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Gig Review: Glen Hansard @ The 100 Club

Gig Review: Glen Hansard @ The 100 Club

 

Irish Singer/Songwriter Glen Hansard played at London’s iconic Palladuim Theatre back in March, filling the prestigious 2,200 capacity theatre with his powerful voice and intricate guitar playing. Fast forward to April 17th, and just down the road Glen delivered a fantastic performance to a packed out crowd at the infamous 100 Club.

 

Glen Hansard can probably be counted among Ireland’s greatest exports, with a career spanning 36 years, in both film and music. An obviously formidable and incredible talent, Glen took the stage at the 100 Club on a Sunday evening, in front of a crowd of varied demographic. Sporting a fairly extensive beard these days, trusty Tanglewood acoustic in hand (with the now recognisable hole), along with his band of keys, double bass, and string section.

 

Following an in-store gig at Rough Trade East the previous day, in correlation with the release of his latest EP ‘A Season On The Line’, Glen and his band really cut loose at the 100 Club, flowing from song to song with no apparent plan of action. It was inspiring to see great musicians just going with the flow of the music, shifting into different songs seamlessly, playing off each other with ease. With Glen’s vast back catalogue, he was able to just keep going and going, dredging up old songs he just about remembered the words too, as well as getting through the entirety of the new EP in 1 performance.

 

During the performance, Glen mentioned that he felt that given the venue, this was a special gig for him, and had dispensed with the set list as he just wanted to get up there and play songs. In this I would have to agree. In such an iconic venue, with an amazing performer thrashing about the stage, you couldn’t help but feel this was not just another gig. The energy that both Glen and the rest of the band delivered on that well-trodden stage was infectious. Their ability to go from blisteringly fast and powerful to quiet and intricate in the blink of an eye was an impressive sight to see, giving the songs an ever shifting dynamic.

 

All manner of songs were played throughout the gig, covering the whole of Glen’s career, from the Frames, to the Swell Season and his solo work. A personal favourite, and one song that stood out for me, was ‘Gold’. A cover of an Interference song, ‘Gold’ features on the ‘Once’ soundtrack to, as Glen explained, have a moment where the film becomes about the music and not the plot or story. With its quick guitar and violin lines, flowing into slower sections of beautiful lyrics and melody, ‘Gold’ brought a smile to the face and a chill to the skin.

 

Overall, Glen Hansard at the 100 Club was a brilliant and unique evening of fantastic music. Finishing with a rousing rendition of ‘Auld Triangle’, with the sound guy even getting his own verse, the gig finished up with the feeling of a drunken lock-up filled with locals. An excellent performance all round, filled with laughs, chilling melodies, and ferocious energy. 

 

´A Season On The Line´ is available now!

 

Check out ´Didn´t He Ramble´ below!

 

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