Tag Archives: Bicurious

Bicurious ‘I’m So Confused’ EP Launch In Whelan’s With Support From Griffo,Phazam Haze and Tribal Dance

A notable reminder that I had just witnessed a crazy show was the broken glasses and a beer-soaked coat which paved the way as I left the venue last Thursday night. Anyone who has seen Dublin Instrumental rock duo Bicurious live before would know their shows can get pretty intense and wild and the ‘I’m So Confused’ EP launch upstairs in Whelan’s last Thursday night was the definition of madness.

Once stamped in with the bands logo on our hands at the door we were settled into the new refurbished upstairs in Whelan’s by singer songwriter Griffo. His acoustic set was particularly warming as he belted out a jangly instrumental intro before flooding through with his raspy rooted vocal. Tinnitus symptoms weren’t going to slow him down. With his hood over his head he crooned and roared with a soulful intensity. “It’s more socially acceptable to drink and drive than to smoke now a days” he says before his sips his drink “I’m off the smokes”. There is no pomposity here it’s raw, pure and honest tunes.

Phazam Haze follow with their gritty muzzy sound. They hold a simple stance on stage as their guitars provide a headache inducing yet thrilling fuzzed-tone while the bass fluctuates from swinging grooves to thundering rumbles. The drums pummel through relentlessly creating a wall of sound that mind boggles your brain. Each track mercilessly blasts out their almost stoner rock tunes that slither, hop and bash creating the perfect frenzy for the crowd to go crazy to. Bassist and vocalist Alex Harvey skips and jitters on the spot in anticipation for the all-out mosh mania crescendos that travel at dizzying speeds. The sound is so intense, heavy and bombardingly fantastic you’re pretty much dazed and stoned on the music alone. They create a potent brew of meaty rock at its finest.

Dublin’s progressive post-punk/math rock three-piece Tribal Dance are the final warm up of the night. Their sound is gruesome beauty. They bludgeon, batter and assault while gliding through on the most luscious neck snapping basslines. This trio bring a mixed bag to their tracks cruising in sweet and melodic before electrocuting you with acid doused garage rock. Their set felt like having a rave in a huge tub of marshmallow- all gorgeous and enveloping, but with moments of fire and brimstone scalding you throughout and the crowd loved every minute. The crowd surged to the front moshing, pushing and swaying lapping up every moment, as the vocals scream and wail over the fluctuant upbeat rhythms, darkly hued sour riffs and thumping basslines. With these guys when the tunes are sweet and mellow its glorious and woozy and when they are heavy it’s a mind blowing, shredding onslaught.

Something crazy comes over the crowd as Bicurious take the stage. Maybe it’s the shift to green  lighting or the frenzy caused by the previous acts or their blaze of energy and hefty tunes but they inflame the mosh pit and create total anarchy. Gavin Purcell throws his hat off and their mighty Intro begins. The crowd instantly begin to jump turning the floor into a trampoline creating a ricochet effect which made you bounce while standing still. The duo melt the mosh pit into a blur of flailing limbs and tumbling bodies with the speed-riffing ‘Octagon’ and ‘Fake News’, which brings about massive cheers and the first riff sing along of the night. From the get-go members of the crowd are crowd surfing. Practically everyone has a go, sometimes two or three at a time. From the melodic sweet mellow melodies to the hefty thumping rhythms the crowd know every pulse and waver in the tracks. One small command from Taran Plouzané and the crowd descend to their knees ready for the massive instrumental blow up that brings heavy, manic moshing and pushing. Bicurious’ set never feels repetitive, nor less than electrifying to watch. As an instrumental band they keep their audience engaged with intricate, luscious riffs and sweet melodies while packing in a thrilling heavy dose of mosh ready ferocity. Plouzané stomps about the stage while Purcell throws his drumsticks into the air and gestures to the crowd to go wild. The crowd began circle pit moshing as people were flung about the floor, it was a sweaty spectacle for sure. Their as of yet unnamed ‘New Song’ which went down a treat, showcased a slight shift in the duo’s sound. Sounding like an acid drenched dance rave it made the crowd go nuts. With the green lighting it was definitely a dizzying savage bombardment to the senses. ‘Sleep’ brings about another blitz of hair swishing, sweat flicking moshing which surprisingly brought a nice whiff of sweet smelling shampoo my way not exactly the smell you’d expect, but a welcome one. The band bring  Mark Barry from Dicey up on stage for a monstrous cover of Rage Against the Machine’s ‘Bulls on Parade’. Experiencing a mic dilemma Barry belts out the track anyway with the crowd helping to amplify the vocal line. Naturally a Rage Against the Machine cover sparks total anarchy among the crowd making the faulty mic unnoticeable. Multiple crowd surfing, a torn down curtain and many spilt drinks later we come to the end of the duo’s magnificent set. Bicurious’ set was so furious and fast that their hour whizzed by in what seemed like 10 minutes. ‘Father’ closes their set resulting in the duo crowd surfing as the audience lift them high and proud, Purcell lays back fully horizontal, “like a boss” raised above the crowd. Plouzané joins him in what looks like a blissful state of ecstasy.

