Review By Craig McDonnell
Photo’s by Kieran Frost
On a beautiful sunny day in Dublin there couldn’t have been many better ways to end it than listen to the wonderful harmonies of twin sisters Ellie and Louise Macnamara, better known as Heathers.
But before them we had two support acts. First up was We Cut Corners, a guitar-and -drums duo. Having heard this band were a part of one of the IMRO showcases, I was looking forward to hearing what they had to offer. The thing that stood out most whilst watching was the fact that the drummer did most of the lead vocals (apart from acoustic songs when he would come to the front of stage). The vocals and harmonies had a certain Cold War Kids vibe off them, not quite as beautiful as the headliner’s but still effective and at times powerful. Leaving the best song until last, they set a solid foundation for the rest of the night.
Second up was Funeral Suits. Never before have I seen so many instruments changing hands in one set! The bass player became a synth player followed by guitarist and the original guitarist played bass on occasion. The only person that stayed on his original instrument was the drummer. The best songs came when the organ-style synthesiser and guitar combined. The music was listenable without doing anything to blow me away.
Then it was time for the main act. Heathers took to the stage to begin their Here, Not There tour which would take them around Ireland during the month of June to promote their debut album. Surprisingly, and on the contrary to the norm for most bands, they started with their most popular song, ‘Remember When’, probably best known as the song from the Fáilte Ireland ad. The tactic seemed to pay dividends however, with the crowd in the singing mood from the start they went straight into ‘Fire Ants’ followed by ‘Reading in the Dark‘. The amazing harmonies along with their unique charm and presence on stage kept the crowd’s attention for the entire set.
Following a cover from Mountain Goats came a new song and previous Goldenplec Video of the Week, ‘Waiter’, ‘Bloodpact’ and ‘Moose’ (which we are told got its name by a friend telling them they resembled the animal!) before another short cover from the band Ghost Mice. The only brand new song of the night was then played, provisionally called ‘Home and Away’ which will presumably be on their forthcoming album which they hope to record in mid 2010.
Next came one of those rare moments when a cover outshines an original. This occured with their cover of Beyoncé’s hit ‘Halo’. Not being a fan personally of Beyoncé’s work, to hear one of her songs performed in a completely different style was a real treat. Two more tracks from the debut album, ‘Margie’ and ‘Slices of Palama’ along with another Mountain Goats cover as an encore completed a fine set.
