The Cleary's
Review of their gig in The Village, Dublin, 16th January 2005
Review Snapshot:
A benefit gig in aid of the Tsunami Appeal with The Frames
disguising themselves as The Cleary's so their loyal fan base actually have a
chance of getting tickets to see them.
The
CLUAS Verdict?
7.5 out of 10
Full review: The Village opened their doors at six o'clock for this event, in turn making
it an all ages gig. By twenty past six, the venue was packed. All of the
charitable folk that gathered on this brisk Sunday afternoon gazed toward the
lone troubadour on stage. Mark Geary was armed with a yellow necktie; a tanned
acoustic guitar and an array of his auspicious tunes that brought always bring a
delectable tint to his set. 'Suzanne' and 'Morphine' were gobbled up as the
songwriter unleashed a hybrid of old & new songs. Matthew Devereux joined him
onstage and before long the crowd were rejoicing to the ever-popular Mic
Christopher song 'Heyday'. It was another solid performance from one of the best
Irish singer/songwriters around at the moment.
The smoke machines were turned on and the lights came down. Excitement echoed
through the Dublin venue, which quickly morphed into full-fledged fan fever when
The Cleary's arrived. The opener 'Keepsake' floated by like a mournful dirge
while 'A Caution To The Birds' added some much needed energy to the beginning of
the set. When the early timid sounds of 'Dream Awake' crept from the large
speakers, it was unusual to notice that the crowd reacted in almost quarrelsome
manner. In contrast to this surprised response, it is typical behaviour of
Frames fans to transform a small venue into a haven of stadium-sized proportions
with the atmosphere they create. The enthusiasm and passion that Frames devotees
have brought with them over the years has not only been impressive but a
powerful statement that their loyalty is as strong as ever on the eve of The
Frames' worldwide release of 'Burn The Maps'. They deserved this gig and
deserved the excellent version of 'Finally' that followed.
A labyrinthine take of 'Lay Me Down' with Joe's bass churning out some clouting
rhythms came before a confessional slipstream of midway rock in the shape of
'Plateau'.
Next up came an aching version of 'Happy', followed by the unbalanced structure
of 'People Get Ready' with each instrument straying off on meandering avenues,
an unneeded insert of 'Trying', a compelling take of 'Fake' and a superb
'Pavement Tune' quickly came after. Deep breaths were then inhaled, drinks were
sipped and a thirst for more of the same quenched throughout the crowd. The
integral part that Colm plays in this band was given its spotlight on 'Bad
Bone', a compelling number and few seemed to know. A rollicking 'Underglass'
then came before a calming 'Star Star' with 'Hotel Lounge' mixed in at the end
for good measure. The band then bowed and left the stage.
It was under two minutes before the band reappeared and started into an
instrumental before a sauntering account of 'Early Bird'. A real seriousness was
attached to 'Friend And Foe' while 'Revelate' and a cover of the Pixies classic
'Where Is My Mind?' had the crowd bouncing around. The tempo was again brought
down with the stirring 'The Blood', the wonderful 'Devil Town', the
well-executed 'Dance The Devil' and the effective 'Suffer In Silence', which was
a fitting song to end on and for what this gig was raising money for.
Overall the gig was another really good performance from The Frames and
supported by the ever-charming Mark Geary.
Gareth Maher
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Indie Music Discussion board.