There is no question of the talent of this duo. Their tracks speak for themselves and with their masterful composition, knowledge of what people want to hear and the sheer energy they radiate these guys are definitely ones to go see live. It’s never stale and with the crowd they bring in, it’s always shell shocking.

 


Ape Rising Album Launch with special guests Bicurious & Slouch at The Bowery Dublin

If you are looking for music “you can send men into space to” then Friday night in The Bowery was the place for you. It was Ape Risings’s debut album launch and the five piece were raring to go, ready to blast the ears of the crowd with their unique blend of fiery retro spacey flavoured alternative rock.

Dublin trio Slouch kicked off the night with their raw ruckus sound. Feisty and meaty the tracks are heavy powerful and kick ass. Moody, grungy with a shout and growl here and there teamed with pulverising drums, sharp shredding guitar lines and rumbling prominent bass it’s an impress heavy mosh worthy set. With slick Queens Of The Stone Age- esque wails and sulky melodies backed by shattering instrumentation these guys pack a serious bruising punch. With a simple stance on stage they let their music speak for itself.

Instrumental and experimental duo Bicurious follow with an energetic set of infectious smooth grooves smothered with sweet guitar melodies and hefty doses of mosh ready heaviness. On stage guitarist Taran, who according to himself (jokingly) “turns into an asshole on stage” bounces jumps and bops around. Hair flying everywhere he urges the crowd to move closer to the stage and join in. Their tracks fluctuate between pounding head banding to sweet melodic sways and everything in-between seamlessly. Each track coils, twists, hops and grooves with sharp stinging guitar injections throughout creating a wholly unique experience. The melodies are so rich and lushly textured you can get lost in their set, forgetting the absence of a vocalist and lyrics they still mange to hold your attention. This duo have honed in on their style and perfected it meticulously. From the funky doused new track ‘Sleep’ to the crowd pleaser ‘Sugar Beats’ they deliver a satisfying set that has the crowd in a mad frenzy of dancing wiggling and moshing. These guys have an infectious refined sound all of their own and it’s pretty impressive.

Ape Rising take to the stage. ‘In Their Masses’ begins their set, full sounding with retro wobbly synths, punchy drums, elastic bass and crashing guitars it’s an anthemic start. The tracks fluidly follow each other with little banter between. This five piece belt out their dance alternative rock with ease. The flickering synths add that alien whine and obscurity to the tracks that set Ape Rising apart from the other bands out there. Energetic and passionate the lads pour their entire body and soul into their live set with Johno and Jimmy stopping to wipe their brows with a towel, it’s a sweaty spectacle. With songs about PlayStation games (Space Odyssey), Pac-Man and Fatal Deviation (an Irish martial arts movie) set to dance fuelled mosh ready punchy music with quirky synths it’s a fresh aerial experience. ‘Divide’ slows the tempo, introduced as the track for the “shift… to go in for the strike”. It’s sway-like with sweet harmonies and escalating synths. The five-piece put on a vigorous and spirited show packed with catchy tunes explosive crescendos and humorous banter with a sound that’s unique to them. It’s impossible not to be drawn into the band’s hypnotic whirlpool-world of spacey rock. It’s definitely worth checking them out live.

