Ham SandwicH

“Carry the Meek” tour (support by Queen Kong & The Kinetics) 13th March 2008 Cyprus Avenue, Cork Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the 1980s. The gig opened with Siouxsie…sorry, Queen Kong, who were followed by The Kinetics (Echo & The Bunnymen, The Teardrop Explodes, The Jesus and Mary Chain – take your pick), all of which led up to the headliners, Ham SandwicH, a band which is the love child of The Sisters of Mercy and Belle and Sebastian. Ham SandwicH are the Meteor Hope for 2008, an award for which the nominees are chosen by record companies and RTÉ 2FM and the winners voted for by 2FM listeners. So, essentially, it appears to be an award which focuses on the commercial saleability of an act, with the more vested interests (e.g. record companies and a predominantly chart-based music station) heavily involved in the choice of who can get the award. (Incidentally, The Kinetics were also nominees.) To quote their own blurb on the 2FM website, “their unique sound is built around the dovetail vocals of Niamh & Podge flying against a cloudy sky with catchy yet intricate guitars”. Yes, well, OK then. Cloudy is definitely a word I would have chosen. I am sorry to say that the “dovetail vocals” were for the most part lost in the melange of sound coming off the stage. Unless the pitch was in their upper registers and literally thrown over and above the drums and guitars and bass, the words & vocal blending were fairly indecipherable. Which is a huge pity as, listening to their recordings later, their harmonies are intricate, Ms Farrell’s voice rich, strong, expressive and sometimes fearless, and perfectly matched by Mr McNamee singing in a register which starts somewhere in the region of his boots, most of which detail was lost in the live performance. And speaking of performance, having a chat and a laugh with your buddy on stage as you sing the climax of a sorrowful love song (e.g. when Ms Farrell is breathing the ultimate break-up lines in “Sad Songs”) does not actually enhance the telling of the story. Just a thought. If I am sounding rather critical, well, I suppose I am. Yes, this is a visually impressive band – they’ve got the moves, the quirky clothes sense, the excellent hair – and technically they are tight and good at what they do. But, musically-speaking, I just do not feel that they are pushing back any boundaries here. To me this is well-produced, safe rock music with a slightly risqué edge (a female lead singer) and it is a product which will appeal to the masses. Hence the award. I can see them playing stadia. (Certainly, I felt that the venue in which I saw them play was too small for them and that they would come across better on a larger stage.) Frankly, as a result of this, and barring unforeseen circumstances, I fully expect to see them going strong in years to come. Niamh Farrell – Vocals Podge McNamee – Vocals/Guitar/Piano Johnny – Bass Guitar Darcy – Guitar/Piano Ollie Murphy - Drums