SquareD launch – November 25th, Workmans Club – Kowalski & Alarmist

By Kevin Donnellan

So we’re pretty much all agreed that the country is royally screwed, aren’t we? Wait, come back! It’s not going to be another article about how much trouble Ireland is in. Obviously you didn’t click on a music review story to hear more of that class of talk. So anyway, yeah the country is monumentally banjaxed. But there’s still good stuff happening out there. There are still reminders that we have hung onto a lot of talented people People whose main aim isn’t to own a jeep to drive to the shops in. People who are involved in projects that are designed to inspire.

Take the launch of SquareD music management on Thursday for instance. Here we have the setting up of a new music management company by Danielle Walsh and Danielle Graham. The pair used to work with EMI. (“What’s EMI?” shouts the young person at the back of the class. “It’s this thing called a major label” explains the teacher, with a sigh. “We used have them years and years ago.”). Anyway, now they’ve started up their own company and they are currently working with Dublin instrumentalists Alarmists and Bangor electropop band Kowalski. On the night of the gig Danielle Walsh informs me they’ll also be working with Le Galaxie. Now maybe the two Danielle’s want nothing more than to own a jeep to drive to the shops in but they definitely hide it well if they do. They are excited by the project they’re undertaking and genuine fans of the bands they are now working with.

So the gig. well actually before the gig there was the interviews. Lovely, snappy, back-and-forth interviews with both acts. Oh the things we spoke of! Unfortunately somebody, possibly me, decided that a music filled bar would be a fine place for a chat with the two bands. Of course my Dictaphone won’t pick up all that background noise… So not so much with the interviews. But I can report that Alarmist are a nice bunch of Dublin lads who have played together in various guises since they were 12. And Kowlaski are sound Northern boys with a fine line in facial hair.

OK now the gig. Kowalski start us off. There is some free rum, it’s mixed with ginger beer. It’s very nice, I didn’t know ginger beer appeared outside Enid Blyton books. But it does, and it goes great with rum. Another piece of my childhood now tainted… A decent crowd has turned out, in fact more than decent, for a bitterly cold weeknight. I’m informed that Paddy Baird, the drummer, is a brother of Kevin Baird from Two Door Cinema Club and Kowalski recently supported them. A song or two in I wish I didn’t know this, it’s hard not to compare them now that you know there’s a connection.

Their electropop is along the same lines as TDCC (see?). They’re a good, tight band. But the first couple of numbers start to meld into each other in the mind. When the keyboard is abandoned for a while and a second guitar joins in they instantly sound meatier, the crescendos carry more weight. They’ll get a following, potentially a big following, but just not for me. Maybe I’ve just seen too many keyboard-wielding electropop bands of late. By the way, that last sentence was written in the tone of a hard-bitten army sergeant who’d seen too much death. “Dammit, I’ve just seen too many electropop bands, I can’t do this anymore.”

After a bit of a break it’s time for Alarmist. The rum is now long gone but the place has filled up even more. Maybe people weren’t just here for the free drink (maybe it was just me). Alarmist are a four-piece but onstage it looks to be a two-man show. And what a show it is. Elis Czerniak of Halves is one of the guys out front. This is very different from Halves. The noise created by these guys is incredible. They comfortably fit in with the likes of ASIWYFA, Adebisi Shank and Enemies who are currently flying the flag for Irish post-rock. Alarmist will soon be up there with them on this performance, their first gig in an ‘official venue’. They are multi-talented musicians too. A bass clarinet makes an appearance but you wouldn’t be surprised if a didgeridoo was hauled out. Well maybe a little surprised, but still…

And that was that, the debut showing for the SquareD roster. The country is still screwed and the weather hasn’t improved since last Thursday. But at least the output of charges of SquareD can be added to the list of Good Things that we really should all be mentally compiling at the moment.