New Valley Wolves played the after party which though I had an early start the next day I had to stick around for. These guys are just too cool, too slick and fierce and their sound is unbelievable. Professional to the core and oozing fiery shit-hot power this supreme duo are the Dublin kings of rock and roll. Bluesy soaked and mighty, smothered in brawny basslines and skull bashing drums their tunes were crafted in the fiery depths of hell and polished by the devil. Too good for our mere mortal ears. An Epic end to an amazing night.

 

 


Bicurious ‘T.O.I’ Single Launch Upstairs in Whelan’s With Support From Mike Paterson and Rabble Babble

When you think of an instrumental band you probably think lengthy songs and a tedious set without lyrics, vocals or a swagger soaked larger than life frontman/ woman to engross you. Well this was not the case last Friday night. Dublin instrumental and experimental duo Bicurious were holding their ‘T.O.I’, single launch upstairs in Whelan’s (where the proceeds from the ticket sales went to the Dublin Simon Community). They invited us along to check it out and boy was it explosive.
Indie Folk Singer Songwriter Mike Paterson kicked off the night, originally the frontman of the rock group Travis Oaks, Paterson’s solo work takes a different approach to the gritty anthemic bluesy tinged sound we are used to hearing from the band Travis Oaks. Establishing himself as a solo artist he has peeled back his sound focusing on creating and crafting simple vocal melody driven tunes. He still packs all the punches, just with a more refined emotive approach. Timidly he takes to the stage for his first gig in Dublin as a solo artist. ‘Outside Lines’ introduces his soulful passionate sound, it’s simple emotive and raw displaying Paterson’s crisp vocals and sharp falsetto range. There’s something to be said for a solo performer especially when they can grab your attention and draw you into their performance with ease and Paterson does this perfectly. His songs speak for themselves from warm country bouncy tunes to edgy indie folk melodies. He performs a diverse, striking yet beautifully simple set. Bantering through the slightly awkward guitar retuning , he is unfazed and relaxed. A refreshing refined stripped back set that makes Paterson stand out as a performer.
Rabble Babble begin their set with a groovy instrumental vibe while vocalist Molly Callan Cassidy warms up with lunges and stretches. They deliver a set drenched in blissful wobbly guitar and slick elastic bass backed by buoyant steady drums. Kicking off their set with a cruising almost jazz and blues club cover of The Velvet Underground’s ‘I’m Waiting for The Man’ with a tropical wavy guitar feature and powerful expressive vocals. Theses guys are slick and gloriously eccentric with random jingles mixed with intense soulful passion and swagger infused attitude. With shimmy ready tunes, chilled back vibes and narrative lyrics their set is a quirky mixed bag. New single Joe’s Bust’ goes down well with the crowd as they bounce and bop to the groovy rhythm while psychedelic whine on guitar adds a hazy trippy glaze over the expressive punchy track. These guys are an experience for sure.
Bicurious take to the stage and waste no time in blasting the crowd with their mosh ready heavy tunes drizzled with sweet luscious guitar melodies. They constantly shake things up showing off some really proficient and nimble guitar skills while packing in a decent spray of showmanship. Taran Plouzané-Brady jumps, moshes and strides across the stage making the most of the space. Swift slick pedal manoeuvres are effortlessly managed with agility and finesse while Gavin Purcell acutely belts those drums with fierce relentless stamina. From the thrilling ‘Fake News’ to the slick swagger soaked ‘Caged’ the set is brimming with altering grooves, meaty punches and sweet elevator-like jingles thrown into the mix to break up the sticky hot messy mosh. These guys like to keep the crowd on their toes. When the tune is heavy, oh boy, it is skull pounding mania and when it’s light and sweet, its the most blissful toned deliciously honeyed melody you can imagine. All this is mixed and blended meticulously to create the most thrilling live experience possible. Plouzané-Brady plays the role of frontman with ease, keeps banter to a minimum but interacts with the crowd by moshing and playing amongst them. With stage hands at the ready like ninjas (nod to Oisín Wolfe) any little hiccup is swiftly dealt with instantly. ‘Sugar Beats’ brings a clap along feature for the now tightly squished to the front crowd as they mosh manically. Hair everywhere and pints spilling it’s a feverish manic chaos. The crowd lift Plouzané-Brady above their heads like a hero as he plays horizontal in a triumphant wobbly crowd surf. New single ‘T.O.I’ is the final song on the Bicurious set, another staggering powerhouse and floor shaking mosh ready track with gentle melodic interludes. The crowd cheerfully “whoo” in time with this mighty euphoric track while the duo blast us with relentless energy and intensity.
A surprise at the end of the show (which unfortunately for a certain hopeful member of the crowd was not cake) the duo invite Mike Paterson back on stage along with Aran Mcgillick (Bass Player in Travis Oaks) and Josh McClorey (guitarist in The Strypes) for a stellar rendition of Black Sabbath’s ‘War Pigs’. With Paterson on vocals flicking and swooshing hair everywhere in true rock and roll manner and Mcgillick standing on Purcell’s drums, its all roaring male guitar testosterone. A fiery way to end a fantastic night. Bicurious are a talented duo and they excel beyond belief in a raw live setting.

