LIVE: The Strypes - Judge Roy Beans, Newbridge 06.03.15

After keeping quiet since their memorable, chaotic Irish tour in December, and working on their second album, The Strypes are back on the road. The lads confirmed that they were doing a 20-date “Roadtest Tour” in intimate venues throughout their home country of Ireland, from late February until late March.

Fans were standing around excitedly in the small venue of Judge Roy Beans, Newbridge County Kildare, which had only hosted one gig before. The Mighty Stef are the support act for the entire tour, an impressive band from Dublin with a raw, live sound and unique lyrics. They got the crowd warmed up before BP Fallon took to the stage to rhyme the Cavan lads into the spotlight.

Kicking off the gig, their hit song ‘Hometown Girls’ went down brilliantly, they then raced through new tracks and warned that people probably wouldn’t know many of them, as they are yet to be released. However, a couple of girls in the front row knew all the songs regardless, and it didn’t matter to everyone else whether the songs were familiar or not, because their hard-hitting, fast paced tracks with bluesy and punk elements went down a charm.

At one point they welcomed the crowd even closer to the stage with a smile, before jumping straight into a lung-busting rendition of ‘I’m The Man’ by Joe Jackson. They performed countless new tracks, one being ‘Scumbag City Blues’, a song showcasing Farrelly’s vocals brilliantly. ‘Queen Of The Half Crown’ is another new track which went down exceptionally well live, and is bound to do so when they eventually take the new tracks to the UK and further.

Their brand-new songs also included ‘Three Streets And A Village Green’, ‘Cruel Brunette’ and ’84’, a song with a somewhat Arctic Monkeys twist. ‘I Believe To My Soul’ is a sharp track with their signature style written all over it; (guitarist) McClorey’s backing vocals paired with Walsh’s flawless drumming give the song an extra edge. The band kept a high level of infectious energy throughout the gig.

Near the end of the night, the Cavan lads pulled a crowd pleaser out of the bag… ‘I Need To Be Your Only’ captured everyone’s attention, and the crowd went completely and utterly manic. Bassist O’Hanlon handed his mic to people in the front row who knew the lyrics and in a matter of seconds-the whole crowd was screaming the chorus back to the notable band.

After a few more minutes of madness, their encore was complete and The Strypes strode off stage for the final time that night – leaving a room full of people in a rock’n’roll daze.