REVIEW: Kodaline at The Roundhouse
Dublin four-piece Kodalineheadlined a mesmerising gig at the Roundhouse on 17th February 2015, followingthe release of their new album Coming Up For Air earlier this month.Walking on stage to The Clap Song in their formal black-coated attire (andJason Boland’s shockingly bright red shirt), members of Kodaline led thecapacity of the Roundhouse Main Space through an evening of adrenaline-pumpinglive music. The crowd was warmed up by up and coming band The Mispers (of who’sJack Scott’s Pac-man tattoo was being highly admired), followed by four-piece bandPort Isla, who captured the crowd with their ability to story-tell with theirself-described “stampy, clappy, happy, everything kind” of songs.
The Mispers brought a highlyoriginal sound, combining male and female vocals and harmonies, most prominentlyin their song “Shoulder.” Lead singer Jack Scott inventively added to theatmosphere in the room by turning the speakers into an instrument, scrapingthem to create an ambient sound.
In addition to stand-outsongwriting skills, the personality of The Mispers’s band members shone throughto a great extent, with guitarist Joey Zapata’s manic method of counting in thesongs, and Jack’s curious dancing. The musicality and creativity was evident ineach performance of the night, leaving the audience to remember The Mispers andPort Isla not as support bands, but bands with comparable creativity toKodaline.
The Roundhouse resonated with thesurprisingly in-tune singing of the crowd, so much so that lead-vocalist SteveGarrigan invited the audience to “join the band”. The dedication and admirationshown towards Kodaline by the audience was evident with both old and new songsbeing equally appreciated, with 2013’s hit One Day sang entirely by theaudience with minute vocal contribution from the band, and the evening endingwith the crowd collectively singing the lyrics to Kodaline’s first commerciallysuccessful 2012 song All I Want to an empty stage during a successfulattempt to call for an encore, which was compiled of Honest, Perfect World, andAll I Want.
The beauty of Kodaline is theequal importance given to each band member and each instrument, where Garriganensured his vocals and instrumental playing did not leave the rest of the bandmembers’ presence redundant. Garrigan showcased his multi-instrumentalistskills throughout the night, demonstrating his knowledge of guitar, keys, andeven his harmonica skills, along with his crystal clear vocal. He playedalongside drummer Vinny May, bass guitarist Jason Boland, and guitarist MarkPrendergast. However, all with an evident ability to sing, vocals werecontributed by each member to create a special and rare arrangement in modernmusic. The inclusion of The Mispers’ violinist Hannah Van Den Brun inKodaline’s closing song All I Want merely highlights further the puremusicality the band carry with them.
With songs inspired by situationsfrom deep heartbreak to theforgetting-to-buy-a-wedding-present-and-therefore-writing-a-song-the-night-before-the-wedding-insteadsort of situation, Kodaline showcased their dynamite songwriting, storytelling,and performance talent, living up to the expectations of a positively highlydemanding audience at the Roundhouse, bringing together both old and new fans,and even long-term fans who were Kodaline concert first-timers.