There’s many a think-piece littering the internet on the subject of the death of club-culture at the expense of festivals, and Seasons stands as a sort of bridge between the two, a welcome new addition to Dublin nightlife. Although a one-night event, their first venture was an experience that was evidently curated and subject to a great deal of planning and effort, and felt like more than just a regular night out. The night had been initially conceptualized back in October, and its careful and lengthy planning were evident. Drawing from the expertise of its team, Seasons offered an experience that fused together music, art, and technology brilliantly. The Seasons team is made up of Sal Stapleton, Louise McNamara, and Karen Miano, who each come from different backgrounds and bring various areas of knowledge to the table.
Concurrent to our present season, their first party was themed around winter, and one was greeted by a suitably glacial sight upon entering the MART gallery in Rathmines, the venue for the night. Although this winter has been one of the warmest on record, you’d have been forgiven for not being aware of such once inside, as patrons were greeted by a snowstruck scene. Reclaimed plastic bottles and containers (supplied by Recreate Ireland) were wonderfully reworked into icy sculptures, an effect added to by the stark white walls of the gallery. Guests filtered in after the doors opened just after seven, and were happy to mill about having drinks to the sounds of the resident Seasons DJ, Docktah Irie. His selection for the night skirted around genres, dipping into soul, funk, and hip-hop. It should be mentioned that the night was also BYOB; something of course that is always looked favourably upon by students.
At around nine, almost instinctively, patrons began to gravitate towards the back-room for singer and guitarist Owensie’s performance. Visuals had been specifically created for the night by Sal from the Seasons team, and Owensie performed over what was at first an eerie Arctic landscape, morphing later into a cosmic scene. Owensie was mellow but enthralling – there were moments when hushes were heard from the crowd when chatter threatened to grow too loud. While he was rounded out by a full band, they didn’t detract from his soothing lull, and altogether he gave an intimate and composed performance to a tellingly subdued yet appreciative crowd. While Owensie warned that he was going to finish up his set on “a dark note”, it was in this part of his performance that he offered some of his best material, including a fantastic rendition of Aliens from his first album.
The stage then was taken by Bad Bones, fronted by Seasons’ own Sal, whose performance introduced them as one of the most exciting Irish acts. For those not familiar, their music recalls The Knife and Dublin based CLU, and they hold a definite appreciation for pop. Their set was a thumping, bass-driven affair, lent an extra energy by drumming and vocals from Sal. Beg, set for release on the forthcoming debut EP, is one of the best Irish songs of 2016 so far. The only criticism that one could level against them on the night was that their performance was too short, looking around it was evident the crowd wanted more. Bad Bones are definitely an act to keep an eye on.
All together, Seasons’ first venture was a night that looked to give back to the artists involved as much as possible. The team’s goal is admirable: through Seasons, they aim to give artists the chance to interact with other artists from different disciplines. The night was all about exchange, and all the artists fed off one another for inspiration. While this might sound cyclical or repetitive, one very much gained the sense that it was beneficial and a real chance for the artists to learn from one another. As such, Seasons are providing a lively and welcoming forum for the creatively-minded of Dublin to interact. Eighth Door were on hand to produce a video documentary of the night, and all of the live performances were recorded for the Seasons soundcloud. Winter has passed, and now we wait eagerly for Spring.
