Quiet Arch's 4th Birthday Party: And Many More To Come

Addison Paterson

o celebrate four years spent nurturing the finest of Northern Irish artistry, Quiet Arch packed up the family and took to Elmwood Hall for what would prove to be the most moving, exciting night of local music in recent memory. 

Hosting the evening, Quiet Arch's latest addition and Dublin-based poet Stephen James Smith mixed his own spoken word with from-the-heart stories peppered in between acts; thoughts aired there and then as if the room were old friends. From deeply considered reflections on changing relationships with parents to witty banter and christmas poems, Smith erased the line between pain and laughter, fostering a warmth and understanding that washed over the whole night.

The first of four acts, Beauty Sleep kicked off the celebrations with effervescent pop energy. Their characteristic synthy, dream-pop hooks creating a stand-out stage presence for each member of the three-piece, all dressed head to toe in beaming red for the occasion. Every song an earworm straight from an indie disco, the band earned their place on any stage with the fun the breathed into Elmwood. 

Armed with a harmonica and string accompaniment, Malojian took over next, the room simmering in the move from dream-pop to soulful musings. Part-Dylan, part-Elliott Smith in his lyrical wistfulness, the man at the centre of Malojian, Stevie Scullion, spoke with humour and sung of heartache. Captivating the room with the bittersweet "Julie-Anne", he reminisced about waking up in jail after a Belfast night out and penning the track to get himself through. 

A short break for Ryan Vail's set up saw Elmwood transformed into, in the words of his label-mate Stephen, "an incredible spectacle." Smoke machines, lasers and strobe lights built an atmosphere scarcely found among a seated crowd. A composer as much as a performer, his contemplative, whisper-soft vocals carried over the ambient, electronic production and accompanying Arco Quartet. Really something to be seen and heard, there's no question of Ryan's place in keeping the Northern Irish dance scene at its peak. 

One of the most cherished names in local music, Joshua Burnside and his band had the room in their palms. Exuberant and tragic, he commanded a stillness as we shared a collective experience of Irish songwriting at its finest. Ending the night on a note of sheer awe, Burnside lead a palpable shift from tense understanding to heart-wrenching nostalgia as he played 'Red And White Blues', a song about overcoming community division, into Fairytale of New York. "“I think the biggest compliment I can give to an artist is that I say I believe them. And I believe Josh," remarked Stephen to mass agreement, the audience completely taken. 

I had difficulty keeping up with the number of standing ovations throughout the evening, all as well deserved as the last. The room was left with a final kind and wise word from Stephen. Create and encourage others to create, he says. Chance your arm. Be it in poetry or music, create a community. The evening itself seemed to be no better an example of this - a reflection of true care for what they do, Quiet Arch brought together dream-pop, spoken word, electronic, and folk, and made a family out of it. What a beautiful thing to experience.

Thank you, Quiet Arch. Happy 4th Birthday, and here's to many more!

Find out more about Quiet Arch and their artists here. Beauty Sleep, Malojian, Ryan Vail, and Joshua Burnside are all set to release albums in 2019.