GiggingNI.com
In the Name Of
With Strait Laces; Firefly;
Hiding the vast shadow of Belfast, Carrickfergus has never really been seen as a location, good or bad, that holds music gigs of any kind, really. Sure, we have the tourist attractions in the Andrew Jackson cottage and the Castle that attract thousands of people throughout the year from all over the world - but live music? Never. But Carrickfergus has a savior. AMPLIFIED.
This event, organised by Stevie Dallas and held in Carrickfergus' most popular bar Joymount Arms aka Ownies, has been put in place to exploit the massive gap left for live music to fill. Having attracted big names down such as The Good Fight, winners of ATL, and tonight's attraction Strait Laces, who are to tour England this week, it's clear to see this is an event which will thrive and prove that Carrickfergus can be a live music location.
Without further introduction, AMPLIFIED's first band of the night were Firefly, a three-piece hailing from Lisburn, looking to open successfully for the start of a great night. Despite some sound difficulties(ouch!), Firefly seemed to perform okay, but really lacked that cutting edge to sharpen their performance and make the crowd listen and join in. Whether that's a lack of confidence, or embarassment from that sound glitch, it's hard to tell but I'm confident Firefly will come out the other side and perform better in the future.
As I was saying, AMPLIFIED really pulled one off getting Strait Laces down before they left for their Liverpool and Manchester show in England, and it seemed they were the most anticipated and some were questioning why they were not the headliners. Opening with 'Clap', it's clear that the Strait Laces achieved their goal of creating a catchy song, with many people clapping and singing along thoroughly opening the start of a fantastic set. Following this up with songs such as 'Romantic Issues' and 'Some May Revel In It', it's plain to see why they are one of Northern Ireland's hottest acts at the moment and I can see another revelation like the Arctic Monkeys happening soon - playing small bars and clubs to conquering the worldwide stage and becoming a major success, it's ambitious but very achievable. Strait Laces are the band to watch at the moment - if you don't catch them soon, they'll be gone!
Now, with the evening well and truly kicked off, it was time for In the Name Of to take the stage. Losing some crowd members by starting with a slow song is probably not the best way to start the night but it's the way ITNO wanted to do things but for those who waited, they certainly got the right end of a set which rocked Ownies. Gifting the audience to some unique moments, which included their lead guitarist playing outside on the balcony on the other side of the room and the lead singer dancing drunkenly with a drunker man from downstairs, In The Name Of proved their worth thoroughly on the night. With songs like "Barfly Blues", which really got the crowd going with arms up in the high, and "Devil Got Me", it's clear that ITNO know what they're doing and how to do it but let's just say these guys rocked so hard, and with the aid of booze to help the punters, that the encore was shouted out and was fulfilled with a somewhat drunken but enjoyable cover of Rolling Stone's 'Paint It Black' (yes, the one on Guitar Hero!). In The Name Of's blistering basslines, infectious licks and long hair proves that they can play among the best and aim for the best.
