Mar
04
Live: Choice Music Prize - Dublin Vicar Street
As with many things in Ireland these days it seems, the Choice Music Prize has become the target for many simply by whit of sticking its head of the pulpit and trying, gasp, to do something positive. Then again, that's perhaps how they like it. As organiser Jim Carroll pointed out from the Vicar Street stage last night, the announcement of the short list each January gets people talking about Irish music. OK, so they're mainly having a pop at the choices but at least they're talking about it.
This year's list seems to have more criticism than most, so perhaps it's understandable why the live event seems less of a celebration than before. With Bell X1 and Laura Izibor absent on US duties, eight of the nominees played live. As an indication of the strength of Irish music, it wasn't the best of nights. Both openers Codes and Dark Room Notes struggled when faced with a half empty venue but failed to connect, especially the latter.
Elsewhere, there was a lot of earnest singer songwriters on offer, all doing nice things individually but together they seemed to merge into one. Julie Feeney was completely off the wall, Valerie Francis came across as a lovely person if not an exciting performer, Glen Hansard dominated the Swell Season but at least had the confidence to treat the evening like his own gig and, while Adrian Crowley sounded great, by the time his downbeat lo-fi came around we'd frankly had enough.
Thank heavens then for the Duckworth Lewis Method (who combined killer pop tunes with an engaging stage persona) and show closers And So I Watch You From Afar, the only act to take the night by the scruff of its neck and absolutely nail it. The ovation that greeted their two songs may have as much relief that. finally, someone had provided some genuine excitement but they stole the show by a fair distance.
An odd night then, not least when Crowley was announced at the winner. No huge outpouring of joy as with Jape last year, yet none of the protest that greeted Super Extra Bonus Party the year before. It was just...well....nice enough, like the evening itself. Maybe the appearance of the two absentees would have brought more variety but as it was the show dragged more than it should of. Still at least it all ended on a high, with ASIWYFSA eschewing the usual party to head straight for their natural environment - playing an epic free gig in a tiny Dublin bar. It may have not been their year but it was certainly their night.
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