Saturday, 16th November 2013
In the cold, atmospheric warehouse of Port 13, some of NI’s finest take to the Xport13 stage as part of Belfast Music Week. With the sounds of the nearby skate ramps in the background, the Xport13 stage is a musical treat buried away in Belfast’s historic Titanic Quarter.
Showcasing what seems to be a wealth of tight Oasis-styled riffs and melodies the Belfast boys, Echo Raptors, have managed to get even the young skaters off the ramps onto the floor. Taking us through songs like ‘Plastic People’ and ‘In The Back Seat’ there’s little audience interaction, but it’s overlooked as the band are a promising start to the night.
Silences, folk rock from Conchur White, shows sweet lyrics and beautiful melodies displaying maturity beyond his years with songs such as ‘All These Crimes’ and ‘Emily’s Corridors’. The set is a unique and haunting experience, leaving the audience members transfixed during the final song, ‘There’s A Wolf’.
Go Swim’s first song ‘Silver Tung’ doesn’t have the same impact, and the songs that follow struggle to hold the crowd’s attention with repetitive melody and lyrics. All was not lost though, as the final song brings a different sound encouraging dancing and cheers from the audience. If the bands future is anything like this final number, they have a promising career ahead.
Sounding like Oasis meets Jet with a dash of The Jam, The Sun Shadows bring a steady pace to proceedings with tasty riffs and dancy bass. The mod rockers play songs such as ‘Until We Never Meet Again’ and ‘See The Stars’, with a few intrepid dancers marking the arrival of their dedicated fans.
Next, Lurgan’s famous rock and rollers, The Bonnevilles bring their gritty, dirty guitar and southern inspired lyrics to the stage. Vocalist and guitarist Andrew McGibbon Jnr perfectly rips and roars through the songs, bringing the crowd to their feet and adding some welcomed grit and attitude to the Xpor13 stage.
In Their Thousands bring it back to the alt-folk vibe, with an Irish traditional twist. ‘4am’ stands out with its progressive building guitar and spell bounding harmonies. Instruments such as the Diddley bow and the Ebow make a unique noise, showing there’s something in the waters off Donegal.
It’s a highly anticipated performance for Silhouette, and front woman Shauna delivers an awe-inspiring performance of her female driven pop rock. ‘Running Against the Wall’ instantly makes the cold crowd come to life, while finishing with ‘Can’t Keep Up’ show’s her voice at new levels.
It’s an atmospheric end with open fire buckets dotted around the floor for The Emerald Armada. Standing in line in perfect harmony, they treat us to songs such as ‘I Don’t Mind’ and ‘Everyone’. Their gradual building crescendos mixed with electric guitar riffs add a twist to the folk, and end presiding’s on a high at the picturesque Port 13 dock.
Holly Ballentine