The Minutes can wave goodbye to playing small gigs for a good while. They are one of the most talked about bands on the Irish music scene. Two years ago they played to a dismal crowd upstairs in Whelans, but now they’re selling out crowds of 600 plus. How did this happen? Not only have they played in all the regular venues in Dublin, they’ve also been gigging in every corner of Ireland: leaving no venue in Ireland unturned. Add some catchy songs and a confident (borderline cocky) frontman to the recipe and a following is guaranteed.
The Minutes have poured blood and sweat into every gig, especially during their recent set at Eurosonic where they spread their infectious sound across the mainland. Their biggest headline gig in Ireland to date took place in a sold-out and sweaty Academy. There were people outside trying to get tickets and there were people inside squeezing into “half-decent spots” to catch a view.
They began their set with the pumping, heavy bass driven In Time of Dying. This is a perfect opener, managing to get the crowd going instantly. Some fans had travelled from Belfast just to see the gig and The Minutes t-shirts were seen skattered on die hard fans.
Heartbreaker and Fleetwood were highlights of the night, the infectious tunes encouraging most of the crowd to sing along. Some of the younger-wans were crowd-surfing and moshing at one stage, a nice addition to the set which I’m sure the band appreciated.
The wide range of people at the gig proves how accessible The Minutes’ music is. It’s bluesy-rock that ticks most boxes for open-minded music fans. The one downside is the singer. He seemed to try a little too hard come across ‘rock ‘n’ roll’. I guess that’s the image they’re going for, and I guess it’s working.
The whole set was fast and hard from start to finish. They announced that there would be no encore and then launched into their final nirvana sounding Guilt Quilt, which unfortunately was a bit drawn out. They ended with the drummer throwing around his delicious drum kit. The Minutes put on a great show, despite the feeling that their set prematurely peaked. They managed to try out some new material which was well received. It’s always nice to see hardworking bands reap their rewards.
Janine Donnelly
