Live Review | Evening Herald

The Bottom Line On The 4 Of Us (Vicar Street Preview)
Are there still four of them then?

Indeed there are. