Tag: Dublin

Competition: Win tickets to Jim Lockey and The Solemn Sun in Academy 2 this Friday

With thanks to MCD, I have two tickets for , to a lucky reader of this blog/listener of The London Ear on RTE 2XM to head along to Jim Lockey and The Solemn Sun in the Academy 2, this Friday night, September 27th 2013.

To be in with a shot of winning, all you have to do is tell me why you deserve to get free tickets to the gig. You can leave your answers below.

While you’re at it, make sure you’re following The London Ear on Twitter and that you’ve like the Facebook too.

Competition closes at 9pm on September 2013. Winners are randomly chosen, decision is final.

To get you in the mood, here’s the new video from JLandTSS, ‘Wilderness of a Wild Youth’ which is taken from thri

September 25, 2013
Imagine Dragons: Live at The Olympia, Dublin – Review

Imagine Dragons in The Olympia Theatre, Dublin, August 22 2013

Originally published on Goldenplec.

Since the Irish release of ‘Night Visions’, Imagine Dragons‘ popularity has grown at an incredible pace. As if a top ten album wasn’t enough, they sold out two nights in Dublin’s Olympia Theatre with Goldenplec checking out the second of the two.

Dutch band, Soul Sister Dance Revolution, start off the night. While many opening acts have the opportunity to play their best five or six songs, SSDR play a full set. During that time neither the quality of music from the stage or the enthusiasm from the audience wanes. The band declare that it’s their job to “warm you up” and they do just that. They play rock music and manage to successfully build a bridge between American rock and British indie, easily winning over the audience with tracks from their debut album. Many of the assembled are already familiar with the music, singing along with frontman Thomas van der Want, however it is keyboardist Camiel Meiresonne who steals the show. When he isn’t behind the keys, he’s dancing insanely around the stage, tambourine in hand, often precariously close to the edge. It’s a great set, with an equally great reaction from an audience that’s truly fired up for the headliners.

The lights dim to reveal a row of lights on the ground, either side of the drumkit. It’s a simple stage set up, with the band’s instruments and some extra drums and percussion across the front of the stage, and one set slightly to the left in front of the main kit. The stage’s main focal point is the massive bass drum placed beside singer Dan Reynolds’ mic stand. As the band begin, the dramatic intro makes fantastic use of the percussive instruments on stage. This smoothly changes into Round and Round, much to squeals of delight from the mainly late teen early twenty-something audience.

This song sets the tone for the rest of the evening, with the crowd singing every word in a good old ‘hands in the air’ gig. At first viewing the extra percussion on stage may seem excessive, but the band have incorporated it beautifully into their set. Songs from ‘Night Visions’ may have been all over the radio for the past while but it’s live where Imagine Dragons really come into their own. Their songs are perfect for a live environment, with breaks and opportunities for the audience to get involved and become part of the night.

An extra touring member, Ryan Walker, provides some extra instrumentation with guitar, keys and the memorable mandolin line on It’s Time. The track is one of the standouts of the night, with the band beginning and ending by hitting out the rhythmic beat on their own bodies. During the set, they play the different drums placed around the stage and end up promptly dropping drum sticks on the ground, keeping a member of their crew constantly busy in pick up mode.

The atmosphere in The Olympia is something special, with a feelgood synergy between the audience and the band that is often associated with huge stadium rock gigs. The tempo is lowered for a beautiful acoustic version of Thirty Lives, with Wayne Sermon on guitar and drummer Daniel Platzman on violin. This is probably the only song of the night where not all the audience are familiar with the song, but it shows a versatility within the band and a sincerity in Dan Reynolds’ vocals that can sometimes be lost in a bigger sounding rock song. While three of the band take a recess after this performance, it gives bassist Ben McKee the chance to show of his solo bass skills.

A beat boxing version of Cold War Kids’ Hang Me Out To Dry follows, running seamlessly into a jazzy Stand By Me. Imagine Dragons know how to kick start a sing-along and are masters of segues, using their percussive sounds beautifully to move back to their own original music and to the reggae tinged Underdog.

Suddenly, a line of people run from stage right to front and centre stage, throwing huge balloons into the crowd. As Top of the World plays there’s a complete carnival atmosphere in the venue, and the balloons pop to shower the crowd in confetti. The audience still have some energy as the first bars of Radioactive fill the venue, making sure their voices are louder than the music, singing with all their might.

Olé Olé Olé, a Spanish chant of delight, fills the Olympia and rightly so. Imagine Dragons have entertained fantastically tonight – with their tribal drums, musicality, harmonies and their songs, you just have to sing along. The band return for one more, and Nothing Left To Say builds to its climax, giving the audience the chance to raise their voices one last time. For the band, it’s hard to fake those smiles.

