Live at the Marquee: Bell X1

IT could be said Bell X1 live are like Velcro. In that you just want to storm the stage and stick yourself quite forcefully to leadman Paul Noonan.

He took to the stage in the not-quite sold out Marquee in Cork last night at bang on 9.30, bowed courteously to the crowd and kicked off an overall compelling performance with Hey Anna Lena.

They kept fans happy with some brilliant showmanship and perfect execution of their happy, snazzy distinctive, indie pop, belting out the best of the band’s back catalogue like The Great Defector, Bad Skin Day and My First Born For A Song, with some tracks from the new album Bloodless Coup thrown in for good measure.

The band takes its name from the first supersonic aircraft in history. That aircraft broke the sound barrier, but it wasn’t until Rocky Took a Lover that Bell X1 really took off at the Marquee last night. The song’s arrival was when the audience of mostly 30-somethings really got behind them and the magic happened.

The best of their new stuff had to be the bouncy, catchy, aforementioned Velcro along with an incredible performance of Tongue that left the crowd panting for more.

From their bittersweet ballads to their anthemic crowd-pleasers, Noonan and co co-mingled the electronic with the rock with the pop to perfection.

With knowingly clever, instantly recognisable lyrics like “Your flesh it melts in my mouth, Like Holy Communion, But you don’t really care for Jesus now do you?” and “I’m not over you, can I get back under,” Bell X1 had the crowd eating out of their outstretched hand.

In July 2007, they played a sell-out show at this very same venue with lead vocalist Paul Noonan two years later describing it as, “Without doubt one of the best gigs of our entire Flock tour.”

They sold out for their 2009 Marquee adventure too and although the two side tiers were obviously empty this year, it didn’t take from the show and third time’s still a charm for this year’s gig.

With able support by Belfast’s Cashier No 9 and Ireland’s answer to Bon Iver, James Vincent McMorrow, it really was an aural treat.

Rating: 4/5

Photo: Miki Barlok