The Maccabees at The Academy, Dublin on March 3rd 2012
Review: Ross Maguire
Photos: Owen Humphreys
If you’ve only heard of The Maccabees before, you might think they’ve been around forever. That, is largely because they have a sound that may not sound completely original if your aware of bands such as Bombay Bicycle Club and the Vaccines. For me the sound of the band could only have been described in the same breath as others, but that was only on listen to a few tracks, and before I really started listening. The band released their first album in 2007, and 5 years on they have embarked on a UK tour to promote their third entitled “Given to the Wild”, with an album that moves away from the first indie – lite riffs and synths to a more mature and atmospheric sound, but still with that cutting edge and drive that The Maccabees music is all about. The first date of this tour was held in Dublin’s Academy to a sell out crowd on Saturday night.
I had been tipped that The Maccabees were one to watch live and judging by the packed Academy I wasn’t the only one who was aware. Support on the night came from Dublin’s We Cut Corners, a band who have been nominated for this years choice awards with “Today I realised I could go home backwards”. They set the tone well. quite simply, the perfect band to open for The Maccabees, and a prospect I look forward to catching live as headliners.
The crowd responded well to We Cut Corners and The Maccabees took to the stage, Orlando and co seeming well up for the night ahead as they kick off with bags of energy. They opened with two new tracks from the album, “Child”, a soft and tonal opening to the gig and then new single “Feel to Follow”. The crowd responding well as the bands live energy translates throughout the venue. “Feel to Follow” being only the second song of the night proved one of my highlights of the night. A few numbers from the first and second albums followed, and the Academy kicked into life, noticeably for “No kind Words” and “Can you give it”, both outstanding tracks which had the crowd interacting for the chorus’s and definitely another of my highlights. Orlando Week’s voice is huge live, he used two microphones at times to produce a chilling echo effect on slow intros and breakdowns while drummer Sam Doyle was producing a blinding performance in among the vortex of sound The Maccabees are so good at creating on stage. The initial set ended with hit “Love you better” from their “Wall of arms” album and newest fan-favourite “Pelican” from the latest release.
The crowd were baying for more after “Pelican” produced such an energetic ending, and that’s what they got. The band returning to the stage to finish with three songs in “Unknown”,”Precious Time” and the ambient “Grew up at Midnight”. It came together as a brilliant set from The Maccabees and Dublin did well to catch such a good band on top of their game at the start of a lengthy UK tour.
New Album “Given to the Wild” is out now.
The Maccabees Photo Gallery
Photos: Owen Humphreys
