Sunday nights in Cork can sometimes be a bit slow and tonight in Cyprus Avenue it’s quiet. Very quiet. When a few guys or gals get together to form a band the cliché goes I guess is that they dream of playing big high-profile concerts to hordes of adoring punters. Not to a mostly empty venue with only 20 or so people and a pink plastic balloon for company. And not only that they appear to be nursing what looks like very bad hangovers. However, perhaps it is in a setting of adversity and not triumph that one can truly judge the rock n’ roll spirit of a band, and if this is the case, then ALFIE deliver in spades.
Touring to promote their new album CRYING AT TEATIME Alfie impress due to their technical proficiency, melodic inventiveness and healthy good-humouredness. Prior to this I wondered if they could pull off live the layered Brian Wilson-ish sound they achieve in the studio and they most certainly do, being able to play tightly as a unit but also maintaining a swinging looseness that appeals to both the ears and feet. And, now and again in songs such as LOOK AT YOU NOW (better live than on the album I think), they really hit their stride and convince us that in another place and another time they would be absolutely formidable.
Musically the band have been compared to the Stone Roses but its a bit of a lazy comparison. Sometimes the singer reminds one of Ian Brown but Alfie possess a more individual melodic sensibility and wrap complex vocal harmonies around their infectious indie groove. And they kick up a fair old storm at times too working very efficiently as a unit - good rhythm section and guitars, keyboards, cello & french horn all in fine working order. The only point where they are not together as a group is when the bass player sits down amongst the audience and keeps playing at one point, to rest his weary legs perhaps. Touring can do that to you i imagine.
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Tonight though too many outside factors reduce what could have been an amazing gig into merely a very enjoyable gig. These include, in addition to those mentioned above, a difficult sound set-up where the drums seemed to be mixed far too loud. This consequently almost completely erased the multiple vocal harmonies that were going on, which sounded like they were very good, but its hard to say for sure. Nevertheless the band soldiered on and won over the audience and I for one would love to see them return sometime in the future and play in a more convivial environment.
My one and only gripe with the band themselves – the gig was far too short, around 50 minutes. Alright it’s not exactly packed here tonight but 12 euros is 12 euros guys – for that price you ought to give a bit more bang for your buck (but… please come back again).
ps - check out their excellent website - www.alfie-uk.com/
to sample their music
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