The past couple days have proven to be a milestone in the career of Lord Jane. Friday saw the release of their debut EP, ‘Tulips’, a blockbuster effort that will no doubt catapult them into the forefront of the hearts and minds of the Irish music scene While Saturday saw their larger-than-life EP launch show at Ulster Sports Club, featuring support from Charlie Hanlon and Penny’s Band. While the importance of these events can not be understated, it is fair to say that for Lord Jane, this is only the beginning.
The first act of the night was Penny’s Band, who engaged the crowd effectively through their infectious melodies and punchy guitar lines. The band’s frontman, Alex, won the crowd over with his strong vocals and stage presence, and it appears that Penny’s growth in popularity over the past couple months is merited. They look as comfortable as ever while performing, and will continue to hone their ability to perform as the band progresses.
Their set featured a cover of Catfish and the Bottlemen’s ‘7,’ which was a nice touch as it fit Alex’s angsty vocals like a glove and helped familiarise audience with a band that is still young and fresh to the local scene. Their debut single, ‘That’s Not The Girl I Met’ is not long out and will appeal to fans of Inhaler, Wallows, and The 1975.
After Penny’s kicked off the evening, Charlie Hanlon took to the stage, proving in doing so why he has earned the name he has within the local scene. He had a likeable, eccentric demeanour, and there were no blemishes in his set. His songs featured relatable lyrics, particularly his newest single, ‘Stand,’ a grounded piece of social commentary on masculinity and small town life.
Charlie finished his set with ‘Godsend,’ an ethereal release that came out in February this year that not only was the perfect end to his set, but the best way imaginable to tee up the rest of the night for an amazing Lord Jane performance, and that is exactly what it was.
As we approached the headliners’ slot, a true sense of excitement washed over the room. Lord Jane’s EP had barely been out for 24 hours, yet the support it had amassed was evident and impressive. They came on stage just after 9:00 pm, opening their set with ‘Tulips,’ the title track of the EP, and from then on in, no one was leaving; they had won every crowd member’s undivided attention. ‘Tulips’ melancholic guitar riff and infectious drums filled the room in an indescribable way, and there was no doubt that Lord Jane were ready for this occasion, basking in the release of this EP and the milestone it represented.
There was an air of spontaneity and relaxation surrounding the performance as well. Not only had the band announced that one of the songs on the set had been written that morning, before playing it like it had been in the vault for months, but from my memory, the infant track also features a change in tempo; a credit to the sheer musicality of Lord Jane as a band.
The lead singer, Clodagh’s crowd work was funny, and likeable, as well as also being sincere, and profound. It was music to ours ear when she said “I hope that we do this for a very long time.”
The highlight from the set was ‘I Did It To Myself.’; A melancholic track with self deprecating lyrics, akin to Paramore’s latest effort, ‘This Is Why.’ Despite this, the track did not fail to be sonically inventive, or fresh at all, rather being the opposite, and offering a fresh sound to the local scene.
The closer to the performance was the sonically vast track, ‘Kaleidoscope’ which the band announced as one of their upcoming singles. The track was sonically deep and proved to be the perfect closer to an amazing showcase of the talent Lord Jane has to offer.
All three acts on this bill were amazing, a real testament to the array of high quality music the scene is currently producing.
