Gemma Hayes made a welcome return to the Dublin live scene with a date at Tripod having played a few other Irish dates of her own and helping out buddy Joe Chester for his album launch.
Support came from Ann Scott who played without a band and with just her trusty guitar and keyboard/sampler for company. She only got to play a handful of songs (Mountain being the highlight) and those who cared to listen were not dissapointed. Playing all her own material except a Mark Lanegan cover her music is not a million mile away from Ms Hayes. You won't find many happy fun KT Tunstall pop hits here(thank god).
Gemma took to the stage early enough with Joe Chester on guitar, Karl Odlum on Bass and Binzer on drums and opened with a nice upbeat 'Happy,sad' and 'Something in my way' from her second album 'The roads don't love you'.
Some new material followed 'Out of our hands' and 'In over my head'. These are both featured on her new album 'Hollow of the morning' and the new songs are a definite return to her best.
She slowed things down with a surprising 'What a day' from her debut 'Night on my side' before unleashing the absolutely gorgeous new song, 'This is what you do' which will surely become a fans favourite.
'Nothing can' from 'roads..' followed before a trio of singles from 'Night..' ,'Back of my hand', 'Tear in my side' and the highlight of the night, 'Hanging around'. On record this song is a great short rock song but live new life has been breathed into it and given a real shoegaze feel. Not surprising considering she has been spending some time on her new album with My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields.
After this noisefest she finshed with a brand new track and 'pin drop quiet' song called Oliver and the gig came to a halt after a great version of ' Let a good thing go'.
Throughout Gemma spoke candidly to the crowd but never went into any Spinal Tapesque cliche's, asking who had won the Champions league semi final and launching into a story of beating up a boy who kissed her when she was a kid.
The sound was pretty good but the guitars could have been given some better treatment.
If this gig and the quality of the new album are anything to go by, this year could be a very good year for Gemma Hayes.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
