3oh!3 at The Academy, 4th June 2011
Review by Oisin Tormey
Photos by Abraham Tarrush
A packed-out Academy was the scene for 3oh!3’s first gig in Ireland since an Oxegen appearance nearly one year ago. I was in the crowd that day, and pleasantly surprised at how energetic and commanding their performance was, I was hoping this would be a repeat of that occasion. Although the gig itself was high tempo and of the same vein, there was something missing which left me with the feeling the band have run out of ideas for some parts of their show.
Opening the set with their megahit ‘Starstrukk’ the show began as expected if looking through previous set-lists. This could be one of the problems which bring some weariness to the band. Despite interludes with the usual alludes to Ireland, playing the same routine seems to have drained some of the performance out of the band who impressed me so much at Punchestown last year. The crowd did love it however, and the audience did not stop jumping, screaming and singing throughout the whole show. This isn’t to say the two enigmatic front men Sean and Nathaniel didn’t put on a good show for the crowd; the two have great stage presence which adds more to the performance than any song could. ‘My First Kiss’ shows this off to its full extent, with the two interacting with the crowd to have the place clapping in unison and singing as loud as they possibly can.
‘Rich Man’ is another example of how the show does work to the best of their abilities. The song’s synthy overtone is replaced by the talented backing band’s rockier beat, and this improves what is already a good song. This, along with the opener show the band’s true live potential as an act who can do nothing but impress. ‘Colorado Sunrise’ which follows also impresses, the studio version’s blandness is changed once again with the backing band’s help. I do begin to think however, that I’ve come to a concert where I’m seeing the same song being replayed in a slightly different way.
The band’s main strength is their interaction with the audience, creating a communal atmosphere within the gig itself. They draw moustaches on members of the crowd, hang up bras (and worryingly soiled underwear) on a microphone stand in the corner, and take photos of themselves and the crowd using a girl’s camera who is ecstatic in the front row. They also have the ability to have the whole crowd sing along to every song, even the one song which is the funniest one for me ‘House Party’. The lyrics aren’t Shakespeare (“Gonna have a house party, in my house”) and this is what makes it seem like almost a parody song more than one off a commercial album. The guitar and keyboard parts in the song enhance it, and it is one of the best songs of the night.
The band’s encore begins with a new song ‘Robot’, about a regretful morning-after situation. The rapping in the song sounds more Beasties than 3oh!3, and the song does seem to be written with live performance in mind. “If you have metal parts, put your hands up!” is called out from the stage, and the response would have Peter Crouch crying with pride. The next part of the encore was the one which I thought didn’t seem to fit, and was more there to create filler material in order to make the show longer after running out of ideas. A trio of short covers; ‘I Believe I Can Fly’ by R. Kelly, ‘I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing’ by Aerosmith, and ‘House of The Rising Sun’ by The Animals just give the impression that the band need something to keep the show going, and aren’t fully sure of what it is. The crowd do sing along with the songs, but looks of bemusement do go around The Academy. The night finishes with ‘Don’t Trust Me’, and we’re back to how impressive the band can actually be. Already a great pop song, the live version is even better. The crowd go wild for it, and 3oh!3 hand symbols (which have been seen throughout the night) now fill the venue, as the crowd applaud what was an up-and-down set. Maybe it was second-time syndrome for me, but they just didn’t create the same electric atmosphere which I remembered from eleven months ago. Despite this, there are parts where that spark is still apparent to see, just not as clearly as it was in the past. A mixed bag of music tonight, 3oh!3 left me with the impression that there is still some work to do on the live show, and hopefully this will come with the release of a new album.