Review by Kevin Donnellan
Photos by Kieran Frost
Fighting With Wire at The Workman’s Club on September 30th 2010
Fighting With Wire in the Workman’s Club. I’ll admit I just hadn’t caught a gig there yet so was as keen to see the venue as I was to see the band (OK fine, more so). For anyone who hasn’t been in the backroom at the new venue you should get yourself down there quick sharp. The place is like a stylish version of a village hall. It’s all benches around the sides, and red curtains. They should hold nights there where guys and girls have to sit on separate sides, 1950’s dance hall style. The acoustics are spot on too, I’m about two months too late with my assessment of the place but it’s a welcome addition to Dublin’s roster of live venues.
Anyway Fighting With Wire. Well firstly they have one of the most likable, friendliest frontmen ever. Cahir O’Doherty is guitarist and lead singer and every one of his many bits of banter between songs are brimful of enthusiasm and humour. How can you not warm to a guy who refers to their slightly delayed upcoming second album as ‘Chinese Democracy pt II’? Or who (rightfully) chides Weezer for now being crap? (note – Weezer presumably weren’t in the audience to hear him say it, but still, it was nice that he did). Or best of all when he refers to their sound engineer as a ‘penis’ for forgetting to bring their new EP. 26 years I’ve been on this planet and it was only yesterday,with the help of FWW’s Cahir, that I had the epiphany that ‘penis’ is a far funnier insult than ‘dick’ or ‘cock’. Marvellous.
But obviously you don’t judge bands solely on their stage banter (if wishing made it so…), there’s that pesky matter of what the music actually sounds like. FWW’s style wouldn’t be near the top of my list of musical preferences so it says a lot for their stagecraft and precision that I enjoyed their 40 minute-ish set so much. The trio kick into all of there songs with the frantic air of Nirvana, the drums of Craig McKean giving each tune a urge-to-mosh urgency. None of their set list is treating with over-reverence, if they feel like rocking out for a few extra minutes they do and it works. Occasionally songs veer a little toward the middle of the road (the so-so American band Lit, spring to mind) for my taste but the crowd lap it up. But all in all definitely worth seeing again, if only to hear O’Doherty’s banter.
