Photos by Sarah Ryan Photography
Info: A couple of weeks ago I was treated to one of the most blissful and, at times, surreal live shows of the year. Hopes were very high in advance as I had been listening to the second album from Dundalk's Elephant, 88 (aka Shane Clarke) on loop since its release at the end of July. As if this wasn't tempting enough, support on the night came from Dublin jangle-pop pioneers Montauk Hotel, it was my fifth time seeing the four-piece and it was easily one of their most inspiring performances to date, they nailed it on the night.
Hearing the tracks from 88 live for the first time was always going to be special for me, but through the course of his set, Elephant gradually built the blocks into something out of the ordinary as each song was completed. Culminating in a pretty intense but euphoric finale which seemed to carry through the entire section of the final four songs. Those "ah here" it's too good to be true moments unsurprisingly happened for me on the singles I liked most, such as 'Waiting Game' and it's sister track 'Waiting Game II', both quite different, a penultimate high came on single 'Happy' however, see ya later, you are no longer in the room! As the sax section of the song kicked in I think everyone in that room was tickled pink, and don't get me started on his outrageous Prince-inspired guitar solos. Going back to the beginning and his debut LP Hypergiant, tracks such as 'Little Ghost' (the first Elephant song I ever heard moons ago!) and 'Crow Feet' sounded immense, the passage of time seemingly adding new colours to both songs. This was a night to remember at The Grand Social, and without equivocation, one of the best performances of 2018 for me.
