Prince Rama – The Button Factory
It’s impossible to know what to expect from Prince Rama. The Larson sisters and their two male touring partners have a tendency to perform the bizarre. That can be seen right from the off as keyboardists/vocalist Taraka Larson gets on top of the shoulders of one of those male band mates, then drapes a ten foot veil/net curtain over both of them. The two then walk through the criminally sparse crowd as she sings to a backing track. This is only the start of the madness.
The whole band return to the stage strangely costumed with weird make-up and glitter covering their faces. They proceed to have a ball, bounding around the stage in fits of excited energy, not caring what the crowd thinks of it. Of course, everyone loves it. Such eccentric, enthusiastic energy is infectious and left the audience with a choice to either get caught up in the energy or just stand there, looking on, with a smile from ear to ear. There was no option C.
The music is a sort of crazy, electronic, disco rock with Nimai Larson proving a fantastic drummer, despite playing from a standing position. Strange shouted vocals sit over the music, but it’s hard to decipher if there is any language to the noises. The music, as enjoyable as it is, is secondary to the show, which hits its high water mark with the closing song. For this, the two sisters enter the crowd, mics in hand, and engage in what seems an excellently choreographed dance together.
It’s equal parts agile, athletic and insane, and don’t let the mics fool you, we know the girls are miming. Do we care? Not even a little. The whole thing is too entertainingly outrageous for it to make the slightest difference. Prince Rama are a band you MUST see next time they are in the country.
Black Lips – The Button Factory
It’s two years since Black Lips were in Dublin, playing the same Button Factory venue in May 2011. On Sunday they headlined the same venue. It’s fair to say that in the two intervening years, they haven’t changed too much. They are still low on conversation, low (zero, in fact) on instrument changes and high on tempo and song turnover.
It’s still the same punk with four-way vocal harmonies (they call it ‘flower punk’) that we know and love. Lead vocals bounce between guitarist Cole Alexander (who sounds like a deeper grizzled Hank Williams), bassist Jared Swiley and drummer Joe Bradley as the four-piece – second guitarist Ian Saint Pé Brown is never offered a chance to sing on his own – rifle through their six-album back catalogue.
It’s occasionally a shame that the band don’t linger a while and let some of the tracks settle, but perhaps that would be betraying their punk sensibilities. The same could be said of the vocals being drowned out by over loud instruments. As a result, many of the songs are lost amid the punk stew, but there is enough enthusiastic energy to their set that it never becomes a point of complaint.
There are enough classics, mostly taken from 2007’s brilliant ‘Good Bad Not Evil’ album, to keep the whole thing from fading into that fog. Katrina, with its distinctive bass-line and shredding guitars, is an early highpoint, as is Family Tree. It’s when they are told that they have three songs left that Black Lips really step it up however.
Lean (I Saw A Ghost) kicks it off before Bad Kids leads a mass sing and dance-along. Closing the set is Bow Down and Die, a song officially by the band’s side project Almighty Defenders. It’s the one moment of emotion in a busy, punky, loud, but ultimately fun set. Like that one night stand, The Black Lips won’t change your life but, if you go with it, they’ll always give you a good time.
Overhead, The Albatross – Workman’s
Overhead, The Albatross took to stage in the Workman’s venue lit only by the light from the bar. What followed was a 45 minute set full of huge walls of sound and the most impressive light show seen all weekend. Green, blue and reds lit up the room in perfect time to the cymbal crashes and guitar shreds of the Dublin-based six-piece.
And the music, well it’s instrumental post-rock and like a lot of instrumental post-rock it sounded big, atmospheric and in many ways post-apocalyptic. Their songs are in general the far side of five minutes and feature good mixes of light and shade. What they do, they do very well and they are incredibly tight. The problem is that Overhead, the Albatross sound just like a lot of instrumental post-rock. There isn’t too much that elevates them above anyone doing exactly the same thing. Sonically between Explosions in the Sky and And So I Watch You From Afar, they never manage to capture the atmosphere of the former nor the energy of the latter.
On listening to Overhead, the Albatross, you could pick out the influences and the ‘post-rock’ but there’s just nothing there to make you realise that it’s definitely Overhead, the Albatross. They lack little as a band but a true identity of their own is the massive piece missing from the puzzle.
Lanterns On The Lake – The Button Factory
Newcastle quintet Lanterns On The Lake mesh folk leaning indie rock with austere piano motifs and gutsy, turretic, crescendoing guitar parts, creating an emotive melancholy blanket of sounds throughout the venue.
Hazel Wilde’s vocal delivery resembles an elegant whisper tinged with heartbreak. On songs such as Tricks there is a hint of Hope Sandoval (Mazzy Star) to her delivery. She seems every inch the classic reluctant front person who wants the music to be the only focal point.
The Button Factory is pin drop silent throughout this quietly mesmerising performance. Lungs Quicken gently builds with lo-fi beats giving way to long sustained fiddle notes, while Paul Gregory’s bowed guitar line gives the track a post rock undercurrent which gradually becomes the pinion of the track. Gregory’s guitar work is impressive throughout, rarely – if ever – creating the same sound twice. At times it approaches atonal as he creates an aggressive, jagged, squelching dissonance of feedback and ferocity almost alien to the dainty melodies that surround it. However, he never overexposes the songs to his unusual sonic creations.
