Review and Photography: Stephen Brophy for MPM
When this show got announced it put a broad smile on my face, getting to see this trio again in Dublin was going to be an absolute joy, and that’s exactly what it turned out to be. Musically they play a funk rock fusion with elements of prog and even metal in there, they have this incredible groove and harmony that floats above it all. Tonight s show is the 2nd last European show celebrating their latest album Duck.
Just the one band on show tonight so there is a fair amount of waiting from the time the doors opened, but once it started the eyes never left the stage. What you get with this band is fantastic musicianship, that shines through in all of their songs and you get the impression that they could play anything that popped into their heads at any stage of a set. Songs from Duck are very well represented with each of the first four songs in the set and they have a bit of a harder edge to them than a lot of the older songs. If you take ‘Spanish Eddie’ or ‘Flatlands’ for example which have a more laid back flow to them, but it all fits together really well. Guthrie Govan’s guitar playing has a very hypnotic tone to it at times that just meanders through your mind, the playing is superb throughout. Bryan and Marco form a formidable partnership while playing their own parts individually too.
What adds massively to their shows are the ability to engage the crowd not just musically but also with the stories behind songs, which are often very funny, or the addition of an extra bit of music randomly in the show, like the theme from Father Ted (which went down very well) or a bit of Thin Lizzy, all of these things put the icing on the cake. There is no chance that you will get a large amount of songs in a set by these guys, tonnes of detail in everything and that always takes time, so 7 or 15 minute song lengths leads to 12 songs a night in a setlist. One of my favorites tonight is ‘Here Come The Builders’ but in reality the standard are high across the board, and a special mention to the sound desk tonight, as the mix sounds great.
The Drum Solo and closing track ‘Desert Tornado’ in particular let Marco’s abilities shine and the fact that each of the band members takes part in the songwriting process makes it more of a team than just some great solo artists. Live no instrument takes over sound wise, nothing overpowering unless it’s appropriate in a song. As I look around the crowd it’s as I’d expect a lot of concentrated faces, not lots of people talking and just because everyone isn’t dancing doesn’t mean they aren’t having a lot of fun.
The madness kicks in on the penultimate track ‘Get It Like That’ which eventually has the band draw the crowd into a sound off between chicken noises instigated by Bryan and the sound one of the fans made that Marco liked (replacing the usual oink noises). Not bizarre in the least, but still fun for everyone there, the song itself rips along jumping from funky riffs to powerhouse ones, it’s pretty addictive..
That was more than just having the pleasure of watching and listening to three hugely talented musicians, you also get the stories of how a lot of the songs came about, comedy, humility and a show that is very inclusive with their audience. The Aristocrats are just one class act, the songs on the set be they older or off the new album blend together perfectly, the groove is awesome and honestly this is one of my gigs of the year already.
If you haven’t seen them before make sure you check them out and go see them next time they are playing anywhere near you.
The Aristocrats Setlist –
Hey, Where’s My Drink Package ?
Aristoclub
Sgt. Rockhopper
Sittin’ With A Duck On The Bay
Spanish Eddie
Drum Solo
The Ballad Of Bonnie & Clyde
Flatlands
Here Come The Builders
This Is Not Scrotum
Get It Like That
Encore :
Desert Tornado
