Every Sunday night in The International Bar in Dublin, The Intercollective takes place. The Intercollective is a open mic night for music or spoken word performers to hone their craft in a warm and supportive environment, and those in attendance are always sure to discover something new every time they go. That new discovery for me came in the form of Dublin band, Stolen City.

On the night I was struck by the musicianship and charisma of the band, who were represented on the night by Seán McGrath and Dave McCabe. Their songs were endlessly catchy and held the room in the palm of their hand throughout their performance with songs like Footsteps and Let Her Go standing out. The set made me want to hear more from the talented performers, and I was given the opportunity when they announced that they would be headlining a show in The Academy 2 a month later on.

What would follow would be one of the most enjoyable live shows that I would attend in 2018. For the hour and a bit that Stolen City were on stage, they exhibited a boundless and infectious energy as they powered through their set list as the crowd in attendance screamed back every word.

Stolen City have a delightful stage presence and this was shown to it’s fullest with the interactions between band members and audience helping to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Vocal duties within the band are shared by McCabe and MGrath and both demonstrate a wonderful understanding of the nuances of live music and how exactly you should work to get an audience on board – with McCabe especially cutting a captivating figure bouncing around from instrument to instrument. Throughout the show, the sense of pride was palpable and you could tell that the band were loving every second.

It felt as though there is a lot more to come from the band, and it’s sure to be a journey that is worth following.

MK