Dublin Opinion

Damn, no time now to talk about the great Final Fantasy gig last night. What made it good was seeing how Owen Pallett was able to create loops of music, making samples from a quick saw of the violin, recording it with the push of a pedal and then playing more loops (violin and synth) over the ones he’d created moments earlier until it sounded not like not one man fiddling away but an array of fine fiddlers jamming progressively towards some sort of crescendo, which then potently and abruptly stopped.

It was a fully seated Vicar Street and the audience was completely rapt and rapturous throughout. I muttered something at one point – probably to myself, cursing my own inadequacy in the face of such talent – and got dagger stares from several zealous punters with their squinting keep-it-down-over-there eyes.

Pallett in a sleeveless T-Shirt was charming throughout, although he didn’t need to make much effort to wow every one with his sparkling wit. If he read out his shopping list from the stage the whole audience would probably burst their holes laughing, saying ‘Oh Owen, you’re such a card’, while wiping a tear-soaked eye.