Clap Your Hands Say Yeah was my first gig of 2007. There was temptation to purchase this ticket (and others), but it didn't happen. Ticket prices have gone up in Dublin. It makes it less fun. The Ticketmaster tax doesn't help.
Marcus phoned the day before and offered me a ticket. I had heard of the band extensively, but not heard much music. Thursday came. I nipped home to get my earplugs. Met up with Marcus and some colleagues in The Bleeding Horse. They have tall glass windows and a walkway above the bar.
We had a drink then headed over.
Tripod is where the Red Box used to be. The main space is the same. There's a big bar in the centre of the venue that funnels people together. It stank. Not in a figurative sense. The venue, from the moment we entered, reeked. It seemed a blend of sweat, feet, rotting beer and other unknown elements. A pretty interesting smell for what's still a newly refurbished venue. Doctor J and I used to refer to people who smelled bad as people who "rocked". The red box was "rocking" extremely hard.
Support was
Cold War Kids. They were nice. There was a casual strolling brass section. I tried to imagine the brass section as nervous kids in a marching band. Listening to them again
now - they have nice guitars.
We moved closer to the front after support. The was hesitancy about entering the main fray. I went in when I already thought it was too late. Walked across and stopped. No-one cared. About seven people back for an alright view.
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah came on. The gig was fun. There was quite a bit of jumping around. It seems that seventeen-year-olds from Ballsbridge (and some other place) can jump around a lot. People lost their shirts. Girls got drunk. There was sweating. I played with the crowd a little, balancing as they swayed. Sound seemed strange at first, then never really took off. By the end I was at the front. The amps sounded better there, so perhaps I was in a gap for most of the gig. The amps were fizzy and warm. An old silverface...
It was a good vibe. Marcus was on my right for pretty much all of it. They played an encore then everyone went home. There were cloakroom issues so I waited outside. Talked with the teenagers who told their mothers school was out on Friday. Watched the overdressed girls trip and fall as they tried to get to the club. Met the colleagues. Walked to Anseo, then across the street because Anseo was full. Had a drink and went home, walking to Ranelagh because the trains were a little bit apart.
It was a fun gig. I guess they weren't my band, so I felt a little strange. There's also the subtle age aspect*.
Listening to them on Myspace
now - I had bad sound.
They're nicer on the space, and the guitars were nicer up close.
Here's my desktop with the Myspace page.
The web changes, this won't.
Mac users might be entertained...
* I'm older than them.
** Though Marcus is older than me
*** I think they had a Juno like me.