Check out all my music reviews here

September 6, 2013
Brian May and Kerry Ellis at The Olympia – Review

This was originally published on Goldenplec.com, Brian May and Kerry Ellis at The Olympia Theatre, Dublin, Ireland on June 30th 2013.

For the past while Brian May has been in the news, not only for his music but also for his love of nature – in particular badgers – speaking out about cullings in the UK. Along with singer Kerry Ellis, May went to South Africa to the Born Free Foundation’s rescue centre for lions. Their love of wildlife preservation led them to record an album, ‘Born Free’, and embark on an intimate tour in late 2012. ‘Acoustic and by Candelight’ is the second part of that tour, with all proceeds going to the Born Free Foundation.

With that in mind, there’s no better way to raise awareness than to show the waiting audience nature videos before the duo take to the stage. These videos do include some badgers looking rather cute, but also include Brian May’s version of the viral Badger Badger Badger video, complete with a Flash Gordon style vocals and guitar.

The duo take to the stage to raptourous applause and start the night with a version of I Who Have Nothing, with May on acoustic guitar and Ellis showing off her elegant vocals. Throughout the night, there are heckles from the floor; the usual “I love you“, to which Brian May replies, “I love you too” before mentioning that Kerry also loved the heckler.

Despite being one of the most instantly recognisable faces in rock, May seems really down to earth and extremely passionate about raising awareness for the Born Free Foundation. He explains that the songs performed on the tour somehow relate to animals, including us human ones. The mood is upbeat and light-hearted, perfect for a Sunday night chill out. After Ms Ellis reminds us that she’s on stage with Dr May, a keyboard player, Craig Adams, is introduced. May tells the audience his regular player has run off to Glastonbury to play with Bruce Forsyth for the weekend, which gets a giggle.

May and Ellis seem very at ease with each other onstage, and seeing the ease and ability with which May plays guitar is really something that inspires awe. He changes guitar from six string to twelve string and back for different songs, giving each a unique texture.

With many years experience in the West End, Kerry Ellis hits the right notes all night, and the addition of the keyboard player rounds out the stripped back sound beautifully. During their rendition of Kansas’ Dust in the Wind, the guitar has a slight reverb, while the keys subtly pad out the sound.

Of course, the audience want to hear Queen songs. May takes the first verse, and Ellis follows on with the rest of Somebody to Love. While May’s guitar playing is in a different league to his singing, it doesn’t diminish the passion for the song from the audience. It gives them the opportunity to sing their hearts out, clap to the beat when the song breaks down, sing as the song’s gospel style refrain builds up and hit the falling notes perfectly as the song ends – magic.

This tour has given fans of the pair an opportunity to hear some fantastic renditions of songs made famous by other artists. The Beatles’ Tell Me What You See has the two sharing vocals, and even stripped down possesses a hippy sixties vibe. The guitar and keys replace the string section on Barbara Streisand’s The Way We Were, updating the song, and although on a stage in a packed venue, it remains intimate.

The duo are on stage for almost two hours and take turns with a solo place in the spotlight. This gives Dr May an excuse to bring out a good old electric guitar and of course he has to treat us to an improvised guitar solo, which includes Molly Malone – the audience love it and so does he. Tonight is a night where we get to know a more human side of Dr May. Yes, he bumps into a stool onstage, and yes, he introduces the wrong song on one occasion, but we also hear some of his stories including how Rory Gallagher taught him about guitar amps in the Marquee in London. The biggest audience reaction of the night comes for a dazzling rendition of Tie Your Mother Down. With electric guitar and keys, all we’re missing is some drums for a full on rock show.

The Olympia audience don’t need much encouragement to stomp their feet and clap their hands for We Will Rock You and it’s infamous guitar solo. While this tour was branded ‘Acoustic and by Candelight’, the electric is still out for recent single, The Kissing Me Song.

After a short break, Kerry Ellis returns for an encore, her pure vocals highlighting No One but You (Only The Good Die Young) and how operatic Queen’s songs are. Brian May returns to the stage with his electric guitar and lifts the song into a rock realm. The night ends with Crazy Little Thing Called Love, with its infamous acoustic guitar opening sounds huge backed by Craig Adams’ rockabilly keys. It’s a perfect ending to a great night.

This is a fantastic opportunity for fans of guitar hero, Brian May, to see him work his magic, up close and in an intimate setting. Kerry Ellis’ vocals are flawless, and together the two do have a chemistry that works. Their choice of songs for the evening can’t be faulted, starting off slowly and building the evening up. At the end though, there’s just a nagging feeling that Dr May would much prefer to leave down his acoustic, pick up the electric and rock it out, not just for old times’ sake.

