Alt- J and Wilderado played at the Olympia, Dublin on the 22nd and 23rd of May. The opener, Wilderado, showcased an alternative indie rock sound that was made exceptional by their performance. I listened with keen ears to their catchy hooks. Their energetic charm caught my attention, which is particularly notable for someone who would had never thought I’d like that “type of music” prior to hearing them. They were the perfect set up for the main event with their energy and ability to hype the crowd up. Regrettably, a good portion of the seats were left empty until the main event.
As the crowd filled up, I noticed many attendants came by themselves. These die hard solo interlopers made up a large portion of the crowd – bravely not caring that they had no friends among the hoards of fans. The crowds waited impatiently for their entrance on stage, and prior to Alt-J making an appearance, the entire Olympia started screaming in anticipation for the trio. The main event, Alt-J, left something to be desired. As a casual fan surrounded by their mellow vocals and loud instrumentals, I felt a bit out of place in the concert hall. The front man of Alt-J (Joe Newman) read his lyrics from a teleprompter, which caused him read out some lyrics of songs prematurely. That said, the synths played by Gus Unger-Hamilto lended the songs a dreamy and trance-like quality. Combined with the fantastic drumming by Thom Sonny Green, their otherwise seasoned sound never missed a beat.
My friend and I came to this concert seeking hits akin to the anthemic Breezleblocks. As songs bled from one into another, they took on a monotonous quality. With an hour and a half of music of similar sounding dreamy tracks, I did find my attention waning. The lack of vocal variation from frontman Joe Newman gave an opiate effect to Alt-J’s interesting lyricism. However, a particular stand out song that gleamed strikingly amongst others was U&ME. Featuring discordant hypnotic beats, adding a more experimental sci-fi and electronic vibe to the single, this track felt like a foray into a new territory of growth for the band.
In conclusion, though I didn’t enjoy the event as much as I had hoped, I could feel the energy that the band got from the standing and seated mass. Save for one or two empty seats, the entire Olympia seemed full to the brim with energy that I wished I could replicate. Once the show ended, I found myself almost jumping out of my seat hoping to get some fresh air, totally re-energised.. Everyone in the halls were smiling and chatting, all while trying to squeeze through the small halls to the main exit. Content to linger and keep the moment for just a few minutes more.
