NSMA ‘08 : Dublin
After a build-up of months, March 27 saw the last regional heat of the Bank Of Ireland National Student Music Awards as four hopefuls fought the final time. First up and athough they didn’t make it to the final stage, winners of sharpest act of the night were Funzo, a collective of like-minded musical souls who band together on an informal basis with frontman Liam McDermott to create a ska-tinged, upbeat medley of songs reflecting times and trials of alternative youth in modern Ireland. All of them attractively suited and booted for an expanded Rat (In-The-Kitchen) Pack aura of cheeky front. The sound is something else: with so many contributors, layers of instruments such as clarinet, sax, harmonica and keyboards mingled with more standard fare of rock-faithful guitar/bass/drums give depth and complexity to the flippancy belying Liam’s lyrics. All this based on the judges’ opinions: your roving reporter mistimed the event and arrived just after the Funzo set….*weep*
So instead I flew in to Blind Pilots, who hail from Dundalk and have spent the last three years demolishing their home circuit whilst tentatively expanding into the broader gig range, Blind Pilots’ performance mirrored a dedication to live shows, with excellent displays of stunts and moves across the stage. Musically and more importantly, their big sound of punk-fuelled Emo rock wasn’t quite enough to set them apart from their competitors and saw them dropped from the finals. A shame but if they always have that much fun performing, they won’t stay down for long.
Dirty 9s were easily spotted: familiar with their MySpace and recent television appearance, I’d been looking forward to seeing their songs translate on-stage. Singer Feargal Moloney’s voice alternates between callow quavers and harder, raspier timbres, standing above and beyond mellow rock instrumentals. They’re a young band battling to be heard in the ampitheatre of classic rock and the fight is going to be a hard one. With such consistent playing to back up vocals (Moloney sounds hauntingly close to Destroyer at times) The Dirty 9s put on a different show to their peers: no flamboyant gestures or overcompensation, preferring to just get the hell on with the songs. This unhurried manner came across as gentle confidence…until I tried to catch the eye of lead guitarist Cian and the poor lad’s frightened blushes were akin to a rabbit caught in the headlamps. After winning TG4’s Deis Roc the night before and impressing the NSMA judges into making the final selection, Cian and co had better get used to playing with all eyes on…
Well, we all know a bit of competition keeps a band on its toes and for sure, all the acts involved in the NSMAs have given their best at each gig I’ve seen. But just imagine absolutely hating your fellow guitarist for over three years whilst grudgingly admiring his talent and you’ll be in with an inkling of Jerome’s Law. I was hoping to see a bit of a spat, really, maybe some tussling, even a bit of blood. However there wasn’t a trace of anything so unprofessional and the much-maligned relationship between Adam Fleming and Shane O’Neill transpired in some very energetic, mellow, imaginative tunes set to the keyboard accompaniment of namesake Jerome Williams. A special shout-out to Shane, in fact: never have I seen one shiver and shimmy so while rooted to the spot. Imaginative really is the keyword of Jerome’s Law, serving a dollop of homage to airy 1960s psychedelica mixed with later counterparts Radiohead and the timeless Mr Bowie. It was difficult to second-guess where the music would turn next as each of four songs were markedly different to their predecessors’.
Jerome’s Law joined the Dirty 9s as judges’ choice of the night and now, now the fight is ON.
The Village, April 24th 2008: sell your textbooks, bribe a boffin, flunk the tests…whatever you gotta do to be there, consider it done.