Revered by the wider world for its connections with much-missed Jimi Hendrix bassist (and later West Cork resident) Noel Redding, De Barra’s in Clonakilty is a vital artery in the anatomy of independent Irish music. The esteemed venue’s been celebrating its 30th anniversary during 2013 and I’d like to take this opportunity to send our heartfelt thanks to Ray and co for their continued care, enthusiasm and diligence in ensuring talent local, national and international continues to get the fairest of hearings here.
With this in mind, W&H can’t think of a better place to spend a pre-Xmas soiree, not least as brilliant Limerick quintet WINDINGS are supplying the evening’s entertainment. Great minds are thinking alike, it seems, for many of tonight’s audience are sporting garish Xmas jumpers and, er, actual fairy lights, while guitarist/ vocalist Steve Ryan and co are clearly thankful for the whiskies and G&T’s being passed their way during their set.
Not that the festivities have blunted their attack. Indeed, with Santa Claus only a few nights shy of setting out into the night, lesser bands would have been content to trot out an easy-peasy crowd-pleaser of a set. Yet – with a forward-thinking approach that would surely bring a crooked smile to the Scrooge-esque features of Mark E. Smith – a fractious version of The Hassle is the only older number capable of prising itself into a taut set comprised primarily of the band’s ace 2012 Out On A Limb LP ‘I Am The Crow’ and a healthy swathe of new material.
Brian Meaney whacks his syndrum and an ear-splitting hardcore attack opens ‘Bladerubber,’ with Ryan meting out Thurston Moore-eque terror on his guitar with an errant drumstick. It’s a hell of an introduction and though it drops back into a slower, brooding rock behemoth it’s no less intense for that. ‘Spiral Stairs’ follows menacingly in its wake and third number, ‘Neverwood’ (sic) is – to these ears – entirely new. All frenetic, Dinosaur Jr devilry threaded through with Patrick O’Brien’s Devo-esque sci-fi synth, it cements a favourable impression long before it winds down.
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From there onwards we’re on more familiar territory with the slightly more bucolic ‘Sun In My Bones,’ though the way Ryan loses himself in the extended space-rock guitar solo towards the end remains something to behold, as does the autumnal ache of the ensuing ‘Something Outnumbered’ and the Magazine-style drive of the insistent ‘This Is Not A Conversation.’
A fourth new number, ‘Bang Bang Normal Man’ is introduced by Ryan and Mike Gavin’s screes of feedback, though a brief respite is provided by the atmospheric ‘Local Broken Man’ imbued by O’Brien’s melancholic melodica, baritone guitar from Gavin and Meaney doing a dextrous job juggling maracas and sticks while playing off the song’s bedrock drum loop.
It’s merely an oasis of calm, however, before they pile into a closing ‘I Am Not The Crow’, powered by Meaney’s furious percussive assault and an end coda that morphs into what sounds like an entire Stuka squadron coming down in flames as Ryan and Gavin push their pedals to the max and rake through the ashes of the tune as feedback fills the skies.
It’s a suitably incendiary end to one of the year’s best gigs and suggests Windings’ next waxing (whisper it: a split LP with Cork band Land Lovers is mooted) could just thrillingly up the ante once again. That’s for the future though: all that’s left to say now is a huge ‘thank you!’ to our readers during 2013 and a Very Merry Christmas from all at W&H!
Hear Windings at Bandcamp
De Barra's online
Out On A Limb Records online
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