Bombay Bicycle Club at The Olympia on 30th April 2012

Review: David Dooley

Photography: Kieran Frost

Bombay Bicycle Club clearly like their contrasts. Their music tonight is a mixture of frantic highs and subdued lows. Their debut album ‘I Had the Blues but I Shook Them Loose‘ was a feet shuffling affair that ended on the nervous energy of What If which was followed by the tender The Giantess a moment later. With album number two, ‘Flaws‘, they took the all-acoustic route and their latest release ‘A Different Kind of Fix’ sees them blend both styles. Playing live however, they try cramming it all into the show – and it works.

Although A Different Kind of Fix was only released last year, this isn’t Irelands first time seeing these songs live. The band were over for a two night stint at Vicar Street just before Christmas so it’s great to see them back so soon.

It’s not surprising that singer Jack Steadman isn’t the most natural of frontmen with a lackluster baritone voice and song titles like Cancel On Me, Lights Out and Words Gone. At times however he breaks his shy demeanor, spinning the microphone stand around to leave the eager audience with no choice but to sing along. It’s the drummer Suren de Saram however who gets the biggest reaction when he plays up our Irishness by incorporating a Guinness beer tray in a fantastic drum solo.

An extra touch of class is added when London singer songwriter, and frequent Bombay Bicycle Club collaborator, Lucy Rose makes an appearance on stage for a handful of songs. She makes her biggest mark on the piano-led Still. Performed by just Rose and Steadman at the back of the hazy stage, they lead the Olympia into a rare stillness as everyone present is transfixed. The weight of the song clearly rests uneasy with the duo as Steadman fidgets and Rose stares at the floor.

Evening/Morning is Bombay Bicycle Club at their most hostile, Still is them at their most vulnerable, Your Eyes their most deceptive and on Beg, they’re at their all round best. As a b-side from ‘A Different Kind of Fix’, it gives us an exciting insight into Bombay’s possible future direction. Standing out from the rest of the set like a sore thumb, in the best possible way, is an eccentric mix of 1980’s rhythms, a hypnotic bass line and a triple guitar punch. Here’s hoping it’s a sign of things to come from future Bombay releases.

Bombay Bicycle Club Photo Gallery

Photos: Kieran Frost

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