Venue: Whelan’s Upstairs
Date 19th July 2023
Act: Félim, with special guest, Neolithic
Upstairs in Whelan’s was thronged for Wednesday night’s showcase of new Dublin five-piece band, Félim and their special guest, Neolithic.
The first act of the night was a man with a musical soul, Neolithic (Neo Morake). He took to the stage and treated the crowd to his spin on Chris Isaak’s Wicked Game. This was a refreshing and energetic take on the popular lament, it served well to warm the crowd up. Neolithic then launched into captivating original music from his latest LP release – The Life of Nene, with the charisma and ease of a born performer, introducing the crowd to his brand of indie-based, alternative hip-hop, effortlessly floating soulful and dynamic vocals over jazz harmonies and hip hop grooves. Down on Me & Lady Put It On Me were particularly infectious and heads were bobbing in unison across the room from start to finish.
Next up, with the gig to launch their debut release, to a well-warmed-up audience, the main act who are the real deal. Shane Felton on drums and Gavin Campbell on bass took to the stage and launched into an infectious, foot-stomping groove. The remaining three members of Félim joined their bandmates on stage and to announce their arrival on the Irish music scene, they delivered an upbeat indie-rock stomper reminiscent of Arcade Fire or the Killers in their prime. Their opening track Hailstorm is custom-built for stadia tours, full of big energy, drum rolls and catchy riffs. They followed this up with wall-to-wall foot-tappers, the front four of Félim are all singers as well as instrumentalists, their vocal harmonies are electric, like their voices were made to blend together. Grace Barry (vocals and percussion) Aido Mac (Lead vocals/Guitar) and Ste O’Grady (Fiddle/ Vocals/Guitar) work seamlessly together and with their fellow band mates, anticipating each other musically. When they played their debut single, Casino the crowd went wild, support is growing quickly for this new act. Another highlight was My Oh My which features a trad fiddle solo over a heavy rock groove. The only break in tempo was for the B-side of their current release – Foolish Things – an old-school, anthemic rock ballad in the Oasis vein with an extremely catchy chorus. Félim served up nearly ninety minutes of original music and kept the crowd dancing for the whole night.This is a feat most acts can’t manage after three LP releases. Félim played no covers and took no prisoners, this band have arrived on the scene with a powerful statement. Get used to hearing their name because they are Here To Stay, which incidentally is the name of their upcoming single release.
