Another Friday-night, and another opportunity to attend a live Synth Pop event here in Dublin after the previous week’s Eden and Hayfield gig in Whelan’s, doing so on what was also a bitterly cold night, and one where Goldfrapp where also performing a sell-out show no-more than a hundred yards down the road at the Olympia Theatre, the first of their two-nights at the venue itself, while this gig was also to be the first occasion that I would get the opportunity to see Dubpeche Mode live, and doing so with also my first-visit to the venue - The Mercantile, itself a nice restaurant-by-day, bar-by-night type of venue with a compact feel to it, while the gig itself was also to feature two support-bands in Alibitrax and Thrillcapsule, while being advertised within the Dublin evening newspaper, the Evening Herald the previous day. But, unfortunately, this was another gig where the doors opened late, doing so by the best-part of half-an-hour, which may seem somewhat trivial, but, it was cold enough on the night itself without the addition of the doors opening late, while I also felt that their should have been a poster advertising the gig itself on the front-door, and within the front window of the venue itself, as their where nothing their to indicate that Dubpeche Mode where actually playing that night.



ALIBITRAX ... where the first of the two support-acts to take to the stage, and where to me, a completely unknown Electronic duo that included Dubpeche Mode members Bill Whelan on keyboards, with an additional keyboardist and vocalist in Alan Kelly, doing so at rough fully 9.15 for what was a short twenty-five minute set with a brand of Electronic Music that somewhat combined club-friendly and Industrial-like rhythms with a Depeche Mode sound, while for me, the vocals where difficult to hear, and with the exception of one particular track where near impossible to also understand, I doubt that this was intentional, but instead more a result of a poor sound system, but, it didn’t exactly make it a comfortable experience in listening to the band itself, while despite showing some degree of promise and potential, I also felt that the unknown tracks in-question did unfortunately sound to similar and where at the best-of-times near impossible to tell apart, not exactly the best introduction to a new-band, but, I would have preferred to have heard something from the band itself before seeing them live.



THRILLCAPSULE ... where to be the second support-act, and, at that, an act centred around the Dundalk-based soloist Kieran Quigley, also known as a member of the Electro-Goth duo The Revolutionary Commandos Of The Third Secret Of Fatima, while arriving on-stage at 9.45 for what was another twenty-five set, but, for me, one that turned out to be somewhat musically better, and with the sound to match, while what few vocals their where during each track where either spoken, or somewhat shouted, not that I could make out what the majority of the words themselves where, while musically, this was dark up-tempo Electro over repetitive thumping Industrial rhythms with some occasional acoustic percussion, while, once again like Alibitrax, this set of unknown tracks unfortunately sounded all to similar, as for me each track seem to fade into the next, therefore leaving little of note, and, not an act that appealed to me.



DUBPECHE MODE ... came on-stage at 10.30, opening with World In My Eyes, and despite the confinements of a small, and tight stage, front man Alan Kelly gave a good account of Dave Gahan on all fronts as the band itself led into an interesting and varied set-list with Wrong, while then stepping back to Get The Balance Right, which was great to hear, before following it with Walking In My Shoes, It’s No Good and Halo - always good to hear an album-track, while then leading into one of Depeche Mode’s better singles in recent years with Precious, and onto the likes of A Question Of Time, Fly On The Windscreen, Strangelove and Stripped, leading then into the crowd favourite Everything Counts, the somewhat overlooked Policy Of Truth and my own favourite Depeche Mode single in New Life, another track that was great to hear, but, unfortunately it ironically led into one of my least favourite singles in I Feel You, which in itself was perfectly followed by further crowd favourites in Personal Jesus and Never Let Me Down Again which led into Behind The Wheel before stepping back to Just Can’t Get Enough, all do, for me, I felt that the lead-synth on this sounded somewhat thin and weak, which was disappointing, while their set itself was finished around 12.15 with Enjoy The Silence, all do, by now, I had left to pick-up a lift home that I had arranged, while, despite the excellent attendance of 181 I felt that the atmosphere was somewhat flat and empty, despite the best efforts of the Dubpeche Mode front-man Alan Kelly, and without being intentionally critical of those present on the night itself, for me, their where just far too-many here who simply treated it as if it was just another Friday-night in the pub, irrespective of who was playing, which was disappointing to see.

The gig was due to be followed by a two-hour DJ set by Pollack from D’electro M’ovement, not that I knew that this was on until I spoke with Pollack himself on the night, while the set itself was seemly due to be split 50-50 between Depeche Mode and a general Electronic selection, all do, and despite the kind offer from Pollack himself to give me a lift home if I remained for the set itself, I declined his offer on the grounds of having already seen three bands live for the first-time complete with unfortunately a questionable sound system, and instead decided to return home. But, since posting this review, I’ve been informed that the DJ set didn’t take place, all do, the reason why hasn’t been disclosed.