Heathers - Whelans, Dublin

Published: 11th December, 2011 - http://www.meg.ie/heathers-review/

Most of us find out about new music via our friends, a blog recommendation and at times, even in this new digital-based age we live in, the radio. For relative newcomers Heathers their breakthrough moment in the Irish music charts was, without a doubt, getting their song featured in the Failté Ireland (Irish tourism) advert this past summer. The ad, which promoted tourism in Ireland and holidaying at home, featured the girls' very catchy song: Remember When. The song was the definition of perfection for the ad as it boasted such lyrics such as: ''I need to go, I need to get away from everything, just for a while…''. Just what any advert for a break away the fast-paced lives we lead aims to offer. The song peaked at number one on the Irish charts.

So now you may ask just who are Heathers. Well, the band consists of twenty-year-old Dublin based twin sisters, Ellie and Louise Macnamara, who decided to form a band together in 2007 after Louise’s guitar playing lead her to seeking some help from Ellie with lyrics to guitar chords she had composed. Their début album Here Not There managed to garner quite a lot of praise from both fans and media alike, and following a very successful Irish début, the album will be released in the UK and further European countries from October 2010.

Ellie and Louise played a handful of festivals during the summer including both Oxegen and Electric Picnic. They have even managed to already have played dates in various parts of America. Despite all of this the girls still somehow found time to fit in a support slot for Kimya Dawson in London, Paolo Nutini in Belfast, a gig during the infamous Arthurs day festival back in September, a performance at the Special Olympics ceremony and were invited to perform at a festival in New York and at Canadian Music Week in Toronto. And you think you have it bad!

They kicked off the gig in Whelans on Saturday with just a simple hello from Louise and went straight into Fire Ants. A fast-paced (much like the rest of the songs on the album) and darn catchy little number with haunting and powerful harmonies that got the eager crowd going in no time. They went straight into their second song of the night, which is listed as a bonus track on the album but is better known as Margie, (a personal favourite of mine from the album) which is often sang in Irish and English.

The girls then introduce two extra band members (a cellist whom the crowd seem to have a lot of affection for even going so far as to chant his name numerous times. And a bodhrán/guitar player) whom they've ''been doing an awful lot of practice with over the past 4/5 months''. This is very evident in the way they all play together so comfortably.

One of the first things I jotted down in my notepad was: ''First thoughts: Very reminiscent of Tegan and Sara''. However, one member of the crowd saw me scribbling this and was quick to chime in and say ”When I first heard them I thought: Right, Tegan and Sara knock-off, that's great. But after just hearing these two songs, I'm converted. It's crazy, they're just so powerful live, I love them!'' And I have to admit, even though I had only meant well whilst noting my observation, I immediately felt a pang of guilt for not seeing the girls in their own light, which they have well and truly earned by now.

The rest of the girls' set consists mainly of tracks from Here Not There but the girls were kind enough to play four new songs for us, which was just enough to give us a taste of what’s to be expected for the next album. Catchy fast-paced lyrics once again seem to be the focal point of the next album and having received such rave-reviews over their debut, which was full of these, why would they need to do anything different.

High-lights of the gig are hands-down their cover of Beyoncé's Halo, which they managed to put their own spin on, the crowd sing-a-long during Slices Of Palama, a festive little number called Carol of The Belles (at this time of year you simply can’t go wrong with one of these) and a brilliant cover of Heretic Pride (originally by The Mountain Goats), hearing the new songs for the first time, And of course, it wouldn't quite be a Heathers gig if the always wonderful Remember When wasn't included in the set, even if it wasn't the encore as I had expected it to be.

Despite having bought their album way back when it was first released, this was only my first time seeing Ellie and Louise live but I can say without hesitation that it certainly won’t be my last. 2011 can only mean bigger and better things for the girls who never seem to stop working.

By: Lynne Swan