Chordblossom
  • Home
  • News
  • Reviews
    • Music Reviews
    • Live Reviews
  • Features
    • Articles
    • Festivals
    • Fresh NI Music
    • Interviews
    • Introducing
    • Win
  • Media
    • Playlists
    • Photosets
    • Podcast
    • Sessions
    • Transmission
    • TV
  • Kickstart
  • Chordblossom Gigs
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
    • Mailing List
    • Vacancies
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Reviews
    • Music Reviews
    • Live Reviews
  • Features
    • Articles
    • Festivals
    • Fresh NI Music
    • Interviews
    • Introducing
    • Win
  • Media
    • Playlists
    • Photosets
    • Podcast
    • Sessions
    • Transmission
    • TV
  • Kickstart
  • Chordblossom Gigs
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
    • Mailing List
    • Vacancies
No Result
View All Result
Chordblossom
No Result
View All Result

Live Review: Pillow Queens – Ulster Sports Club – 2 December 2021

Ben Magee by Ben Magee
December 7, 2021
in Live Reviews
Pillow Queens - photography by Jonah Gardner - 2/12/21

Photo by Jonah Gardner

It was a bleak enough evening to begin with. With a notorious festive chill biting at the boots of your faithful editor and friends as they made their way towards the Ulster Sports Club, a larger chill hung over the heads of us all. With barely any respite as is, rumours had begun to swirl of another arts lockdown in the South, and tension amongst our native talent was high. Only one thing for it – enjoy it while it lasts.

Opening the night was bedroom-pop songwriter Smoothboi Ezra. Gaining my attention in the last two years with great tracks like ‘A Shitty Gay Song About You’ and ‘My Own Person’, it’s always a joy when the product delivers on the promise. Accompanied by their band, Ezra guides the punters down a sad little path lined with expert lyricism and woozy, magnetic hooks. Despite a production heavy sound, Ezra effortlessly glides through a succinct set list of new, old and unreleased numbers that turn a stony room warm within minutes. And despite the lo-fi appeal, there’s a bite that cant be ignored, particularly in their final track, an unreleased, as-of-yet unnamed record that has me counting down the days till the next bandcamp notification.

ADVERTISEMENT
Smoothboi Ezra - photography by Jonah Gardner - 2/12/21
Smoothboi Ezra – Photo by Jonah Gardner

And almost as quietly as they began, they’re off again – slipping into the inky, sticky carpeted blackness as techs swarm the stage prepping for tonight’s headliner. Given that less than 3 hours down the road, they’re nearly at stadium level capacities, it’s somewhat shocking to see Pillow Queens at a venue of this size. Not that we’re complaining. The next show won’t be so intimate.

A sold-out crowd has gathered for the opener, which fires off like buckshot. ‘Holy Show’ and ‘Brothers’ come in rapid succession as the crowd bunches closer together. A band-of-the-moment, Pillow Queens are in their element tonight, undeniable, unmissable. Rapid-fire banter between the band keeps tuning moments rolling along, a natural chemistry turning them almost into performances in their own right as the quartet tear into a string of fan favourites from their debut LP ‘In Waiting’

Pillow Queens - photography by Jonah Gardner - 2/12/21
Pillow Queens – Photo by Jonah Gardner

Such is the strength of the performance, that any spectre of gloom at the start of the night is dispelled, as Pillow Queens play like an act that remind us why we miss live music. Magnetic, emphatic, the venue could be in the heart of their hometown with the reception they get. And as the setlist ramps up, so do the hits, ‘Rats’ comes out of band and crowd as one, breathless and in unison. Finisher ‘Liffey’ is intoxicating, a swarm of guitar and noise rock influences delivered in a pitch-perfect pop formula, an ode to modern Dublin that hits every heartstring on the way down your chest. If this is the last show of the year, so be it. They can’t take this from us.

Pillow Queens - photography by Jonah Gardner - 2/12/21
Pillow Queens – Photo by Jonah Gardner

Leave a Comment ⁞

Tags: Live ReviewPillow QueensSmoothboi EzraUlster Sports Club
ShareTweetShareShareSendSend
Previous Post

Fresh Music from Northern Ireland – November

Next Post

Influences Mixtape: Girl For Sale

Related Posts

Best of Irish: March
Blogs

Best of Irish: March

April 4, 2022
Best of Irish – January
Blogs

Best of Irish – January

February 4, 2022

Recent Posts

Chordblossom Northern Irish Releases of the Year 2022 blue

Northern Irish Releases of the Year 2022: 10 – 1

January 19, 2023
Chordblossom Northern Irish Releases of the Year 2022 blue

Northern Irish Releases of the Year 2022: 25 – 11

January 18, 2023
Northern Irish Songs of the Year 2022

Northern Irish Songs of the Year 2022: 25 – 1

January 12, 2023

Twitter

Instagram

Follow

  • Photos from Myles McCormack’s album launch at the Deer’s Head with support from The Brigideens.

Photos by Jonah Gardner
  • More from King Villain in the Union Bar, with Parker and Slow Healer on Saturday night.

Photos by Jonah Gardner

Spotify Playlist

Fresh Music From Northern Ireland

Mailing List

  • About Chordblossom
  • Kickstart
  • Music Reviews
  • Live Reviews
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Photos
  • Fresh Music From Northern Ireland Playlist
  • Chordblossom Gigs
  • Mailing List

© 2020 Chordblossom

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Reviews
    • Music Reviews
    • Live Reviews
  • Features
    • Articles
    • Festivals
    • Fresh NI Music
    • Interviews
    • Introducing
    • Win
  • Media
    • Playlists
    • Photosets
    • Podcast
    • Sessions
    • Transmission
    • TV
  • Kickstart
  • Chordblossom Gigs
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
    • Mailing List
    • Vacancies

© 2020 Chordblossom

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT