Off course we want to be a big band, but our main aim is to play in front of a lot of people. To get out there to the biggest crowds we can. I see a lot of bands out there and think stage presence has begun to slip away from newer groups. When I go to a show, I want to rock out and get blown away by a live performance. We are playing music I’ve always loved and I want to play that music for big crowds.

Gavin – I don’t know if what we do is capable of hitting the type of masses it used to, but you see acts like Queens of the Stone Age and they’ve managed to keep growing in popularity despite very little involvement with the ‘mainstream’. It shows that it is possible. I’d just hope we do get as much out of this as we can.

· Mark, you originally found fame with JJ72, Binzer has played with almost every established band in Ireland like Bell X1, The Frames and Mundy, and Gavin, you started your career 10 years ago in Turn, before moving onto Idlewild and then Vega4. Would it be unjust to call Concerto for Constantine an Irish indie Super Group?

Gavin – Yeah, because it’s kind of embarrassing. When you look at super groups out there you notice that in general, they don’t come close to the quality of their original bands. This can lead to bad name for the band before they get a chance to show what they have to offer. We’ve all been in bands, but not on the level of Rage Against the Machine merging with Soundgarden. Almost all musicians play in loads of groups before hitting it big.

· Concerto for Constantine recently went out on the road around the country to play your first shows on the ‘2FM 2MOROR 2OUR’. How did you go down with the crowd?

Gavin – The first show in the Sky Venue, Portlaois, was a bit shaky. It was our first live performance together and it didn’t come together on the night. After that everything started to get better and the people at the shows seemed to really like us and the type of music we’re doing.

Mark – I think the really satisfying thing about it, is that we are doing something that was really unexpected, Rock bands aren’t really out there any more, (and As the tour went on) You could see the crowd’s faces just go Huh! Really surprised looks and then they would get really into it. There was this feeling of ‘Brilliant an Irish Rock band’

· Which do you think was the best show?

Gavin – Ballyshannon (Co. Donegal and birthplace of Rory Gallagher) was pretty special.

Mark – Ballyshannon was mad, really great. We played in this converted cinema and it was great fun.

· I have to ask this, but how did you come up with the name of the band?

Gavin - Well, we needed a name really quickly because we had been offered a place on the 2FM 2MORO 2OUR.

Mark - We were confirming the details and they asked ‘what’s the name of the band’ because they were doing up posters for the tour, so I said yeah it’s ready…I’ll call ya back in a couple of Hours’.

Gavin – So I started looking through I Tunes at names of songs for some ideas. Eventually I came to the classical section and I saw a title ‘Concerto for…’ It sounded cool, so I told Mark and he completed it using a name from a dream his mother had just a week previously. So Concerto for Constantine was born.

· Obviously you guys are in early stages with this group and you’re still finding your feet, but have you any immediate plans for 2008? Will we see material released or will you spend some time collecting a fan base first?

Gavin – Well we have some shows coming up in February. We’re supporting the Smashing Pumpkins in Dublin and Belfast, the Futureheads in Sligo and we’re playing our own show in Fibber McGee’s on the 22^nd February. Hopefully those shows will attract some new fans and some industry attention.

· Are you going to try and release a single or an EP at all?

Gavin – We’re recording a song at the moment and we’re going to do it to a really high quality and release that as a single and make a video for it. At the moment there’s nothing out there for us with regard to radio, apart from a session we did for 2FM.

Mark – We want to make a record as soon as we can. If a label steps in and offers a producer that we want to work with, it’ll just make things move along faster.

· So what is your opinion of the current state of Irish Music? Do you feel the music you guys are writing is still relevant today?

Mark – I think the thing about bands that do something special is, initially their not relevant to the whole ‘what makes a band good’ definition of their time. I personally feel really exhilarated doing this, from our very first rehearsal I thought, that this was something different, something special that I haven’t heard in Irish bands in a long time.

Gavin – There was a scene in Dublin in the 90’s, like now, where every band is following one major influence. You can’t blame anyone for this because it’s those influences that inspire people to start bands in the first place. We were into bands like Nirvana and the Pixies and we started bands because of that. The difference is, we’re still into that music and haven’t been as inspired by the newer groups in the same way as The Pixies.

It’s also great to look around at other bands and think ‘Wow, we’re the only ones doing this’.

· You both come from very successful groups who have played all around the world. Between you, you have toured with The Rolling Stones, The Pixes, R.E.M and countless others. Is it hard adjusting from that life style back to basics?

Gavin – Not really, I miss it, I want to record and tour all the time. When I left Vega4 I started to get withdrawals from not being on the road and that was hard but then we started up Concerto and its building back up again and it’s something to look forward to and get excited about.

Mark – I really miss the extent of touring I did when I was in the JJ’s. The feeling of being so young and walking down the street in Osaka, Japan and 20 girls start following you down the street was incredible but, anytime I’m playing makes it for me. When you can’t do that anymore, when you cant give people the best version of yourself it gets very hard. During the summer some girls, who were about 14 years old, came up to me in the street and started going on abut JJ72 and it turned out, one of their older sisters had given them a JJ72 album and they had gotten into us. That when it’s worth while, when you know you can affect people like that.

Be sure to catch Concerto for Constantine at their up and coming shows around the country,

17th March - Fibber Magee’s

18th March - London - Dublin Castle

19th March - London - Club 328

15th April - Whelan’s

Concerto For Constantine - Fibber Magees - Feb 22nd 08

Concerto for Constantine’s first headlining show in Fibber Magee’s last Friday was certainly an experience I hope to cherish for some time. Fresh from supporting the Smashing Pumpkins at their recent Irish dates, this three piece have managed to form, rehearse and write some ridiculously great ‘in your face’ rock songs all in the last 5 months. How do they do it? well, when you have of Mark Greaney (former JJ72 voice box and axe man), Gavin Fox (formally of Irish indie legends ‘Turn’ and Scottish favourites ‘Idelwild”) and off course, Paul ‘Binzer’ Brennan (who has played with The Frames, Bell X and Mundy, just to name but a few) together, it’s going to be special…or more to the point, it’s Concerto for Constantine and on Friday they ‘ROCKED!’

