Drop-D Party
Posted on February 22, 2006 by Contributor
Artist: Kilterr" Tidal Suns" Painting By Numbers" The Water Reference
Author: Gary
Kilterr" Tidal Suns" Painting By Numbers" The Water Reference
Cyprus Avenue" Thursday 16th February.
Sssshh. Shane" Drop"D MC of the night has just informed us that "relatively" new Cork band The Water Reference is about to grace the stage here at Cyprus Avenue.
So we await" the first band of the evening to ..eh"warm up the proceedings.
What we expected were a couple of blokes perched on stools using the eerily spotlight to tell tales of love and woe. What we got were a four"piece band that created such a pulverising sound that it shattered every last piece of Waterford Crystal on the shelves 100m away in Roche"s Stores.
The Water Reference was the newest band on the bill on the night but they came across as if they were playing with each other for the last 10 years. Despite the earlier technical problems" they proceeded to play 35 minutes of the type of rock that only bands like Rage Against The Machine and System Of A Down have pulled off in recent years. If tonight was one of their first gigs" then God knows "or fears"" what they"ll be like come the end of the year. Rulers of the Planet better watch their back.
The phrase every cloud has it"s silver lining came to mind when watching Painting By Numbers. Robbed of their drummer Darragh Enright through illness" remaining members Ronan and Brian soldiered on for the punters. So instead of hearing the band in full flow displaying their Pixies/ REM sound" they played an intimate acoustic set stripping down songs like "Over and Out" and "Race To Last" showing a side to them that nods towards early Crowded House and the Americana sound of Wilco and Tom Petty.
If The Water Reference"s wall of sound clung everybody to the ceiling" then Painting By Numbers provided the perfect backdrop for everybody to float back onto their high stools.
Painting By Numbers may have come across as being influenced by 80"s rock and The Water Reference showed all that is/was inspiring about modern hard rock in the last 15 years" but there are absolutely no assumptions about which decade the next band" Tidal Suns" are influenced by.
Although there"s a touch of later day Beatles about the melodies" the "Suns proudly wear their 70"s hearts on their sleeves. Songs like "Smile" and "Silver Lining" produce a sound that has all the trademarks of classic Deep Purple with a sprinkle of Thin Lizzy for good measure. Add to that a cover of Led Zep"s "Whole Lotta Love" and it was as if we brought our Woodstock to Infusion"
No matter how impressive the previous three acts were" it was generally regarded that the best was saved to last.
Kilterr mightn"t adhere to the classic rock of The Tidal Suns" but they do interpret it in their own unique style. In other words" although they may be possibly the most difficult Cork based band to pigeon hole" if you do strip away the razor flickin" lyrics" you hear all the haunting melodies that would remind you of early"Sonic Youth or Ash"s 1977 album. Tonight the band showcase songs from their forthcoming e.p. "Reel Me In For Kicks" as well as older songs like the majestic "Witch Girl"" all delivered faultlessly by Barry John Maher" showing that" although it"s taken them 3 years" they are now well and truly in the top tier of bands in the local scene.
So" at first we had a of militaristic wall of skullcrushing rock from The Water Reference" followed by the wilful simplicity of Painting By Numbers" then the celebratory vintage rock of the Tidal Suns" all wrapped up by the heart wrenching guitar angst of Kilterr leading us into the night sky.
Hope you enjoyed it" we"ll see you at the next one" For musch more free gig tickets" EP's" t"shirts and grub"
Some Pics"
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