Live Review: Tigertown, Castlecomer, The Starry Field

Openers The Starry Field got the audience slowly warmed up with their vocal-driven, stylised indie-pop, peaking with the more rousing single All Of My Love. Clearly a favourite of the faithful, whose hands went straight up in the air. Castlecomer kept this energy high, and their harmonising was dead-on. These five boys attracted a thicker crowd, and an audible “Ahh” was heard when lead guitarist Tom Kenney dedicated one of the songs to his dad.

Credit the brilliantly cosy acoustics of The Vanguard, or the unpretentious musicianship of Tigertown, but necks were craned out of sockets from the minute this pop five-piece took the stage. This was dreamy, shiny, good-looking-people pop. Deceptively sleepy-sounds from serious instrumentalists. The slightly hippy boys and girls next door – with proper musical creds. Think Mercury Rev, Fleetwood Mac (in a few years) and the odd Weezer echo. Go Now and Lions And Witches had a visible effect on the crowd, who packed into the small space to hip-shake. Not a dance outfit, Tigertown attracted a more swaying appreciation, with huge applause after each song. Their newest offering, What You Came Here For, continued down a laconic, pop avenue, but this single hit closest to a mainstream radio sound, with a sticky, toe-tappable chorus that had even the greyest heads bobbing. And grey heads there were. Tigertown seemed to attract pupils and pensioners with equal pull. Sitting upstairs having dinner, the older-set leaned forward in their seats when lead singer Charlie Collins began to sing in her ethereal voice. Newly ordered lamb-shanks went untouched and audible whispers of “Shh, I love this song!” could be heard above the throng. Their warm guitar sounds had a lulling effect, occasionally pricked with a jumping trumpet. Guitar players into turned pianists, trumpeters, trombonists. Their skills were evident. Their set was distinctive, but quite safe and sometimes same-y. Toward the end, some sounds felt repeated, or at least echoed. But Tigertown set themselves apart from the other good-looking, good singers with their keenness. It was visible in their faces (they looked stoked to be there) and undeniably in the quality of their music that had the ability to please across the board. Evidence could be seen afterward, when the band flogged recordings and T-shirts to a long line of pleased punters.