GiggingNI.com

LaFaro

With A Plastic Rose; The Audiables; The Postbox Theory;

The tagline of this gig was 'The Kids Don't Stand a Chance' and at first I laughed because it seemed like a pretty corny statement, well, that was until I heard each band get up on stage and play. The standard and quality of every band that played was so immense that I then realised kids wouldn't stand a chance if they tried to tackle any of these guys. This would be a gig that would potentially set apart the real kids from the men.

First up were 'The Postbox Theory', a relatively young Lisburn band that are over-flowing with raw talent. These guys just prove that you can never prejudge a younger band negatively ever, ever again. When they were actually on stage they looked so calm it was unbelievable; while some bands would be shaking with sheer nervousness they were completely unfazed by the audience and that fact that they would be centre stage for nearly an hour and they even stood their ground during a slight technical difficulty like it was absolutely nothing. This is all with good reason because it's clear that these guys practice hard and they're deadly serious about what they do. Their sound live takes a bit of a Rage Against the Machine turn but it feels more surreal. Their quality of song is nothing short of amazing and their performance was intense and wonderfully powerful. 'The Postbox Theory' are fantastic especially because they're so young and now there's no way for them to go but up.

'The Audiables' decided to take on an acoustic set and as good as it was I think it would have been more exciting if they didn't. All the same 'The Audiables' feel refreshingly retro and it seems evident that they pride themselves having The Who and The Doors as influences. They have the potential to take Northern Ireland back to days when great music was born which would do a lot of younger people some good. They sounded really happy-go-lucky with their Folksy/Indie sound. Great melodies coupled with very catchy lyrics will reel and hook listeners in and this will guarantee their future success. They got a fantastic crowd reaction and I think they're set to do very well in the Northern Irish music scene and I have faith that they have the talent to become very big.

I was deathly excited about seeing 'A Plastic Rose' from the moment I knew my ticket was officially purchased. The wait between bands was leaving me on edge and I couldn't stand still, was I disappointed? Hell no! They were everything I thought they would be and much, much more. When they played I literally tingled all over they sounded amazing! I was taken to a very happy place in my head. They put so much effort into playing I thought steam was going to start rising from their instruments. I've never seen a band play with so much passion and energy before; these guys are hell-bent on putting on an amazing show and even thought I've seen them once I can say with confidence that they put on a great show every time. They're so tight and when they played songs from the EP it sounded exactly like the EP down to every little detail. I firmly believe that 'A Plastic Rose' are one of the greatest bands in Northern Ireland and I can happily say I'm a now a big fan.

'LaFaro' reminded me that a gig isn't just about the music, it's about the communication and banter with the audience and these guys were full of craic. As soon as they played everything in the room was vibrating from there I knew this was going to be an immensely powerful set. This is real 'don't fuck with me' would work in the background of a bit of anarchism' punk rock. When I went to the gig I didn't know who 'LaFaro' were but now I don't think I'll ever forget them. Even though they were having fun with themselves and the audience, they were very professional and once they played I doubt a steamroller could stop them. They played real punk rock - not pop punk rock that always gets mistaken for real punk. Their sound was clean and even though they were going 90, you could still hear everything that was going on so you were never missing out. They play real music brimming with attitude and they are absolutely amazing.