Live
Girl Band
Electric Ballroom, London
November 5 2019
Words: Leah Raymond
A fitting date for one of Ireland's finest bands to launch a rocket up North London as they sparkle at a sold out Electric Ballroom on Guy Fawkes Night.
And there's a fevered frenzy ensuing for Girl Band before they even get within a hair's breadth of the stage, which is set up nicely by the support, fellow Dubliners Silverbacks.
With vocalist Dara Kiely's health problems grounding them for a four-year hiatus, this year has seen them reemerge triumphant with the release in September of their acclaimed album, 'The Talkies'. Tonight, therefore, is a chance for fans to hear the songs live for the first time.
When the band eventually take the stage, the atmosphere is as electric as the venue's name. They hit off with the droning guitars of the superb 'Pears For Lunch' and 'Fucking Butter', with energy firing up the cavernous space of the room, and vocalist Dara Kiely driving the pace with his signature vocal yelps, inveigling everyone into their chaotic confines.
‘Salmon of Knowledge’ like much of Girl Band's material traverses a lengthy road - six-minutes-plus in this case - pulsing its way through sagely rhyming verses - "Bloke with The Man and the Legend T-Shirt / Get in Bed with Ernie and Bert / S-exclamation to go Burp / Full Shilling still Daft as a Brush" . ‘Prefab Castle’ - one of the album standouts - runs a couple of minutes longer, a shifting, droning noise-rock number that launches itself midway into a techno avalanche.
By the time they reach the noisy strains of 'Going Norway' with serrated guitars, techno drum shapes and a droning bass, its crescendos set off similar ructions amidst the heaving, vociferous crowd. It is easy to hear Girl Band's influence on Fontaines D.C. here, particularly in vocal style.
The energy continues with a final flourish with the indie disco-fest 'Paul’, a deafening array of drums and guitars, and despite no one wanting an end to the night, that's what it is. But what a night it was.
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