Jameson Global Party, Mansion House, Dublin – March 17th
Review by Oisin Tormey
The emphasis was on spectacle for St. Patrick’s night in the Mansion House as the Jameson Global Party got into full swing for what was an entertaining night of music, with Codes, Republic of Loose and Groove Armada taking to the stage for a gig which would be broadcast across different countries. Walking into the Round Room venue for the night, the first thing to be seen was a bar/DJ booth situated in the middle of the floor, with wall-to wall whiskey below, and above being where Groove Armada would play there set at the very end of the night.
First to take to the stage were Codes, who impressed a crowd who were seemingly unaware of the band before tonight. Playing on a stage with a lit-up map of the world behind them which pointed to every place the gig would be broadcast, the lads gave it all for their seven-song set, with their energy generating a good response from the slowly increasing audience. There were a lot of cameras circling both the band and the audience for the night, something which was uncomfortable to deal with. The expectation that they could show the Irish ‘craic’ from inside this venue was pretty much lost by the intrusiveness of the cameras, which left people wanting to keep closer to the back than the front of the stage. Codes, to their credit, did not let this hinder their performance in the slightest, and were nothing but energetic and enthused while on stage. Lead singer Daragh ending up in amongst the crowd for their final song and this does something to get rid of the artificial dancing and make it a real gig.
The crowd had grown by the time Republic of Loose began to perform, with an even split between the bar and the band keeping the atmosphere slightly limited. I haven’t always thought of Loose as a great live band, they can be a bit up and down with their performances. Tonight it was for the better, however, as the band began to gain more interest from the crowd than the endless supply of Jameson did. Mick Pyro, in an impressively furry jacket, was on top form and the band played a set which kept the crowd dancing in a more natural way than earlier (the whiskey may have helped too!). Their final three songs ‘Comeback Girl’, ‘The Steady Song’, and a cover of Cee-Lo Green’s ‘Fuck You’ were a triumphant end to a set which I wasn’t expecting much from, but was pleasant surprise for me, and left me anticipating as much from Groove
Armada.
Before Groove Armada arrive on next, it’s time to say hello to the world via satellite like some sort of drunken Live Aid experiment. We’re all not entirely sure who we’re waving and cheering to, but cheer anyway not to let the side down. The two guys from the group are ready and have taken their place in the centre of the Round Room, on a podium over the now-closed bar in the middle of the floor. They begin, and the crowd dances for a while but the feeling comes across that the gig has just turned into a disco with a sponsor. For their DJ set they played a mix of their own hits like ‘Superstylin’ alongside classics like ‘Heart of Glass’ by Blondie and a mix of ‘Seven Nation Army’ by The White Stripes which was a good change from hearing Black Eyed Peas on repeat every other night out. The spectacle of the night begins to take over the music, with trapeze artists and bouncing balls coming down from the roof and a big green man dancing around the place. The light show for their set was staggering too, with Jameson
putting out every effort to make it a fun night for all involved. And in the end it was; 2 top quality bands, a great DJ set, all inside a great venue. An entertaining, and different experience for March 17th, the Jameson Global Party was a success for this year, and one which I’d like to repeat next year if I get half a chance.
