THE STATICS at WHELAN'S by AISLING FINN-1-37-banner

The Statics at Whelan’s Friday 28th March 2014

The Statics have been impressing folks with their tight-as-a-duck’s-arse performances for some time. It hasn’t gone unnoticed to us hacks in GoldenPlec. They ended up being included in GoldenPlec’s list of best new acts for 2013 (in fact arriving in a lofty second place) as well as having their ‘Hidden Pigeon EP’ land in the top ten. It was all thoroughly merited. Big things were duly expected for 2014. So no pressure there, lads. A headline slot, upstairs at Whelan’s is GoldenPlec’s first opportunity to see how The Statics are getting on.

What is clear is that the word is spreading about the band. A packed room was in waiting for The Statics. Even support act Knoxville Morning was cheerleading singing “we’re all part of Jacquo’s army” in reference to The Statics’ drummer, Jacqueline Campion.

Irish audiences in small venues are notorious for being afraid to be right in front of the stage but Campion is having none of this nonsense and rallies the crowd to the front. The Statics are a well-oiled machine and the set begins with Plastic Days and the superb hit single Alone. The vocal harmonies between Liam Gardner and Darragh O’Connell are a key feature to The Statics’ songs and they are prominent throughout the set. It’s a tool they use often without its appeal diminishing. People Talk, Down, Come Round and Hit and Miss all go down rapturously.

There was a great rapport between the crowd and the band, but bassist Tommo Nugent must have sensed the tumbleweed blowing through when his calls for support as a Man Utd fan didn’t really get the response he was looking for.

The last two songs see Gardner ditch his acoustic guitar for an electric and Holiday especially sounds punchier and all the better for it. The whole set seems effortless, but it only gets to this point after being honed over the course of umpteen gigs and practise sessions that gets them to this point. This is the sort of gig where you leave with a sense that this is a band on the cusp of great things. Make it your business to catch them live at the next available opportunity.

The Statics Photo Gallery

Photos: Aisling Finn