Maria Somerville – Whelans – Live Review – 13-02-26
by Killian Laher

Following up her support slot at the recent My Bloody Valentine gig, Maria Somerville returned to Dublin for a sold-out show at Whelans.  Support came from Dublin band Nashpaints, who combined jangly guitars, violin and fragile vocals.  While initially the tunes were pretty laidback, gradually the guitar effects came to dominate.  Their short set ended in a fearsome, noisy workout.

Somerville arrived on stage, joined by a bass player and drummer, creating a disorientating sound from the start.  Initially, the mix seemed a bit off, with Maria Somerville’s vocals completely buried and the drums extremely prominent on Garden and Projections, though it improved as the set progressed.  Halo saw the trio turn the noise up considerably, while on the other hand, Corrib was a quieter moment, with some lovely fluid bass work.

Following this, they were joined by another guitarist, and this had the effect of turning the noise up even more for the likes of Spring.  The night was really about getting lost in the sound, as the band got rockier with some fiery guitar riffs.  Somerville said very little between songs, except to introduce the occasional song and thank her band and audience, before ending the set with All My People, culminating in a massive slab of noise and feedback.

Although at times it bordered on self-indulgence, for fans of noise rock it was an enjoyable set.  It will be interesting to see where Maria Somerville goes next.