| RAMPARTS | Eamonn Doran’s 07/08/08 |
Eamonn Doran's 7/08/08
By Angela Macari-O'Looney
Recently, I had a loan of a 'Ramparts' c.d. I discovered how distinctive and enjoyable I found their sound. So when I headed down to Eamonn Doran's to see them live, I had a great night and wasn't surprised at what a talented bunch of lads they are!
It was Tuesday evening, and the place was quite empty when I arrived, at about 08.30p.m. They were due on at 08.45, so I had a drink and a chat with them. Wayne, the lead guitarist, introduced me to the other members of the band, Ricky, the lead singer, Paul ('kid'), on Bass guitar, and Keith on drums.
Another band was on, and playing quite loudly, so talk was difficult. I asked Wayne for a list of the songs they planned to sing. This way, I'd have an idea what I was listening to as the night went on. I noticed that my favourite number, from the c.d., 'Say it!' was absent. Also, 'Stockholm Syndrome' was missing, an amazing song from their website on MySpace.
Anyway, soon everything was in full swing and the audience began to build up. I was joined by my two nieces, and two other friends. Ramparts started off with 'Any way you want it', with an interesting change of tempo, going from verse to chorus. Wayne did a memorable bit of lead in this one.
'Petrol Bomb' was the second song. This made me stand up and take notice. It's very well written, and the lead singer, Ricky, puts it across very well. It has a great beat, the bass player taking a solo and once again, Wayne does a nice bit of lead guitar. He's so laid back, and it's like watching poetry-in-motion as his fingers glide effortlessly up and down the frets! This number winds down to a slower beat towards the end, lending an extra interesting touch.
The audience gave a great cheer after this song and the lads started to relax into the gig.
The next number, 'Dead end Fairytale', was my personal favourite of the night. It has a very catchy melody, the beat changes from slow to choppy and the whole song is very musical, and just stood out from the rest. Both bass and lead get to shine, not forgetting the wonderful and entertaining performance of Keith, on drums.
'In Bloom', a Nirvana cover was next, and went down well with the crowd. Wayne used distortion in the intro to this very effectively, giving a sexy heavy metal buzz. As I listened to Ricky, I could tell that this is a favourite of his. His voice is really rockin' and my nieces and I agreed that they did the Nirvana song justice.
'Breath it in' was one I recognised from my c.d. The lead solo is really something special here and once again there's a change of tempo towards the end of this song. Alternating the tempo, throughout their songs, seems to be a Ramparts trait. It grows on you, and you almost begin to expect the unexpected with them.
Number six, was called 'One Step'. This starts off with just a drumbeat, followed by a nifty bit of bass. Then lead is added in a build up to the verse. This is very effective, and draws attention. It’s very laid back, yet each of the band get a chance to show off a bit.
The next song was introduced as 'No Name'. Ricky commented that they haven’t been able to come up with a suitable name for it, but if anyone had a suggestion, it would be welcomed. This number has a brilliant bass solo, from Paul, who I feel is a very confident musician and someone who is bound to make a name for himself in the future. Excellent stuff! He also sings harmony in the chorus, and has a good voice.
Wayne played a very seductive solo here too, and as I looked around me, I notice they really had the crowd with them, including people who were there to support the next and last band of the night.
They did 'Bodies' next, a Sex Pistols cover, which had the whole place rockin'. The drummer, Keith really came into his own here. He's obviously passionate about this one! Both Ricky and Paul sing the chorus, which is more of a Punk rap than a song. This number is a real dance one, and makes you want to lose your inhibitions and pogo about, like a sixteen year old. My nieces laughed when I remarked!
For a Tuesday night, Eamonn Doran's had a good crowd, and the atmosphere was great.
Their last song of the night was 'King of the World'. They all partook of the chorus and Wayne played a lovely little riff throughout. Paul put in a lot of bass. There's a great lead solo in this number, with Wayne hitting the high notes, in a show stopping bit of lead. The finish is extremely good, with a big build up of sound, leading up to total SHUTDOWN! Works very well!
The next band was impressive looking, and had a sizeable following with them. But they depended largely on loudness, which I thought would burst my ear- drums. So, without further ado, I thanked 'Ramparts', congratulating them on a brilliant and entrancing performance, and headed off to a party I'd been invited to, with my nieces.
I wished they could have been on longer, and my great disappointment, that they didn’t play 'Say it!' or 'Stockholm Syndrome'. Then again, what better way to ensure that I go to their next gig, than to leave me longing for more!