Hosting a series of gigs in the distinguished surroundings of Collins Barracks is an inspired choice. Now home to the Decorative Arts and History section of the National Museum, the former barracks provides a grand setting for the night’s musical proceedings.
And what a tableau of musical delights is on offer on a blustery and overcast Sunday evening. Kicking off the night’s entertainment is one of Ireland’s most revered bands, A Lazarus Soul, riding high on the release of their stellar album, ‘No Flowers Grow In Cement Gardens’.
Brian Brannigan and Joe Chester stride to centre stage and deliver a hauntingly eerie rendition of Black & Amber, before they are joined by Julie Bienvenu and Anton Hegarty, the latter whose booming bass lines underpin a looming ominous Black Maria.
The Flower I Flung Into Her Grave (“a cheery pop song” Brannigan jokes), perfectly showcases the heart of the new album, capturing the essence of humanity’s defiance and endeavour, beautifully wrought by the poignant strains of Chester’s guitar.
We’re back to a twosome for the latest single, The Dealers, with Brannigan’s voice dripping with pathos. Before the rhythm section returns for the tour-de-force that is Long Balconies, we’re then treated to the always glorious Mercury Hit a High, before a smooth and classy Funeral Sessions wraps up a perfect opening performance, setting the stage impeccably for our headliners.
It’s been six years since The The last played in Ireland, a mixed evening in Iveagh Gardens, but right from the off it’s evident that we’re in for something far more special this time around. Opening with recent single Cognitive Dissident is a bold choice, yet its spiritual magnificence, with Matt Johnson at the helm, establishes a cerebral tone.
Infected is absolutely sublime (dare I say infectious), whilst Armageddon Days Are Here (Again) is prophetically uplifting. Our first taste from ‘Soul Mining’, The Sinking Feeling, with its impeccable fusion of organ and guitar has the audience ebullient, before the majestic Heartland profoundly reverberates, its echoes spilling over the rooftops of Arbor Hill.
With Barrie Cadogan switching to acoustic guitar, Johnson moves into crooner mode on The Whisperers, followed by the spine-tingling Love Is Stronger Than Death. We’re back to sing-along time with the always uplifting This Is the Day. Icing Up evolves into a psychedelic guitar-driven blissout that Neil Young would be proud of, before we are treated to the blues-laden fabulousness that is Dogs of Lust.
Sweet Bird of Truth and Lonely Planet conclude the main set on a high, the latter elucidating a chorus of “If you can’t change the world, change yourself“.
The encore is pure perfection, kicking off with the darkly swirling Linoleum Smooth to the Stockinged Foot, with Johnson calling it “the most uncommercial single ever“. Uncertain Smile swaggers confidently, with the keys of maestro DC Collard romantically captivating.
Then we’re down to, as Johnson wittingly puts it, “the last song on a cold winter’s night, that was written by a 21-year-old full of anxiety and melancohlia“, the masterful, elongated groovefest that is GIANT.
It’s a monumental finale that brims with emotional intensity. It’s a superlative performance from The The, with Matt Johnson’s phenomenal voice, resonating with genuine authenticity, and raw honesty throughout.
