It takes a certain kind of band to pack out Concorde 2 and keep punters bouncing for 90 minutes. The Strypes proved they have the rock ’n’ roll chops to go the distance on Wednesday.
The teenage Irish four-piece look like they’re barely out of school but sound like they’ve been playing together for decades. Bassist Pete O’Hanlon and drummer Evan Walsh provided a perfect platform for guitarist Josh McClorey to show off his effortless control of the guitar, acting and sounding every inch the star, while singer Ross Farrelly looked like a mini Bobby Gillespie with his shades and shaggy hair.
The band started with a dirty cover of John Kongos’ He’s Gonna Step On You Again. Opening with another artist’s song suggested they’re still finding top-notch tunes to go with their undoubted talent, but then came What A Shame, a short, sharp, top-notch shock to the system to show off their songwriting skills.
The band are undeniably a stunning proposition live, especially given their ages. They blitzed through the set and left time for a well-received encore. The Strypes need to do a little work in varying their set up, but with a few more killer tracks and some breathing space to go between the fren
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