Gascan Ruckus EP Launch
Friday 12th October 2012 – Stiff Kitten, Belfast
As the eternal cynic, I often find my faith in good music taking an absolute beating these days. It is an easy trap to fall into, especially considering the annual mediocrity convention we all know as the X-Factor still bothering our televisions. It is not so infrequently that I find myself completely at a loss with regards to our popular music situation. Is this cynicism really warranted? Maybe I just need to get out more.
Well friends, I have a revelation for you. This past weekend I ventured out… Out into the wilds of Belfast no less. As it was, Gascan Ruckus were headlining the Stiff Kitten on Friday night to launch their new EP. Now, I had encountered a few of Gascan boys a few times before, as a result of attending the same college as some of the lads. I had always heard the name but being the naïve hermit that I occasionally am, I had little to no idea about: (i) the kind of following the lads already had and (ii), the quality of music they had been playing for quite some time.
Fresh from a tour of Europe, yes Europe, this was something of a triumphant return for the Middletown quartet. Buoyed by a gracious and enthusiastic crowd, Gascan hit their stride early on. Their set was a mish-mash of tried and trusted crowd pleasers like ‘Vitamins’ and ‘Don’t Fret’ thrown together with the highlights of their absurdly catchy new EP ‘Buddies’. In short, songs like ‘Swimming’ and ‘Pieces’ are just damn fine rock tunes. Buddy rock tunes that is.
In my humble opinion, this kind of “bounce off the walls” style rock music is sorely missing in the musical landscape and as such, this performance was as invigorating as it was inspiring. I rarely come away from gigs having enjoyed every minute of it, but I can say in all sincerity, I enjoyed this show from start to finish. I might even venture to say that Gascan Ruckus are one of the most accomplished and exciting young bands around at the moment. Not to mention the fact you couldn’t meet a more humble or genuine group of lads. Yes it was a great show with a great atmosphere, everything you could want from a rock show. But more importantly, on a personal note, in the space of a couple of hours, I felt my prejudices about local music completely disappear. That’s saying something. Here’s to many more boys. Bloody well done!
