It must have been about seven years ago when young hopefuls Juniper strutted cockily onto this same stage, riding on a wave of hype and buoyed up by promises of U2-level fame and fortune.
Singer Damien Rice left, dropped the Bono poses and instigated the Irish nu-folk revolution, while the remaining members carried on as Bell X1, drummer Paul Noonan stepping into the vacated mic spot. Over two albums, Neither Am I and Music in Mouth, Bell X1 challenged The Frames' supremacy as Ireland's biggest cult act and, with their new album, Flock, they are hoping their emotional rock will migrate to British and international audiences.
Following sets by Joe Chester and Dave Couse, Bell X1 take the stage to thunderous applause from the home supporters. They slam straight into Reacharound, Noonan pimping out lines about whores and kerb-crawlers like a punch-drunk Tom Verlaine, then keep up the momentum with Bigger than Me, guitarists Brian Crosby and Dave Geraghty chopping out the post-punk guitar lines with Franz Ferdinand-baiting grace. Both guitarists also play keyboards, allowing for a wide sweep of sound on My First Born for a Song and Rocky Took a Lover, and Geraghty gives a fine power-banjo performance during Alphabet Soup.
They may not be the only Irish band named after a flying machine, and the new album's title may be for the birds, but it's plain that Bell X1 have their sights set high - and they've got the fire and fuel to get them there. The panicky passion of Next to You and Eve, the Apple of My Eye make love songs by Coldplay, Athlete and the like seem tepid and routine by comparison. There's an unpredictable emotional and instrumental edge to Bell X1's tunes: you're never sure where the song is going to take you, or how you'll feel by the end of it.
Frontman Noonan has the girl-friendly mix of smouldering good looks, shyness and bookish vulnerability, but he seems to be holding back, as if afraid to repeat the showy mistakes of the distant past. He needn't worry: Bell X1 have their sound and their vision nicely nailed down - all they need now is for Noonan to grab the reins and lead the band onward and upward. Next stop, the RDS main hall on January 31st. - Kevin Courtney
