TUnE-yArDs at Vicar Street on July 15th 2012
Review: Sean Noone
Photos: Kieran Frost
It’s a Sunday evening and the Vicar Street crowd is a just little bit quiet. There is chatter here and there but it’s far less boisterous than you would expect from a Dublin crowd. Last Days of 1984 and Micachu and the Shapes both played great sets as support, but got little back from the audience but nodding appreciation. Maybe it’s just a Sunday.
Sunday or not, Merrill Garbus – a.k.a tUnE-yArDs – is about to take the stage and surely she will lift the proceedings. She immediately impresses with her intro as she grunts, whoops and screams nonsense into the microphone. It’s a display of a fantastic vocal range but is it not just strange noises? Not after she brings the loop machine into play and creates something that, while undeniably unusual, is incredibly compelling.
The call of “Let’s have fun, okay,” from the stage raises a massive cheer from the audience and from there on out, they obey. You, Yes You and Gangsta quite literally get the venue jumping before Riotriot. The subdued nature of the latter could be put down to the heat in Vicar Street and they turn on the fans at just the right time because things are about to get steamy.
Powa is a song that is sexy to the point of filthy and has the entire crowd singing “Your powa inside, it rocks me like a lullaby.” For some, especially the men, the meaning of these words only registered as they left their mouths. There may be some embarrassment present but it’s not long before the overriding emotion reverts back to awe as concentration is returned to the impressive happenings on stage. With no more than a loop station, two drums, a bass and occasionally a few saxophones, tUnE-yArDs create a sound that is incredibly intricate and undoubtedly unique. And then there’s the voice. Whether using as a deep growl or hitting the higher register, the usually soft spoken Ms Garbus doesn’t miss a note.
The setlist is managed incredibly well with album tracks thrown in with new stuff – the next album is another ‘must have’ on the basis of the new track played tonight – and the hits. Biznes and My Country get run-outs to huge audience reception with the latter’s closing line “The worst thing about living a lie is just wondering when they’ll find out,” ending the main part of the set. It would be a suitable way to end the evening, but they return before too long with Jumping Jack. The audience don’t seem to know it, it is from the more obscure first album ‘Bird Brains’, but seem delighted that tUnE-yArDs are treating them to one more song.
Perhaps disbelief is the emotion that was most common tonight. The crowd were in their joy were disbelieving in the awesome performance played out for them while the band seemed unable to believe in the response they got from the crowd. It’s an example of a humility which only makes them more endearing.
tUnE-yArDs Photo Gallery
Photos: Kieran Frost
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