I braved the brisk autumnal breeze on the Wexford Quays on Saturday October 25th to head to the iconic Spiegeltent festival. The gig of the night was The Coronas, the second of their two show stint in this renowned venue. To my shock, doors for this show only opened at 21.30, a basically unheard of concept for a headliner to enter the stage after half-ten. However, given the quirkiness of the venue itself, this fact just added to the blissful randomness of the whole night. The late starting time certainly did not deter the crowds, with the show sold out before the festival began, and a crowd already formed at the gate when I approached the box office.
Alfie Hudson Taylor provided the support on the night. Formerly one half of the band Hudson Taylor, which he fronted with his brother, Alfie spoke during his set about his return to music having taken a step back from the industry after the band finished. I had loved Hudson Taylor’s music, so when I heard Alfie was supporting the Coronas for this gig I was delighted. Taking us all on a journey through some of his most well-known tracks from his discography as well as an enchanting cover of the song ‘Chances’, which, as bad as it might be to admit, I only knew from its appearance on the Shrek 2 soundtrack, Taylor made the most of his set. For anyone unfamiliar with his music, Taylor brought them on a journey, delving into the story behind his exit from his band and the issues he’s faced in the cold-faced music industry. Taylor called out the hypocrisy of venomous music contracts and the negative effects on artists who get the raw deal when it comes to financial security within the industry. This prompted a spirited response from the crowd, and was frankly quite moving especially when he revealed how starting a podcast and telling his story allowed him to break away and become the independent artist he is now. As good as the performance was for those unaware of Hudson Taylor or its frontmen, the fans in the audience were treated to a nostalgia fest of his well-known tracks, a personal favourite of mine ‘Feel It Again‘, provided his swan song on the night. Alfie Hudson Taylor is bringing his own solo show to Whelans, Dublin on December 21st, and after seeing him this evening, I would definitely recommend giving yourself an early Christmas gift of a ticket to his show, he’s an artist not to be missed!
The Coronas took to the stage accompanied by a deafening outcry of hoots and hollers from the crowd. The trio dove into their back catalogue during this gig, utilising playful quips, such as incorporating Wexford into lyrics of their first number ‘Confirmation’ as well as comments of admiration for the energy the Wexford audience were giving them so early into the set. Frontman Danny O’Reilly was in flying form, tracing every board of timber on the stage in attempt to almost reach out to every person in the room. He took it a step further when, to what I can only imagine was the venue security’s horror, decided to jump the barrier between the pit and crowd to join the fans in their masses on the main floor. As you can imagine phones were flipped up quickly, desperate to capture this moment for social media and the likes. The band continued to play on the stage, while O’Reilly high fived and sang out amongst the fanbase, completely in his element. Based off the limited reaction by his band mates at the crowd dive I would reckon this was a common occurrence and the intimate size of this venue in particular made it very effective and a standout moment of the night in my opinion. I knew of some of this band’s songs going into this gig, but have always been more of passive listener if I’m being completely honest. I have to say, considering I knew very little going into this gig, I thoroughly enjoyed their performance and the energy in the venue as a result of it, and believe the smaller venue contributed to the success of the night. The Coronas are set to play a six-night engagement in Dublin’s 3Olympia this December with limited tickets available, so get them while you still can, you’re sure to have a great night out at a gig of theirs!
Alfie Hudson Taylor photos:
The Coronas photos:
Photos & Words – Lisa Hamilton @lisahamiltonphotography