Whale'ens Gig Review
Having a distinctly indefinable sound makes them a refreshing distraction. The Dead Birds 11 don’t sound like any instantly recognisable band. And it’s great that they don’t peddle some of the trash that seems to be dominating the Irish music scene, especially the kitsch guff you sometimes hear when passing Whelans. Saturday night saw them supporting the well-oiled, if not inspiring, machine that is Penfold DM. They do what they do very well, but they’re unlikely to make Dave Fanning’s top 100 songs. (2FM DJ Rick O'Shea was also at the gig)
One undeniable asset for the deceased feathered kind is the operatic and sometimes near hysteric (in a Jeff Buckley kind of way) vocal of lead singer Eoghan Broderick. Their songs could easily drift along unconsciously, but Broderick delivers some timely reassurances that they don’t.
They also have two very able guitarists and a fantastic drummer in their ranks. Musical competence and song writing abilities are what they have in abundance.
But it’s difficult to know how far Dead Birds 11 will fly. Playing as often as Haley’s Comet appears is doing them no favours. But both recent gigs took place in Whelans, so they must be doing something right?
P.S. One of the highlights of the night was the anticipation among the male audience that a certain female fan was going to strip naked. Sadly, she stopped short.
Published by Colm.
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