San Fermin at Whelan’s – Review and Photos

San Fermin nestle onto the Whelan’s stage with their abundance of instruments – violin, trumpet, drums, synths, keyboard, electric guitars, shaker and saxophone included. They are a band of many layers and many offerings, yet their plethora of musical entities never malfunctions with excess. The sweet notes of violin combine captivatingly with those of melancholy guitar and exhilarating brass. Their sound comes together in true magnificence, making this a first class gig.

Each member commits to the performance and, as a result, the energy penetrates right through to the audience from start to finish. The lead vocalists deliver dazzlingly in their front-man and front-woman positions – from the moment Kaye bows her coal locks into the crowd, to when Tate glares into our fixated eyes. An early highlight arrives in the form of ‘Methuselah’. The reaction to this tremendous song is another realm of positivity. The audience glow, beaming wide as they call out the lyrics. This is a precious moment of appreciation personified, one that can only result from such a song of substance. “That is pretty fucking cool” Tate retorts, voicing the obvious touched feeling of this Brooklyn baroque pop band.

Our spirits soar like the voice of Kaye during ‘The Count’. At this stage the adrenaline is pumping. Yet energy soon blasts towards electric levels when fan favourite ‘Sonsick’ arrives. Trumpeter John Brandon leaps into the audience and madness ensues. Utter enjoyment and revelry fills the Dublin venue, astounding us in the most refreshing ways. Even after this moment of vitalization, San Fermin skilfully manage to tone down and bring the vibe to world of thoughtfulness with ‘Billy Bibbit’. We absorb wholesome lyrics like “give into love and get what you want”. At this point, it is completely verified that this divine band have given us a night that every individual in attendance will desire to relive. The already perfect evening ends with absolute sublimity through a cover of Weezer’s Buddy Holly. This is simply exceptional, bringing us further joy and a deep satisfaction.

From this night, it has become clear that San Fermin are a band whose music translates at full potential when they perform live. This is undoubtedly a band that I would urge everyone to go see at least once in their lives.

Review by Shannon Welby
Photos by Ricardo Guglielminotti