Whilst the world was busy painting their famous landmarks green, Vicar Street (and more so Jameson) were going one shade deeper with a star-studded, whiskey fuelled Paddy’s Day (well Paddy’s Eve) celebration.
Kicking off the party was a band who are anything but strangers to the atmospheric Dublin 8 venue. With the echoes of We Cut Corners’ Meteor Choice Prize performance still ringing throughout the hall, they effortlessly set down a marker for the night to follow. With a host of tracks ranging from the delicately balanced ‘Maybe in the Future’ to the boisterous ‘Blue’ the Dublin duo showed why their second album ‘Think Nothing” rightfully deserves to be up there with the best of 2014. Older staples such as ‘A Pirate’s Life’ and ‘The Leopard’ did well to showcase a wealth of material and a surprise cover of Sinead O’Connor’s ‘Mandinka’ rounded off the set nicely.
Interludes between acts were filled with burger vendors and complimentary Jameson and ginger from the wall to wall whiskey bar within the venue. They also provided ample opportunity to check out the impressive stage and venue decorations as well as two large screens which displayed live twitter feeds. One such tweet from Delorentos included a photo of a ‘blank set-list‘ with an attached call for song suggestions. But thankfully this list far was from empty by the time the house lights were dimmed.
Keeping with Meteor Choice nominees, Delorentos were next to take to the stage. They have had somewhat of a stellar year, adding a host fantastic new songs under the guise of their fourth studio album ‘Night Becomes Light’ to an already impressive repertoire. Keeping with their patented energy and enthusiasm, the something rockers engaged the crowd from the offset. From the opening ‘Forget The Numbers’ to their trademark finisher ‘S.E.C.R.E.T’ Delorentos poured heart and soul into every song. And whilst the crowd may have been a little quieter than used to, the bands enthusiasm never waned.
But unfortunately the same could not be said for the headline act. Little Green Cars enjoyed success back in 2013 with their debut release ‘Absolute Zero’. Becoming associated with such iconic hits as ‘The John Wayne’ they quickly amassed a following, many of whom were present at the sold out gig in Vicar Street last night. What Little Green Cars possess in terms of vocal prowess and subtle musicianship they lacked in stage presence and seemed to be ‘going through the motions’. Their set, mainly utilised as a proving ground for new material, seemed to alienate and shut out the majority of the crowd creating an uneasy stillness that no amount of whiskey could reverse.
But it would be unfair to condemn a band for playing to their strengths. Rare treats in the form of ‘My Love Took Me Down to the River to Silence Me’ and the aforementioned ‘The John Wayne’ showed that the Little Green Cars we all know and love haven’t strayed too far. The line-up for the night was simply unbalanced.
But all in all, it’s hard to be too cynical about Jameson St Patrick’s Live or in fact any event which endeavours to put home-grown Irish talent in the spotlight. Ireland is once again experiencing a golden age of music and last night in Vicar Street three examples of such took to the stage. Hopefully Jameson will be providing the soundtrack to Paddy’s Day for many years to come.
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