Soldiers Can’t Dance at The Workman’s Club – Review

This Saturday – the 23^rd of August, I made my way to The Workman’s Club for the ‘Soldiers Can’t Dance’ gig – where they launched their ‘Only Love’ single and a six track EP. Once I arrived, I settled into a spot near the centre of the room and eagerly awaited for the support act ‘The Notas’ – who were featured in Dublin Concerts ‘Irish band of the week’ – to get started. The Venue was somewhat empty to begin with, though by the time Soldiers Can’t Dance readied themselves to play, it had slowly filled up – it wasn’t bursting to the brims mind, but there was a decent crowd in attendance.

As Conor Cuffe (Vocals, Guitar), James Kennedy (Vocals, Bass) and Luke Fitzgerald (Drums) took to the stage, those in attendance went silent in anticipation. The Soldiers Can’t Dance trio, from the get go attempted to create an atmosphere of sorts, as Conor wasted no time in getting the crowd involved and called everyone to leave their seats behind and join them by the front of the stage. This slowly but surely saw the once disbursed crowd, come together in a bid to experience all the gig had to offer. Once the sound of the guitar echoed through the venue and the beat of the drum vibrated through the floor, the crowd shifted, the camera phones went up and the set was officially started. It was loud, it was fast and it was entertaining.

Musically, the band were solid and well connected – it was clear that they had put time into their set, in regards to practice. ‘Only Love’ sounded raw, but well-rehearsed and due to this, it was enjoyable.  Each song ended in a manner that allowed the next to begin without fault. As ‘Beautiful’ rang through the venue, the band hit their stride. They played together, watched each other and fed off of one another’s energy. This didn’t go unnoticed either, as the trio focused on their raw musical breakdowns, the crowd responded positively. It was in-between songs that lead singer Conor, thanked those who came repeatedly for the ongoing support and it was clear throughout the set, that all members of the band were truly enjoying themselves on stage.

Unfortunately tough, throughout the gig the music did drown out the vocals and because of this, at times it was difficult to distinguish the lyrics of each song. However in saying that, it is an element that can be rectified for future shows and if they were to find a balance between vocal’s and musical instruments, it would better their live performance further.

Soldiers Can’t Dance were good and perhaps, over time, they can become great. They have a lot of potential and their sound is constantly maturing. Sound wise throughout the set, they reminded me of Rage Against the Machine and Alien Ant Farm and I would recommend ‘Soldiers Can’t Dance’ if you are a fan of either of these bands!

By Saoirse O’Hagan