Four local bands were on show last Saturday afternoon as Downhill, Storyboard, Hogan and The Wonder Villains graced the Academy 2 stage. As always, it’s good to see MCD putting on gigs showcasing local talent. Also, I was personally glad to see that the leather couches on one side of the venue have been removed, giving people more room to stand and see the stage.
First up was Hogan. Having seen these play previously supporting Jody Has a Hitlist at The Academy I was fully aware of their capabilities of playing in front of a much larger crowd. A sign of a good band is when that same energy can be easily transferred from the big stage to the smaller stage. Playing in front of significantly less people this time, Hogan were as energetic, as catchy and got the crowd going just as much as the last time I saw them.
Next band, The Wonder Villains came down from Derry to play. Clearly influenced by bands such as Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Fight Like Apes with the added dimension of catchy synth hooks. I’ve seen this genre attempted many times and it’s very hard to get right. Maybe you just have to be in the mood for it but at times the vocals seemed to verge on the wrong side of screaming.
I have seen Storyboard several times over the last few years. After their latest EP release, entitled ‘ Tear This Down’, they got signed to UK independent label ‘Hang Tight Records’, have supported A Day To Remember in The Academy and have gone on two UK tours in the past few months. The confidence gained from all these experienced was clear to see on stage. The 5-piece raced through a polished set of songs from the latest EP as well as some new and unrecorded ones. If you’re as much of a sucker for heavy breakdowns as I am, you’ll enjoy this band.
Finally, headliners Downhill took to the stage. These boys have been going for as long as I can remember. Although the lineup has changed numerous times over the years, the sound has remained the same. If you haven’t heard them before, think of New Found Glory or The Starting Line and you’re almost there. A mixture of old and new songs filled an almost hour long set. Old classics ‘Home’ and ‘Always on the Run’ were played as well as the majority of their newest EP ‘Recovery’ which is available for free download here.