Party Time For Ireland’s Finest

It’s the 12th birthday of Friars, the homecoming of Ireland’s finest from a lengthy Stateside jaunt and it’s Saturday night. It had to be a good ‘un.

By the time lead vocalist Bono incites the bopping hordes to “knock the walls down” at the beginning of “I Will Follow” the party is in full stride.

The familiar bouncy brass of Adam Clayton, the forthright percussive attack of the excellent Larry Mullin [sic] on drums, the heartbeat of the outfit, and the distinctive cut and thrust of The Edge’s guitar are all intact after their US trip.

The old favourites like “12 O’Clock Tick Tock,” [sic] “An Cat Dubh/Into the Heart,” “Electric Co.,” “Out of Control” and “Another Time, Another Place” seemed invigorated. Of the new songs, “When I Fall Down,” a cascading wash of chords, sounded fine. The single “Fire,” due out in two weeks, was a blistering helter skelter whirlpool of sound, both punchy and romantic.

They sound harder and more direct. By the time they got to “Boy/Girl,” I could feel myself tingling with excitement while the crowd leapt like spring salmon in total joy. Shouldn’t all parties be this good?

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