umoUnknown Mortal Orchestra came to the Academy 2 last Thursday. The American/New Zealand trio have released two impressive albums full of wonderfully crafted psychedelic rock tunes. This is their first Irish performance, and they drew in a respectable crowd. Fears were the support band, and their atmospheric rock was ghostly and ethereal, with a big dependence on the percussion to create the spooky atmospheres.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra appear on stage, and launch into Monki. Immediately there is a marked difference between the slightly sleepy, laid-back sound of the band on record, and the ferocious beast that is the group’s live performance. The rhythm section, especially the drums, is quite remarkable, and brilliant guitar solos spill out of Nielson’s guitar. The combination of the complex musicianship on display, and the heavily effected vocals create a relaxed yet energetic atmosphere.

No Need For A Leader stood out as one of the finer moments of the night, with a wandering bassline anchoring everything in place and allowing Nielson to express himself on lead. The band stopped the tune half-way through, deciding they were unhappy with how it was going and proceeded to start again, with a slight variation in the guitar sound. The crowd, seemingly impressed with the first take, were more than happy to let the band do it all again. So Good At Being Trouble was another excellent tune, with Nielson’s voice shining through, and a wonderful, catchy refrain strengthening the quality of the song further. The outro jam was as glorious as any that came before it. The band’s stunning musicianship during these sections is obvious, with powerful drum fills, and intricate little bass and guitar solos.

The band just kept on going during the encore, playing a total of five songs. These were more of the same of everything the band played throughout their set; through varying what instrument had the most solos, and by changing the guitar tone, the group managed to keep the crowd’s interest all night. A thoroughly enjoyable display of marvellous musicianship by this strangely named band.