Forbidden Fruit, part 2 – Some Actual Music Content

This continues my account of the recent Forbidden Fruit music festival event in Dublin. Part 1 here.

That said, I did manage to see some bands. Jape were coming towards the end of their set when we arrived. Last time I saw these, they were the one-person electronic-pop act of the ubiquitous Richie Egan. Now they seem to have mutated into a fairly generic Irish indie band. I thought they could have tried harder with their stage costumes. Jape's music does still have this quirky electronica aspect, but the blue jeans* and characterless short-sleeved shirts they sported did them no favours – surely this is a band who should be wearing spangly capes and silver jump suits?

Spies are another local band. They suffered from my having taken against the festival and also from being a bit too loud to hear properly, but maybe they were not all that bad. They had a certain Joy Division influence, but I could have done without the singer's shouting all the vocals. Or maybe his mic was just turned up too much. Still, nice haircuts.

I actually liked Kid Karate, another local band. These are one of those bands with only two members, one of whom sings and plays guitar, the other of whom drums. To get away with this kind of stripped down line up, you need to be good at what you do – and Kid Karate were. They were probably the hardest rocking band we saw all weekend, and I wish them every success. The singer wore very tight trousers.

[I subsequently discovered that one of Kid Karate featured in the lamer "reality" TV programme Fade Street (the one set in some friends' old flat on Fade Street), so I am embarrassed at having admitted to liking them].

I thought Yo La Tengo played well, but they are less fun at festivals than at normal concerts, because the shortened time available means they just play the music and cut out the amusing chit chat that makes them normally so entertaining. Or maybe they have cut out the chit-chat at normal gigs as well? It has been a while since I saw them. Still, I was impressed by their music, but I did not enjoy their set at all. Having all their beautiful quiet songs drowned out by festival goers' inane conversations really sucked the life out of me. I really do not understand why these people go up in front of a stage to converse loudly with their friends, surely there are any number of other places they could go where they would not be annoying people who were trying to listen to the music? Sadly, I fear that those of us trying to enjoy the music were something of a minority.

* Never trust a man wearing blue jeans.

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