Brakes, Tiny Dancers, Desert Hearts, Cutaways

Thurs 30^th November – Radar Live @ Speakeasy, Belfast

Alt-country hits Belfast in the form of a free gig with a knock-out lineup. Your Editor was there, pint in hand…

CUTAWAYS
The band formerly known as The Bete Noires, now with a female vocalist are first up tonight. Some of the songs are messy attempts at pop delivered by a miscast vocalist-although sometimes it can work. As The Bete Noires, they delivered at least one EP of distinctive material and showed good potential, as demonstrated in their documentary “Remote Parts” but they’ve gone in a completely different direction now. The ‘crap keyboard’ sound can only carry a set so far though and one can only wonder if it’s long before their next reincarnation. Having said that, some people here are enjoying them, but it’s not lighting my fire in the way their old guise did.

DESERT HEARTS
Flip me. Two years ago, I witnessed a shaky Desert Hearts fall apart on stage down in Mandela; Roisin’s vocals and some ropey guitar playing particularly revealing the band’s weaknesses. But what a turnaround! They’ve only gone away and written one of the best Irish albums of the year with ‘Hotst Totsy Nagasaki’ and presumably become the pride of the ‘No Dancing’ label.

How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Yup, practice. And they must’ve done plenty over the past year and the confidence is showing- they’ve come good and they know it. Standouts include Ocean and Central Line, but the understated tracks from the album are delivered with such poise that we don’t lose concentration throughout. There’s a Neil Young cover in there too, and apparently Belfast has some fans!

TINY DANCERS
Lead singer David Kay is baring an eerie resemblance to a young Kurt Cobain, (with stripey t-shirt to boot), but we aren’t getting a hint of depressed vibes tonight. Sheffield’s finest gives us Neil Young and The Band influenced psychedelic acoustic pop, and with gusto! That’s more or less it- it’s fun, catchy and a fresh look back when things weren’t so cool, but a whole lot less cynical. Here, they’ve only gone a decorated the stage with loads of old furniture from their Gran’s.

BRAKES
Most well known for their dance/indie crossover track ‘All Night Disco Party’ and its remixes that go down a treat in clubs, Brakes actually deliver upbeat humorous country-punk most the time. “Porcupine or Pineapple?” shouts Eamon Hamilton (either was to be provided on the rider) and as we see the latter held up and shook by a happy punter in the crowd, we can rest assured this evening we aren’t taking life too seriously. As well as tracks from their debut ‘Give Blood’, we’re treated to the new single ‘Hold Me In The River’ and other new material from ‘The Beatific Visions’. To finish off the night they deliver a splendid version of Johnny Cash’s ‘Jackson’ and a four second encore. When they said leave them wanting more, Brakes deliver, even if it is tongue-firmly-in-cheek.

BROWSE
Brakes Official Website
Tiny Dancers MySpace
Desert Hearts MySpace
Cutaways MySpace

Words by Eddie Mullan

Photos by Ruairi Drayne