Support of the night was provided by ‘Power, Jazz trio’ Simon and the Ghost. The group manage to distance themselves from the over ego’d Irish scene they seem to dislike but unfortunately they don’t seem to have the songs to make a real go off it yet. I will say that Jazz to me is like a heater in an igloo, just doesn’t make sense but they are very good at what they do, so for any fans out there, check em out and make your own mind up.

Concerto hit the stage at 10.30 and wasted no time in getting down to business. They opened with ‘Minsk’, a hard, fast, adrenaline fuelled rock n roll anthem that is destined to becoming a fast radio favourite. ‘Minsk’ set the tone for the night as there was no let up in the set. ‘Wasps, Cat’s Cradle, Knife’ and a host of other newly written songs were belted out by the band and sounded like they had been playing them for years. While watching the set, it became very hard to remember they had only formed so recently. It was also hard not to notice the band enjoying them selves so much which can be very rare on our cold, motionless scene these days. Concerto are enjoying what they are doing. Three guys who have played for long enough to understand the importance of having fun.
After an hour and some change they were finished leaving ‘Killing Fields’ to close the set as there was no encore, explained by Mark as being a result of having “no more songs left to play”.

It may have been a short gig by a very new group but it was a certainly the first of many for one of Ireland’s brightest hope’s for a great Hard Rock Band.

Wasps
Cats Cradle
Silver
Falling
Every Thing
Knife
Gaps
Killing Fields

MURPHY’S LIVE 2008 - The Future Kings of Spain - Superjimenez - Bravado

Whelan’s was the setting for the Murphy’s Live 2008, Dublin Quarter Finals. Two Dublin groups were there to battle it out for a chance of winning the grand prize, €10,000 towards studio time, an EP launch, a record deal, a six month management contract and record distribution.
Before saying anything about either group, I have to point out that I was really only there for the FKOS, who are, without a doubt, the greatest rock band to emerge out of Ireland in many a year. Their second album ‘Nervousystem’ is a testament to their song writing skills and their live show is always something to bask in. Therefore I thought of the first two acts of the show as a nuisance I had to sit through in order to see the kings.…how very wrong I was.
Bravado were first to try their luck with the crowd and judges. A very young group from North Dublin who, despite their inexperience and youth, put on one of the best shows I have seen from an unknown group in awhile. Describing their sound would be a challenge in itself. Each song was unique while still maintaining an overall formula. Although you could hear The Clash, Artic Monkeys, The Who and the Stone Roses all dying to break out.
Unfortunately, I don’t think Superjimenez managed to pull of the same show as Bravado. Although they looked the part, were all very experienced musicians and they were much tighter than Bravado, there was something missing. They commanded the stage well, especially for a newer group and managed to really get the crowd going. Their only downfall was their songs. Although the bass lines were something special and the guitars had some shredding moments, the overall package seemed ‘done before’. The U2 and Killers influence was much too obvious. The singer was no Bono, but the Edge was casting a shadow on this group.
The Future Kings of Spain closed the night with their usual energetic performance. Joey, Karl, Bryan and Anton breezed through a great set (taken mainly from ‘Nervousystem’) with such ease and performance it served as a great example to Bravado and Superjimenez how it’s all done. ‘Guess Again’, ‘One More Mistake’, Kick in the Teeth’ and ‘Syndicate’ are all delivered with such passion, they have managed to blend in perfectly with old favourites like ‘Venetian Blinds’, ‘Meanest Sound’ and ‘Hanging Around’. Although it isn’t their show, the Kings manage to steal the night and show a few new faces why they were chosen as head liners.

Set List:
Guess Again
One More Mistake
1981
This is the End
Venetian Blinds
Upside Down
Disappear
Kick in the Teeth
Face I Know
Meanest Sound
Hanging Around
Syndicate

JAPE and The Mighty Steff - Craw Daddy - Nov 23rd 2007

Well it’s a Friday, the greatest Day and Night of the week. NO matter how messed up you get on A Friday, you still have two days left to get over it which has to be a great consolation for everyone…except people who have to work weekends, haha.

So I finished work early cause I had to attend a team event, what’s that you ask? Well it’s when your forced to go out on your own free time with work people under the guise that ‘your going to have fun’. Ends up very silly with non stop Work chat, so I decided to bale, hopped on a dart and went for town to see the fantastic JAPE live.
Now, I notice that all my reviews, except for the Police, seem to be very positive, but I have to say, I haven’t gone to a bad gig in a while (except for the Police) and tonight was no exception to this. Straight in the door, a lovely surprise Guest Spot from The Mighty Steff was a nice start to the evening. Playing solo and covering some of his grittiest material was perfect to forget the nonsense chatter or reports and clients I had tried to block with with bottle after bottle of Bud Light.
Jape took the stage at 9.30 and for an hour (and abit) played a truly enjoyable set. With a mix a material mostly concerned with new EP Jape is Great and his forthcoming album ???.
The new stuff is like New Order crashed into the Monkeys in the Zoo, really Dance orientated with the standard Jape sound he does so well.

Great night, cant wait for the next one and the new album.

SET LIST:

Christopher and Anthony
Gimmie Some more
Replays
GraveYard
Phil Lynnott
At The Heart
Floating
Apple in an Orchard
Nothing Lasts forever
Strike Me Down
I Was a Man

ENCORE:
Street