Currently without a home since the demise of the Richter Collective label in 2012 BATS are out to impress on their first Dublin date in a long time and right away, it’s straight-in-no-kissing with a fiery “Shadow-Fucking.”
Much heavier live than on record songs like “Wolfwrangler” and “Heat Death” stand up and bristle with muscle, the staccato-attack opening to the latter being particularly efficient. The echo on front-bat Rupert Morris’ vocals fills out the sound nicely and is used to great effect throughout, while that familiar BATS approach of slicing drums and stabbing-jabbing guitars gives the crowd plenty of opportunities to move. The push and pull, over and back during a surprise airing of “These Ones Lay Eggs” gets the sweating audience dancing, while chant-along moments come at the tail end of “The Sleep Of Reason Brings Forth Monsters” and fan favourite “BATS Spelled Backwards Is Stab.” Tonight’s set-list is testament to just have much BATS have evolved and progressed. Easily the best show by these winged creatures that this mammal has witnessed.
In support was Croupier, definitely ones to watch these energetic, post-rock with vocals, influenced guys enjoy infusing things with that tropical sound so favoured by many Irish bands at the moment. Also playing was Jogging, whose technical faults do mar what is a strong set from the post-hardcore outfit, although the Botch/At the Drive-In influenced noise-mongers do quickly get back into the swing of things..