Things are looking up. W&H and other discerning organs have been getting behind Cork's finest STANLEY SUPER 800 for a good while now and it looks as though it's finally paying dividends, as their first bout of gigging in 2008 co-incides with news of their 2007 album 'Louder & Clearer' being shortlisted for the Choice Music Prize, the Irish equivalent of the prestigious Mercury Music award.
So, buzzing from this and the fact leader Stan O'Sullivan recently became a Dad for the first time, SS800 are back on the boards and with the wind to their backs as they hit West Cork for the first time this year. These aren't the only changes, either, for regular bassist Flor is still away travelling around the world (his bro' Paddy does a sterling job deputising) and - joy upon joy - De Barra's have re-arranged the seats so the usual inebriated Hen and Stag go-ers are now forced to go round the back instead of slobbering all over the fans down the front. Hooray. Like I said, things are looking up.
Not that any De Barra's evening is entirely free of chaos. Tonight, there's one lairy bunch of lads waiting to give it loads while the band are soundchecking, though come 10.30 and the real start of the set there's a sizeable crowd here to be wowed and Stan, Tosh, Dave and Paddy are just the men for the job. Indeed, such is the confidence Stanley Super 800 exude these days, the first set comes on almost like a pocket 'greatest hits' with a celebratory 'Summer In The City' opening up and storming versions of 'For Today' and anthemic suicide epic 'It's All Over Now' blasting through gleefully in its' slipstream. There are quality instrumentals, too, with Stan and Tosh giving it their best Death In Vegas on 'Stars Come Out' while Paddy and Dave drive the rhythm dangerously near to the edge.
A brief beer break and they're back. Things open well with a crunching version of fantastic recent single 'Gatecrashing', though disaster threatens to strike at the close of a thumping 'Hello' when Dave's bass drum pedal gives up the ghost. It's a credit to the band's professionalism these days that they don't freak out and instead improvise magnificently with a great version of trance-pop favourite 'Voices In The Music' while Dave busies himself with the pliers. A firm favourite for some time now, 'Voices...' is these days establishing itself as perhaps THE Stanley live tune of note and tonight strikingly unites what could otherwise be a disparate crowd.
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With Dave ready to rock once more, they then pull it all together for an ecstatic 'Southwind' (a brilliant collision of Trad, trance and Joy Division's 'Incubation' if ever there was) and a fine home strait featuring the cheesy disco of their Daft Punk cover and the new 'Rock'n'Roll (You've Heard It Before)' - working title - which, despite its' deliberate pastiche-y elements is already queueing up to be a future anthem-in-waiting. A vicious-sounding 'Rolled Up In Gold' is already making like a killer finale when the unthinkable happens and a cat fight breaks out two tables away from W&H. Whether one girl looked threateningly at the other's pint we'll probably never know as security dive in before it escalates. It's a shame as it interrupts one of the best versions of 'Rolled Up In Gold' this writer has heard, but no blood is spilt and ultimately that's more important.
So yet another memorably quirky De Barra's evening, yet another cracking performance from Stanley Super 800 and no complaints whatsoever. We take our leave safe in the knowledge the lads will surely pull out all the stops come February 27th and their Vicar Street appearance. Finally a word to the Choice Music Prize judges: never mind Cathy Davey or The Delorentos. 'Louder & Clearer"s the one. You know it makes sense.
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