Emma Buckley

On the night of October 15 at The Speakeasy, something very strange happened. Musicians dropped by early with their equipment in tow. Instruments were tuned and plugged into sound systems with massive speakers. At eight o’clock in the evening, people packed into the upstairs dancefloor, and stood side by side, drinking, chatting, dancing, ordering at the bar, and giving all their energy to a line-up of four excellent local bands.

Until recently, gigs in Northern Ireland had been limited to seating-only, alongside restricted capacities and curfews, to comply with the Covid-19 lockdown regulations. Now that restrictions have been eased, students are flocking back to music venues with renewed excitement.

First in the line-up is a band named Colour Arcadia, an alternative five-piece band from Belfast who describe their vibe as “haunting grunge” – a vibe that they certainly deliver on, with their groovy 90s-inspired guitar riffs and gorgeous, spooky vocals. Lead vocalist Kiera Wins is described very appropriately by the band as having the “face of an angel, voice of a demon-slayer” as she nails a chilling cover of ‘Zombie’ by The Cranberries, a song that blends in perfectly with the band’s stand-out singles like ‘Séance’ and ‘Spring Teething’.

Reflecting on the incredible turn-out at the gig, Colour Arcadia said they “couldn’t believe the incredible response we’ve had” throughout these first few shows since the pandemic began, a response which has come in the form of sold-out shows and excited crowds. The band believe that “you can’t beat the buzz and atmosphere of a rock gig” which, after seeing feeling the energy of their set first-hand, is a statement that’s hard to disagree with.

Performing again has been “almost TOO fun" says Colour Arcadia. (Aaron Farry)

Despite facing gig cancellations and missed opportunities due to a series of national lockdowns, Colour Arcadia were determined to come back with a vengeance, having used the situation to their advantage by ‘bubbling’ together, getting their heads down and writing new songs. The band said that being involved with NI Unplugged, (a collaborative acoustic album featuring over fifty local musicians), allowed them to keep busy and stay inspired.

This inspiration has certainly paid off, as the atmosphere in The Speakeasy is electric by the time the band finish their final song. The band describe the return of gigs perfectly when they say that it’s been “almost TOO fun” to be back on stage doing what they do best.

Building the excitement even further are four-piece rock band Romeo Indigo Romeo, and five-piece, indie-alternative band Casual Riots (formerly known as Vale). Both bands perform with such energy and confidence that it’s hard to imagine how they haven’t been on-stage in a year and a half.

By the time Reasy Ajarro start setting up, the crowd is frantic, eager, and surprisingly huge in number. The band themselves say that they can’t believe how many people have shown up to support them – although the idea of not showing up to hype these excellent local rock bands seems unthinkable to many in the crowd, who have watched their friends and fellow musicians move heaven and earth to keep the creativity going throughout venue closures and social distancing measures.

When Reasy Ajarro begin their set, it feels like fireworks going off. The three-piece rock band look beyond thrilled to be back at it again, supported by a wave of friends and supporters all jumping together to a set full of larger-than-life tunes primed for head-banging.

Lead singer Martin Harris delivers Grade-A rock vocals with both precision and explosive energy. It is a joy to see a crowd of adoring friends and fans screaming along to the lyrics – and, at times, just screaming for the hell of it, trying to match the sheer intensity of David Dalzell’s masterful drumming and the dynamic energy of Iwan Hynds expertly jamming out on bass.

Iwan Hynds put it perfectly when he said, “I would ask you to mosh-pit to this song, but I genuinely don’t think there’s enough room, there’s so many of you!” (Aaron Farry)

When asked about how the lockdown impacted their creativity, the band said that the experience of staying at home helped their creative process, with Martin writing around fifteen songs during the first lockdown alone, leaving the band with plenty of material to get working on once they were able to hit the studio again. With this level of creativity and drive, and even in the midst of what, for many, has been an incredibly stifling and uninspiring experience, Reasy Ajarro seem unstoppable.

Overall, the night is a huge success, as this is the band’s first time performing together as Reasy Ajarro, having been previously known as Surf Green and reforming just before the first lockdown. It’s hard to imagine that a band with only four songs could gather such a crowd, but it’s all down to two things: the sheer chemistry between the band, who seem to love every second of performing on-stage together, and the powerful musicianship from all three of the members that raises the bar for Northern Irish musicians higher than it has ever been.

You can listen to Reasy Ajarro’s first EP ‘Stop and Stare’ here and check out their music video for new single ‘Space and Time’ here.

Belfast musicians celebrate the return of live gigs: Reasy Ajarro and guests at The Speakeasy