Photos: Remy Connolly
(Click on first photo at top to begin slideshow)
Dublin rock quartet Sick Love played their debut headline show at The Sound House on Eden Quay last Saturday, with support from Derry trio Cherym and local alt-rock band LIERS. LIERS set the tone early doors with some fine grunge-fuelled guitars, and a rousing performance of latest single 'Elixir'. It was my first time seeing Cherym live also, it was a rapid and high-energy set that did more than prep the by now almost full room of punters. Sick Love's enduring live trait (aside from plenty of noise) is making the audience feel like they're part of the show, it's a communal experience, this is helped on by the fact that the crowd know the songs, and know when the kicker is on the way in each one of them.
It was the most packed I've seen The Sound House with the exception of the night The Murder Capital took to the stage last summer as part of the Dublin Quays Festival (on a roster of 4 acts mind), with the crowd all the way to the bar at the very back of the venue. There seemed to be zero nerves (I'm sure there were), Sick Love just did their thing, it was all they had to do, the audience loved it, I loved it, and there's little left to say except that very soon, there will be bigger stages and bigger audiences.
On a side note, The Sound House has fastened itself as my favourite city centre venue for music. There are so many in town and they all have something the others don't, but I've found that for the most enjoyable gig-goer and visually pleasing shows, The Sound House has it down right now. Not to mention they seem to be the only place who knows how to fully operate LED on-stage lights correctly, meow (just sayin'!).
