One of the most reassuring and indeed heartwarming things about the Irish music scene is the level of support that all areas seem to try to give to the others. Music can be one of the hardest industries to get that initial foothold in, and the recent single launch by Dublin band Arcwords in The Workman’s Club in Dublin back in late April was a further show of the level of support that new artists and bands have for each other.

The recent single from the Dublin four piece, who are made up of Stefan Farrell (lead vocals and guitar), Derek Ellard (vocals and guitar), Conor Lyons (bass), and Anton Shovlin (drums), Tighten Up is an extremely accomplished math rock track that is characterised by exciting guitar and driving rhythm. It stands out as a track of promise and a band who are fairly sure of the sound that they are aiming for and where they might go in the future.

For the hour that the band were on stage in The Workman’s Club that night they continued to hint that there was much more to come from the group. The instrumentation was tight and accomplished and the setlist was full of songs that succeeded in getting the crowd in attendance dancing. It was also inherently clear that there was a strong chemistry amongst the members of the band on stage, which helped to add to the warmth and enthusiasm of the show.

It is important to pay credit to the two support bands on the night as well, first up was Dublin band, Stupid Son. There was a boundless energy of a band who were simply just enjoying their music and the opportunity to perform in front of a supportive and attentive crowd. It will be interesting to see the next steps for this band, and I look forward to seeing it.

Next was another product of the great work being done in the Dublin music college, Post Party. Another product of the BIMM process, I loved what I heard from this assortment of musicians as they demonstrated a maturity of instrumentation and interesting songwriting. Really looking forward to hearing what is next to come.

The night was another that could not help but leave you feeling reassured about the future of Irish music and the quality of band that is waiting to make it’s mark on the scene in the coming years. Bring it on.

MK