At times a hint of ‘Wish’ era The Cure permeates the morose nature of tracks such as Keep on Trying. Songs such as A Kingdom occupy a more traditional folk rock footing before unexpectedly bursting into a souring post rock whig out. Lanterns On The Lake deserve to be a much bigger band than they are judging by the standard of musicianship throughout this performance, which was one of the highlights of the entire festival.
Dott – 4 Dame Lane
Bubble gum, garage indie popsters Dott played a set of songs from their début EP ‘Button’ and their forthcoming début album, set for release later this year. The Galway quartet consisting of three girls and one boy (drums) deliver short, sharp, and sweet songs about love and other drugs of the soul on a bed of sunshine melodies.
Dott are fronted by singer/guitarist Anna McCarthy and her vocal delivery is heavily influenced by likes of Kim Deal, and indeed Deal’s band The Breeders seem to be the main source of influence on the entire group, hardly a bad place to start. The band is one woman down this evening, but a last-minute male stand in the form of McCarthy’s boyfriend gives adequate cover and there’s no sign of any irregularities throughout the set. McCarthy makes light of the absence by noting the “lack of breasts” on the stage, much to the embarrassment of her boyfriend.
The highlight of the set was single Let’s do it with which the band recently performed on The Late Late Show. However, tonight’s rendition is better than the televised performance. its infectious chorus of “Let’s do it, Let’s fall in love” grabbed the full attention of the crowd and suited the sudden arrival of (actual) sunshine perfectly.
Croupier – The Button Factory
Croupier are set to release a new EP this summer, a follow up to last year’s much talked about and most under-rated self-titled debut album. The lads have also just come off a European tour with fellow Wicklow band Enemies and it shows. Their presence on stage is even larger than it was last year, playing with a confidence and vitality that matches their sound all too well. Interspersing their set with new songs, the band clearly had gathered a crowd even though they were the first on stage in a long night of music to come.
A band of many influences, the guys seem to fuse on stage with a passion and drive that sets their live shows apart from so many others on the scene right now. It all culminates in their final song, their single Creo Beast which consistently acts as the ultimate crowd pleaser among their fans. Those anticipating their new EP don’t have much longer to wait, and won’t be disappointed if what was showcased at the Camden Crawl is anything to go by.
Liza Flume – Sweeney’s
Liza Flume seemed to appear out of nowhere, with an EP that was as beautiful as it was heartbreaking. Her music very much aligns with her attitude on stage – quiet, but beautiful and strong. She seems to pierce the silence with her looping melodies and vigorous enthusiasm. Between songs she introduces herself time and time again for those that tend to come and go at festivals like the Camden Crawl, but it appears that anyone who shows up late to the show is unwilling to leave. Liza captures her audience and brings them on a journey of highs and lows, and emotions flow throughout her set. Looping vocals and guitar can be a difficult thing and proved as such for her when doing a cover, but none the less the audience laughed with her and let her continue to play without hesitation.
Liza introduced the crowd to a new song which details the feelings of an ex falling in love with another, and she holds nothing back as she opens herself up to her audience. Nialler9 chose Liza to play downstairs in Sweeneys, we can only expect she will be filling seats in larger venues soon as word of mouth spreads.
Bouts – Upstairs in Whelan’s
Aggressive indie rockers Bouts played upstairs in Whelans, and their quirky riffs, held in place by strong basslines, created a glorious noise. The band played a good few new songs, with working titles and made up lyrics, and these sounded a bit raw and a little unfinished. They have the makings of good songs though, and the noise jams that a couple of the songs descended into, with the two lead guitars competing for dominance, were quite spectacular. The band were more assured on the slightly older tunes, with Get Sick being a highlight. This tune is the perfect indie anthem from start to finish, with an insanely catchy chorus. Turn Away is more of the same, and the band’s energy is infectious, with the guitarist jumping into the crowd. A fierce and energetic display from this exciting band.
Amateur Historians – The Globe
The Belfast band Amateur Historians opened with a wall of distortion, and their performance from there on was equally ear-shattering. Let’s Take Some Positives From This was a brilliant track, filled with a raucous energy that made you want to jump round the room for the first part, before slowing down and into an intricate guitar solo. Curry’s rushed vocal delivery injects an intense emotion into the tunes, while bassist Casey’s wild backing vocals and frenzied playing add a sense of fun to the tracks.The Party And The Aftermath was another stunning tune, with the band’s excellent ability to move from a fast and intense verse into a slow breakdown making every second of their performance utterly captivating. Closer took their energy and emotion to a whole new level, with the band going crazy onstage. Stunning solos on guitar, interesting basslines and exciting drumbeats all fitted together like a masterfully constructed jigsaw. The chemistry between the members and their ability to change mood and dynamic effortlessly is simply amazing. The passion they show on-stage is equally fantastic, with Casey taking off his shirt at the end of the last track, and the band put so much into their performance that they looked fit to collapse by the end. All in all, Amateur Historians put on one of the best shows of the festival.
Ships – Sweeney’s
Synth-pop duo Ships played in Sweeney’s as one of the final performances of the Crawl. They combine funky, dance-y beats with brilliant vocals, interesting synth-lines and a bit of guitar thrown in for good measure. None Of It Real, one of the band’s newer tracks, was particularly impressive, with McGrath’s vocals standing out. Elsewhere in their performance, Cullen provides some wonderful backing vocals, and the contrast between male and female vocals works very well. A solid showing from this interesting band.
Camden Crawl Dublin – Sunday – Photo Gallery
Photos: Kieran Frost
