So that’s a wrap on Hard Working Class Heroes 2013. 100 of the most exciting acts on the Irish music scene were scattered across eight Dublin venues. Below are some of the standout moments from our very own David Dooley, Jonathan Klien and Justin McDaid.

Fears

Those committed folk who were out on the streets early on for HWCH were treated to a delightful spectacle in the form of the atmospheric Fears. Gorgeous mellow keyboards served as a calm background for Parallel, while the deliberate percussion section churned out enthralling beats acting as a heartbeat to the tunes. The thin, chilling vocals were a bit quiet on the first song, but that was quickly resolved by the second track. The banter between the members is great, commenting on how “wild” they were playing at 7.30, and naming a song on the spot. The beautiful music is brought to a surprising conclusion where the delicate mood is smashed apart by an aggressive guitar sound, and is the ideal way to round off an incredible set. JK

DOGS

The last time this reviewer caught indie-electro quartet DOGS was a year ago at Hard Working Class Heroes 2012. So what has changed in the meantime? Well they’ve started to live up to those lofty aspirations that was hinted at 12 months ago. Again, a slick backing video treats our eyes to beautiful footage of Dublin; tunnels deep underground and some incredibly slow motion fire-breathing. This all hangs over a very dimly lit band, adding a hefty weight to the proceedings. The music is processed beats, booming bass and guitars that twinkle in and out of the performance. The dual guitars and bass gel surprisingly well into the electronic elements. The standout moments comes when additional vocalist Suzanne Purcell joins the four lads on-stage. Think Florence Welch belting it out over glitchy beats. DD

Groom

There’s comfort in the fact that some bands are just … dependable. Groom specialise in a kind of solid indie rock that marries witty lyricism with sparkling power pop melodies, and it’s the Mercantile’s live room that hosts their short set. We have a song for that most glamorous of locations, Athlone – “a nice place, but I’m slagging it off in this song” but we don’t think many folk took offence. The Old Songs – “a song of nostalgia” – nods to Phil Spector in its drumbeat, with a flashing shade of Bowie, before things take a slightly darker turn. A song about a chap called Dermot brings proceedings back to an exuberant, brief blast of punked-up pop, with Wet Thursday continuing the trend. It slows to a playful dander at the end, suddenly picking up the pace again for one last shout. The final song, about young people falling in love, manages to sidestep the mawkishness that the sentiment may suggest to round of a sparkling set of straight-up, good old-fashioned indie music. JMD

Swimmers

Bad Bobs was the venue for Swimmers’ sunny and chilled indie rock. For the most part, the band’s music was just nice. The group were tight and performed well, but there was no spark to set them apart from any other band. That was until the band really got into their stride, and Face-up was much catchier than what came before it. Set closer Replaceable was equally impressive, being a tad heavier, and even eliciting a shout from Jackson. JK

Dott

Galway based Dott treated us to the most carefree set of the weekend. Jangly guitars with yelp-along choruses all held together by a drummer so active he’d give Travis Barker a run for his money. It’s loud, bold and very summery. The sun-kissed melodies sit atop thudding bass and brash guitars. With little under a month until they release their debut album ‘Swoon’, we don’t have long left to wait to see if they can keep the floaty, carefree effect across a whole record. DD

Let’s Set Sail

The crowd in Bad Bob’s are already in fine fettle as Let’s Set Sail ready themselves on the small stage. It’s practically a full house, already buzzing as the band get off to a gentle start with the chimes of a xylophone. The dual male/female harmonies are the mainstay of the band’s sound, and the strong lead vocal stands apart from everything else that’s going on in the background. The trouble is that the songs are largely indistinguishable from one another; it’s all very earnest and worthy, but it seems to temper the atmosphere that is already in effect. The massive gap between songs late in the set does nothing to help matters, killing any momentum they had built up. To be fair, tuning issues can crop up at the most inopportune times, and the guitar is duly switched. Inexplicably, a chorus of Come On, Eileen comes from a few heads down in front to fill the silence, and the band continues with their final number. Despite the strength in the two vocalists harmonising, and the array of instruments at their disposal, it’s just a bit safe and same-y. JMD

Little X’s For Eyes

The six-strong band don’t have much room to manoeuvre on The Mercantile’s stage, but nonetheless Little X’s For Eyes’ three singers line the stage, behind synths and a xylophone, kicking off with a new song. They brandish a percussion item each, and the set is typified by a mixture of interlocking vocal harmonising and Bow Wow Wow style percussive punctuation. The guitarist takes a lead vocal on a song that meanders along but doesn’t really go anywhere, but a more successful endeavour is nailed when the other guitarist takes the reins. It seems as if we’re in ballad country as she begins alone but the band soon hop in to transform it into a stop-start party tune. The three singers throw out some synchronised hand movements in the girl band mould, and indeed, The Pipettes and The Bangles are never far from the mind during their set. Aside from some nondescript interludes, it’s a breezy and upbeat delivery from the sextet. JMD

The Notas

Running late, and with some technical difficulties, The Notas finally managed to play some tunes. The band’s opener was filled with beautiful electro sounds, hushed vocals and light guitars, and was one fine performance. What followed after this was a slight disappointment, the energy of the first track seemed to evaporate and in its place; vague electronic noise took over, with the odd guitar riff emerging. The stage was also poorly lit, meaning there was very little visual elements to the performance. The band’s set was eventually cut short, and brought to a close a very mixed show. JK

The Boxing Plot

The Workmans was a very hectic place to be on Saturday night, with sets cut short, and The Boxing Plot ending up without a soundcheck. The band were visibly frustrated about this, and their sound suffered greatly, but they ploughed on, to the best of their abilities. There is no arguing with the quality of tunes such as Winter Coat, or the chemistry between the members who are aware of the numerous changes their songs undergo. Heidecker stood out as a highlight, with the discordant guitar solo piercing through the gloom while new single Geist was the track of the evening, with the delightfully catchy, emotional chorus. O’Clerigh let his frustration of the evening fuel a ferocious vocal performance, and despite all the technical issues, this was a strong set. JK

Tvvins

Tvvins appearance at Hard Working Class Heroes was on the back of the recently released Two Worlds. Well that and the fact that they’ve got Conor Adams from Cast of Cheers on vocals & bass, and Lar Kaye of Adebisi Shank fame on guitars and synth. They strike a perfect middle ground between their respective bands. The yelping, chant-along vocal delivery of Cast of Cheers thrown through a vocoder and then mixed with the schizophrenic guitar fiddling of Adebisi Shank. Synth arpeggiations tumble and loop as Adams gets quite aggressive on bass. The whole frantic affair is held together by trashy, tribal drums. It’s a tantalising set that definitely has us wanting more. DD