Daniel Lynch Writing

Published BBC ATL and live on air review http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/atl/review_specific310113.shtml 21-1-10 Perhaps it was the weather, but this month’s T wo Step hasn’t attracted a massive crowd as electro two-piece Uber Glitterati take to the stage. Elizabeth McGowan’s vocals shone through the melee of synths and bass, but did little to stir a mostly uninterested crowd from already established conversation. Appropriate applause was the customary audience reply to every song, but the duo’s original material lacked the kick, the bite, the killer touch needed to turn heads and demand attention. Disappointingly, a cover of Donna Summer’s ‘I Feel Love’ was the highlight of an opening act who might not have been the best suited to this bill. The Good Fight greet a marginally bigger crowd, but play with the energy of a headliner. New single ‘Kick Start’ and ‘Electric Flow,’ have the qualities of radio friendly pop, yet the quirky, unpredictability of a developing band f...

Published BBC ATL http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/atl/review_specific308676.shtml 14-01-10 By the time Yes Cadets took to the stage the Stiff Kitten was already approaching capacity and very quickly all eyes were on the stage and all ears bombarded with a barrage of guitar and synths. The band seemed to thrive on the warm reception from the crowd and delivered a strong set laden with infectious choruses, hooks and rhythms reminiscent of the 80s, yet sounded in no way outdated. ‘Canada,’ the highlight of the set, got the most stubborn of toes tapping and epitomised the dancy, light heartedness of music made of good honest fun. Who better to support N.I’s latest export than a band who could well be our next? Coming off the back of a hugely successful single launch A Plastic Rose blew the crowd away with indie-rock infused mayhem. True to form, Norman and   McHugh were master showmen and quickly had the audience bowing to their commands. Singing along to favourites ‘Al...

Published BBC ATL http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/atl/review_specific303940.shtml 11-12-09 Kasper Rosa kicked off the night with a set of instrumental rock bordering on metal. An already well-filled Empire crowd responded well to the four-piece hurling themselves around the stage in the throes of their performance, but the absence of a singer seemed to throw some. It did not however take away from their music, which, despite the lack of vocals, was emotive and thought provoking in its own right. Onslaughts of guitars and drums were interwoven with near serenity as Kasper Rosa swept the crowd into their wake in a thoroughly enjoyable performance. No Pocket Promise gig ever has been, or will be, the same as the last. This time the four lads, now old hands on the local circuit, incorporated a three-man drum solo into an already stunning set delivered with the confidence of professionals. The multi-instrumentalists have an infinite arsenal of sounds and combinations, ...

Published by BBC ATL http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/atl/review_specific299336.shtml 22-11-09 Another SO:NI gig comes around, this time at the Pavilion, dominated by the hard rock fraternity of the local music scene. It’s not often you can say your headliners are fresh off US and UK tours, but Million Dollar Reload tick that box, while Bandwagon are becoming synonymous with these SO:NI events, and rightly so. The bill is completed by Sky on Fire and relative newcomers Cavehill. It is ‘Cavehill’ who open the show to a reasonably packed Pavilion with a solid but largely timid performance. As can be expected in the early stages of many gigs, backsides were firmly attached to seats and the occasional glance was afforded to the three-piece who did themselves no harm on the night. ‘Open Eyes’ and ‘All Fall Down’ were highlights of this short set that was met with little more than polite applause. Front man, known apparently as ‘Sinco,’ offered very little in the way of audience i...

Published on GiggingNI.com 08-10-09 Leather jackets and black t-shirts were dug out of cupboards tonight for Duff McKagen’s headline gig in Spring and Airbreak. Formerly of Guns n’ Roses and Velvet Revolver, McKagen needs no introduction to fans of hard rock and metal, and he and his band, along with a strong support put on a great show for an almost capacity crowd. Support act ‘A Theory Of Everything’ kicked off the night with a set of good hard rock. The rapidly expanding crowd lapped up the energy and charisma on stage clapping and chanting along to lyrics of a quintet who more than fit the bill without having anything overly unique or revolutionary to offer in their performance. Most songs were driven by heavy guitar riffs and rumbling bass, reminiscent at times of Thin Lizzy in the Cold Sweat era and at others of Metallica in the Load/Reload days. In addition to these rockers, a well written ballad was thrown in for good measure and went down just as well with a more tha...

Mandela Hall last night had the air of the visit of a major touring band about it, gig t-shirts, posters, limited edition EPs and anything else you could imagine were on sale, all to promote local heroes the Panama Kings. And, to make their first headline show at the Mandela that bit special, supporting the local lads were bands from England, Wales and Scotland each bidding to promote themselves to a new audience. In the crowd was a smattering of the who’s who in the local music scene with most local bands represented from Ed Zealous to Lafaro and top media men in Johnny Teirnan and Paul and Rigsy from ATL. These faces in the crowd alone were enough to tell anybody something special was about to be witnessed. First up were Findo Gask, hailing from Scotland with their unique brand of electronic pop. Without being too ‘in your face’ the four-piece managed to turn most heads in the audience with a solid performance including highly acclaimed single ‘Va Va Va’ and the infectious ‘Go F...

Published on GiggingNI.com When the seasoned rockers are seen to be roaming the streets in their leather jackets, long hair and vast range of old gig t-shirts, you know something big is happening. Tonight the something was The Answer, Downpatrick rockers propelled to legendary status by their recent tour supporting AC/DC. Also on the bill were top local band In Case of Fire and Bandwagon, a band who are sure to be gathering some support after tonight. Mandela Hall, the venue for this rescheduled gig, gradually filled up and the atmosphere was electric, resulting in a truly memorable night. First up were Bangor three piece ‘Bandwagon.’ Not dissimilar to tonight’s headliners, these guys were proper rock and roll, drawing comparisons with Whitesnake, Led Zepplin and Thin Lizzy. In recent times it has seemed that local rock and roll is less and less prominent in successful local bands, The Answer being the exception, but Bandwagon gave their steadily increasing crowd plenty of evi...