Aslan’s gig at the INEC proved to be a real diverse affair. The crowd varied from the die-hard apostles, who followed the band from the early stages, to the new fans embarking on their Aslan pilgrimage. The set-list did well to reflect this diversity with an interesting fusion of songs both old and new. The one thing that remained constant on the night was Aslan’s mesmerising stage presence. Their passion fuelled performance and the band's triple encore kept the Acoustic Club rocking well into the small hours.
Dave Morrissey got the ball rolling with a collection of interesting tracks off his album ‘Bring Out The Light’. He made an honest effort engaging with the crowd and set the mood for the night ahead.
After his short set, Aslan took to the stage. The North Dublin rockers opened the show with ’Wait for our friends’, an upbeat track from their new album. The peculiar named album ‘Nudie Books And Frenchies’, released to coincide with Aslan’s 30 year anniversary, provided an abundance of tantalizing tracks which acted as the perfect filler in-between the band ‘classics’. The Acoustic Club accommodated for an intimate sit down affair which allowed the gig to develop a more personal atmosphere. Frontman, Christy Dignam, enthralled the crowd with captivating backstories of songs as he performed them.
Some of the more stand out tunes of the night included ‘Lucy Jones Part 1’, ‘Too Late For Hallelujah’, ‘We Did’ and of course the iconic ‘Crazy World’ which got the crowd off their feet and reverted the gig back to the conventional format. Aslan ended the gig on a high note with their first ever single ‘This Is’, a song once rejected by Bono and Mother Records and defiantly became one of Irelands longest played radio singles on 2FM.
After 30 years of gigging, Dignam and Co. decided to skip the formalities in regard to the ‘encore’. Rather than leave the stage for an undisclosed number of minutes, letting the crowd grow a bit restless and inevitably be called back to the chorus of ‘One More Tune!', Aslan opted to get on with things. The encore offered up an impressive triumvirate of songs. ‘Too Late For Hallelujah’ led the charge, getting its second play of the night. What followed was an interesting solo cover of Patsy Cline’s 'Crazy' as well as a crowd pleasing rendition of ‘Hey Jude’.
Overall, it was a fantastic gig. The small Acoustic Club provided an intimate setting which allowed for more engagement with the crowd. It was a passionate, heartfelt performance from the Dublin lads and a true testament to Irish rock. Aslan have been around the music scene for a long time, recorded some amazing songs and have worked harder than necessary to get to where they are today. With a new album and a renewed vigour it may not be much longer till they reach the levels of success they undoubtedly deserve.