 


Stitch Jones at The Thomas House Dublin With Support from Nervvs and Bicurious

It was a night of two piece bands the launch of Stitch Jones new album ‘Echolalia’ at The Thomas House Dublin.
Nervvs kicked things off with a rowdy ruckus of punk rock. Crunching guitar riffs blasted against pummelling brain bleeding drums making for one heavy dose of anarchy splattered rock. Torpedoing through each track on their set list with songs like the psychedelic stained ‘Your Fired’ ( a song about going to work on acid) the duo display their aggressive relentless sound. Teamed with vocal screams and explosive instrumentation these guys are a combustive turbulent force of nature.

Bicurious , an instrumental and experimental duo follow. Cooling down the frenzied atmosphere with slick melodic grooves and delicious sweet guitar. These guys impressively drift between Math-Rock and intensifying ambient soundscapes. Fascinating to watch with unique samples as a lead vocal they lead you into their ever weaving and winding sound without you realising each track is a lengthy 6 minutes or so. Injecting blasts of head-banging beef with an occasional vocal appearance from guests like Donald Trump the duo create a huge sound complete with jazzy chord elements and guitar loops leaving the crowd wanting more as they are encouraged to play extra songs after their set.

Ross and Watchy begin their fierce set with humorous banter and comical stage props these guys are a barrel of laughs and their live approach upholds this. Energetically these guys wallop out their lengthy set list kicking things off with the mighty ‘This Clown As Collateral’. Right from the get go it’s an ear pounding assault of ferocious rock with breakneck rapid tempo fuelled by brisk raging drums and vigorous bass. These guys deliver hard-driving raving rock that screams whiplash while also maintaining a bounce and exuberant flow. From “cheer for weed” to applause props Stitch Jones know how to keep things light and jokey while never failing to blast out some mighty tunes. The bobbing heads of the crowd seemed content to space out in the wild sound while occasionally a brave lone ranger would dart up to the front to jump and dance frantically before returning again to the back. Stitch Jones know how to put on a powerful show, my ears were ringing the next day.
Its was a great night with fantastic live music the only thing missing was the lack of rum at the bar but I think I can cope with that… I suppose vodka is my new drink now.

You can stream ‘Echolalia’ below