Review of And So I Watch You From Afar at The Button Factory April 30th 2011
Review by Tadgh O’Connor
Snaps by Kieran Frost
Few bands have been able to live up to the immensity of And So I Watch You From Afar’s live shows. Their busy and varied touring schedule is a testament to their place as the hardest working band in Ireland. With another album, “gangs” under their belt, ASIWYFA return to Dublin. To blast out some tunes, make people sweat and cause some bruises.
Waiting for the lads to arrive I have a gawk around the crowd and notice the odd mixture. At the extremes are your stereotypical Dublin hipster and your boot donning metal heads. But filling out the grey area in between are people who are oddly normal. Surprising such a niche band could pull in such a varied crowd.
With little in the way of hellos the band commence with the tongue-twistingly titled “BEAUTIFULUNIVERSEMASTERCHAMPION”, immediately the crowd kicks off. Torn between the playful poly-rhythmic verses and the heavy-as-fuck chorus’. Switching between moshing and dancing intermittently. The band go forth without rest with “Gang”, the crowd follow their lead.
The album gets a good going over, and is played in completion more or less, sans the 13 minute long two-parter “Homes”. The lads take a break before coming back and playing some fan favourites. “If it Ain’t Broke… Break it”, “S is for Salamander” and “Set Guitars for Kill” all come out for an appearance. The lads are back in more comfortable territory. Before breaking into “Don’t Waste Time Doing Things You Hate” guitarist Tony jokes “Do you want to do some singing? Well you picked the wrong fucking band then”
Nine times out of ten with a band there’s one member that stands out, with ASIWYFA this is not the case. Not because they lack charisma, finesse or competency, but because they work so well as a unit. That is what drives their music, how they are so in tune with each other. And with the nature of their music at times, with it’s rhythmic complexities and layered melodies, they’d want to be.
ASIWYFA have tackled the barrier of following up their second album and come out unscathed and with the same sense of urgency. They’ve come this far and are on their way to going a hell of a lot further.