大象传媒

First impressions can often be deceptive, and they're frequently a hard thing to come back from. How many times have we taken one look at something, thought, "That's not for me, thank you," and then ignored it, no matter how much it tries to get our attention? We know it's wrong, but it feels so right.

Everything about Readers' Wives defies that first impression - from the dreadful name and the recordings they've so far released, to the way the band look upon first stepping on stage at Love Buzz. The various members of the band seem so ill-matched to each other, that it almost feels like they've just been selected at random and dumped onstage. Then they let rip with some ear-shatteringly loud art-rock, and the first impressions are crushed like a steamroller obliterating a fly.

The Dublin quartet's recorded output thus far (and their name) suggests a throwback to the Britpop era, all self-consciously quirky, with a knowing wink to the audience. However, this is all swept away as they tear through a series of songs that resemble the Sub Pop roster, circa 1988.

Echoes of bands like Tad and Arcwelder spring to mind as a sheet metal guitar tone scrapes off the top of our skull, letting these witty songs enter in through the hole. An impressive Belfast debut from a band with a few surprises up their collective sleeve.

More surprises are to be found in the shape of John D'Arcy and The Great Bunch of Lads, resplendent in a uniform of red t-shirts. D'Arcy will be a familiar face to many, having gigged consistently over the last few years in various different formats, from the earnest folk troubadour, to the playful indie-rocker.

Whilst he has proved adept at fitting into various situations, this chameleonic capacity has also proven to be a potential weakness; an indistinct blurring of identity. As we see him going from gig to gig, swapping genre for genre, we feel compelled to ask, "Just who is this John D'Arcy fellow anyway?"

His latest incarnation might just answer those questions. Operating within the confines of a punchy three-piece setting, once familiar songs are given a new lease of life, kicked into shape and all the better for it.

With D'Arcy prowling the edge of the stage looking like a young Joe Strummer, comparisons with Give 'Em Enough Rope-era Clash soon spring to mind, with the dexterous bass playing and crashing Telecaster guitar chords taking us right back to '78. However, it's not long before D'Arcy's contemporary lyrical references, and Belfast-centric song locations soon remind us where we actually are.

It's a strong performance, and old favourites are unleashed to an appreciative crowd, but one gets the impression that this new band have yet to find the songs that suit them best. They're an impressive musical unit, and are able to shatter the first impressions we may have had with some of these songs, but with the prospect of new material on the way, surely the best is yet to come?

Steven Rainey