Raglans at the Academy by Sean Smyth (29-3-14) (3 of 30)-banner

Raglans at The Academy, Dublin on Saturday 29th March, 2014

“This could be the start of something new.” This lyric taken from Raglans most celebrated song Digging Holes would be a perfect description were it not for the fact that the band have been together for almost four years. If the band, who featured in our Plec Picks ’14 were to replace the word “new” with the word “big” it’d leave  an accurate statement on what took place at The Academy on Saturday night.

Some eyebrows were raised when it was announced that Lethal Dialect were to play the role of support act for tonight’s show. It’s hard to see a connection between the style of two acts but such is the talent on show, that it’s not long before himself and Willa Lee have the gathering crowd pleading for more. LD’s ability as a songwriter and performer is so far ahead of his peers in the Irish hip hop scene that one wonders how long it’ll be before he hits the big time.

Described as an act who are full of “energy and wide-eyed charm,” expectations were high of Raglans when the lights dimmed inside the Middle Abbey Street venue just before 9 o’clock. Those expectations were more than met right from the off with an opening salvo of  (Lady) Roll Back The Years and The Man From Glasgow giving the audience no time for a pre-dance warm-up and instead launching them into an all out hip-shaking, earthquaking frenzy.

It’s a relentless onslaught of high-energy indie-rock throughout the fourteen song set. Some might criticise the hesitance to step outside of their comfort zone but such is the perfection with which Raglans play their instruments that it’s a moot point. Too much fun is being had both on stage and in the crowd for anyone to care, or even notice for that matter. Morning Morning is the first non-album track of the evening and it doesn’t feel out of place in the slightest. In fact such is the reaction from the crowd, the lads may be left wondering whether it should have been included on the record afterall.

There’s only one dip in energy throughout the set, coming during an acoustic rendition of Sand In My Pockets which is followed by a hard-hitting cover of M.I.A’s Paper Planes to close out the main set in unusual fashion. “That’s the first time we’ve ever done that walk off stage and come back on ten seconds later thing… it’s weird,” says frontman Stephen Kelly as the band re-appear for the encore. The delightful pairing of Natives and Digging Holes are a fitting end to a short but hugely entertaining gig which will firmly put Raglans on the road to success.

Raglan’s debut self-titled album is out now. You can read Cian Walsh’s review here.

Raglans Photo Gallery

Photos: Sean Smyth

 

Lethal Dialect Photo Gallery