It’s always a good sign when you walk into a venue and people are already buzzing before there’s even an artist on the stage, and that was 100% the vibe last night at Bank Lane, Waterford, as Dug took to the stage. Having recently opened for The Scratch during their three-night sold-out residency here, it was clear from the cheers when it was mentioned that Dug had left a serious impression. A lot of the crowd were clearly back for round two.
Originally, this gig was due to be held in Luca Records, but upgraded to Bank Lane. The venue keeps getting better every time I visit. From the lighting to the sound and just the general feel of the space. Colm Kennedy and his team are doing something really special here. Big shoutout too to Dean Robinson, the man behind the desk and simultaneously keeping half of Waterford ticking over too, the place wouldn’t run without him.
Kicking off the night was Seamas Hyland, a name I didn’t know before but definitely won’t forget. Seamas plays the accordion, but not in the way you’d expect. His set was laced with samples, Dublin traffic, a factory in Germany, the River Blackwater (he recorded sounds from last autumn), and even a conversation he had with his grandfather last April. Sadly, his grandfather passed away recently at the age of 96, and Seamas shared that it’s a comfort to still have those recordings. It was touching and really quite unlike anything I’ve seen live. His dry humour kept everyone smiling between tracks, flipping effortlessly between Irish and English. Turns out he’s from Waterford himself, with German roots. He also mentioned he’s heading out on tour this September/October. He is well worth catching if you get the chance.
Then came Dug, met with a warm and loud welcome. There’s just something about this band, they’ve got that easy charm that makes the stage feel like their living room. They bounced into their set with their signature stage presence and their hilarious sense of humour. A few songs in, someone shouted something, and they replied came with, “Eh, …yeah, up the f-ing Déise, I’ll say!” which got a big laugh and cheer.
They spoke a bit about how their tour is coming to an end and how they’re genuinely gutted about it. There’s no ego here, just a group of artists loving what they do. They teased the crowd about their upcoming album (which people were literally shouting at them to release), joking that they only have four songs out so far, so they’d have to just loop them three times to fill the set. There was a hilarious story about the new album’s title “Have at it” thrown in there too, which if you get the chance to see these guys live you’ll love. Their sound is fresh, slightly nostalgic, think early Edward Sharpe levels of talent but filtered through a uniquely new lens.
It was one of those nights where everything just lined up: great tunes, great crowd, and stunning weather to top it all off. Bank Lane continues to prove why it’s becoming a proper hub for live music in the Southeast, and with acts like Dug and Seamas Hyland visiting, Waterford is definitely onto something special.
Seamas Hyland photos:
DUG photos:
Photos & Words – Alan Robinson @alan_robinson_photography