SOMA Presents: Happyalone @ Cyprus Avenue, Cork, Ireland 06/07/2018

One of Dublin’s biggest indie nights, SOMA made it’s debut in Cork on Friday night, with help from The Slut Club and Happyalone.

SOMA brought in two of Cork’s most promising artists to kick off it’s debut in style. Our first encounter with both The Slut Club and Happyalone left a strong impression earlier in the year. So with it being the last Friday of the month, who needs World Cup fever when you could be swept away by two quality acts instead?

The Slut Club are a band packed with a free-flowing and shoegaze sound. While the sun may have set outside, upstairs in Cyprus Avenue, their sound was a ray of light that brightened up the dimly lit venue.

Keiran Hurley’s voice cuts through you, singing with upbeat themes and gorgeous melodies. Their psychedelic vibe is infectious, one minute they’ll have you swaying side to side, the next you’re left breathless when they switch things up and go heavy.

Music with mood swings like Kurt Cobain, you’ll either be soaking up the luscious sounds when they charm you with the catchy ‘Honey Tripping’ or blow you away ruthlessly with the emphatic ‘Sexy Henry Love’.

The Slut Club are charismatic and will have your attention from the strike of the first chord, right to the last. If you don’t believe us, then go catch them in Fred Zepplin’s this Friday (July 13th), along with Messying, Pretty Happy and Glassy Overture.

A band that’s turning heads up and down the country, Happyalone are on a constant rise. The trio were spellbinding on the Cyprus Avenue stage. They’re ability to hypnotise the crowd with their combination of sharp hooks and electronica is a work of art, up there with the likes of Massive Attack.

Frontman Baxter Robot, has a smooth voice that becomes entrancing with each layer of reverb added to it. With his inability to contain himself to one spot for more than a few seconds, Baxter’s showmanship had the crowd hooked.

The set was a journey, with bewitching melodies on songs like ‘UR Eyes’ and latest single ‘bodybags’, the performance was submerging, especially the way ‘bodybags’ implodes with it’s intense conclusion.

The on stage chemistry between the band oozed into the crowd, with smiles all around, you could see this is a band that are loving what they do.

SOMA’s debut in Cork was one to remember, showcasing local talent and closing out with their own DJ’s late into the night. Check out more pictures from the night in our gallery below.

All photos of Happyalone taken by Fionn Murphy Photography.