EP2017: Wednesday Gang rock and roll in from Slane

Wednesday Gang ★★★★
The Salty Dog Stage

“Anyone here from Slane?” asks the compere; half the crowd yell back in return. The Wednesday night house band from Boyle’s pub take things outside and on a Friday daytime too. It’s a genius idea – who better to warm up the newly arrived crowd than an act whose MO is to rustle up a raucous atmosphere.

The eight-strong troupe show their influences in the acts they cover: Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes, Mumford and Sons and The Fureys are all given the Wednesday Gang treatment, of ramshackle rock'n'roll that's actually finely tuned. The real benefit from weekly gigs is their cohesiveness: the pace, the harmonies and subtle changes are all honed above the level expected for their 3pm timeslot.

With a good gauge of their crowd – that leads to an almighty interplay for Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody – it's a rollicking gig that kicks the festival off to a promising start.