Tonight we are back once again at the hallowed ground that is The Limelight, Belfast. One of our most active live venues and the hub really in the city for the biggest variety of live acts who come through the city, here you’ll get everything from comedy to country and everything in between. But tonight it is the tune of two left-field artists in the form of nothing,nowwhere and Guccihighwaters.
Nothing,nowhere is one Joe Mulherin, an American singer, rapper and musician who recently released his highly acclaimed album ‘Trauma Factory’ in which Joe exorcised his demons to allow him to get back out on the road and more importantly back on stage to bring his music to the masses once again. But before we sample the crazy beautiful music that Joe puts out live we have Guccihighwaters.
GHW is a multi-million streaming singer/producer who fuses a variety of styles in his music from alternative to R&B & hip-hop to critical acclaim. Having dropped his major label debut with ‘heartbreak highway’ courtesy of Public Consumption via Elektra Music Group. The six-track collection was well received and gained plaudits far and wide strengthening his reputation on the scene. Tonight we have the pleasure of capturing his live experience to see how his tinge-tinted release translates to the live stage.
8pm sharp and GHW takes to the stage, just himself and the drummer to entertain a healthy audience here in Belfast this evening, as I make my way to the pit to get up close and personal there is a healthy splattering of beautiful ladies lined up Mobile phones in hand soaking up every word he spits out lyrically. His set flow and flies by in no time as each song engrosses the audience as they consume every word, singing back lyrics when given the opportunity to do so, which is great to see and a reminder of the beauty of the modern age and streaming that here tonight in Belfast a dedicated bunch of fans know the words to every song. It must feel great for an artist on the other side of the world behind held up aloft by fans who get your music, it’s a powerful thing to see never-mind being so invested as an artist would be. As he plays ‘Believe’ he asks for the Belfast crowd to hold up their phones aloft, lit up and Belfast obliges in unison. The crowd sways to his melancholic tracks and goes down a storm at The Limelight. It may be a Sunday night be everyone is here for a good time.
9pm comes around quickly and as Limp Bizkit plays on the PA the lights drop and I can see three figures on stage – the lights flicker and the guys start kicking in on their opening tune and from side stage nothing,nowhere arrives wearing a ski jacket up over his head and ready to a screaming Belfast crowd. In a blink of an eye, the band rages their way through the first three songs – the pit here at LL2 is nonexistent so I make do from side stage and from the crowd without pissing off too many punters! To be honest, they’re just here to party and they’re bouncing to the music and nothing is going to ruin this night, the energy is through the roof and the band are feeding off it with a hefty set of songs to keep the Belfast crowd on their toes. The dark emo-pop-punk vibe that rages from the stage has another level of angst than the normal cookie-cutter stuff you get every day, the hefty breakdowns that ensue remind us that this is an artist who sets his own standards. The crowd is digging it and the limelight is having an absolute rager, a gig that for many will have gone under the radar but I am delighted to see those in the know have came out to represent, it gives me faith the in this little corner of the world, on this tiny island that there are some cool kids after all!
A killer set from an artist that should be on your radar, he’s off across the pond once again for a few more dates so get those tickets y’all!
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