For your viewing pleasure, here’s the Badger song!

July 8, 2013
Mark Owen At The Olympia – Review

Originally posted on Goldenplec.com – Mark Owen at The Olympia June 19th 2013

Exactly two years to the day, Take That played the second of two sold out shows in Croke Park. Alongside the other four original members, Mark Owen played to over 160,000 Irish fans. This time round, Owen is back on Irish soil on a solo tour in support of his recently released album, ‘The Art of Doing Nothing’.

Before Owen takes to the Olympia stage, local band Acrobat get the chance to open the show. When a name like Owen’s is involved, there will always been a loyal fanbase awaiting his arrival. This however, didn’t deter Acrobat from giving their all. Officially a three piece, the band enlist a synth player for live shows and it pays off. They have a tight indie rock vibe and their sound is balanced beautifully. Singer and guitarist, Mark Thomas, uses the Olympia stage well interacting with the audience and getting the seated audience clapping along and involved in the set, which included their debut single Safe Inside, the soaring Silent Sound. All come across as competent musicians and while it was their first time on the Olympia stage, they seem like they are ready for bigger. Very enjoyable set.

The wait between acts is the worst part about gigs. The music on the P.A. tonight fills the gap well with indie tracks scattered between songs from movie soundtracks as the stage is readied with a mat that looks like a British stamp. The sound changes slightly and Gerard McCann’s Cry Little Sister from The Lost Boys soundtrack fills the venue. The volume rises and as the track nears the end vertical strips of LED lights pulse on stage in time with the beat. Dramatic. Mr. Owen immediately gets himself some cool points. As he and his band come to the stage, the predominately female audience let their voices be heard.

Dressed in a white jacket and black trousers, Owen looks at home on his own in the centre of the stage. The set opens with Giveaway and Raven from his current album. Giveaway is an unusual choice of opener, starting off quiet before the tempo raises. Owen is joined onstage by a four piece band, drums, guitar, bass and keys. Actually, in total there are seven keyboards/synths on stage, one of which boasts a QR code for fans to scan. By the end of Raven, Owen has played keys and guitar, showing himself to be way more than the all singing all dancing Take Thater.

The audience are on their feet and although this maybe a chance to convert some TT fans to his solo stuff, there are many already mouthing the words. Owen addresses the audience, thanking them for their dedication over the past twenty years. He jokes about how he doesn’t have a big circus or standing man, references to previous TT tours. As he pours a drink from a teapot, he does show the audience his waving cat though, which gets a giggle.

The set continues with Stars, the current single. Sound in the venue is pristine, Owen’s soundscape is huge, from beautiful bass synth sounds to the punchy sound from what seems like a jazz kick drum. It is a TT song that sends the audience into overdrive though. The Flood is given an uptempo intro and the other members aren’t missed as every audience member helps out with the chorus.

Scattered among tracks from his current album, Owen plays 1997’s Clementine, from his debut, ‘Green Man’, and the brilliantly clever Four Minute Warning, which celebrates its tenth birthday this year. Believe in The Boogie from Owen’s third album ‘How The Mighty Fall’ keeps everyone dancing. Yes, he has released four solo albums.

Two TT tracks finish up the main set as the show really turns into a celebration of Owen’s career. Everyone, in the seated venue, is on their feet, singing with all their might. As Hold Up The Light builds, the crowd get more hyped. Owen does the clever thing and uses tracks that he has the lead vocal, ending the main set with the singalong a crowd pleaser Shine. These are the songs people want to hear and Owen doesn’t disappoint.

Mark Owen and his band leave the stage to deafening applause. The crowd aren’t going anywhere, waiting for a return. Mark comes back to the stage and Rule The World gets a piano rendition, making the song his own. He finishes the night with End of Everything, an anthemic bitter sweet song which builds to reveal a positive crescendo. A perfect choice.

The band leave the stage as Owen is still acknowledging the crowd, he hasn’t stopped smiling and looks like he has really enjoyed himself, which has rubbed off on everyone else. The crowd are clapping as Mark says his last goodbyes, then stops and starts clapping with the audience. The tempo of the handclaps change slightly to match the beat of Take That’s ‘Up All Night’. So with just handclaps and a full voiced audience for accompaniment, a last chorus is sung.

What tonight does is show how Mark Owen has grown as an artist. It also seems to indicate how much he has contributed to TT since their reformation. Previously, Gary Barlow was ‘the main man’, going on the arrangements, rhythms and songwriting on display, it seems Mark Owen deserves more credit than he has been given. A fantastic night’s entertainment.

June 28, 2013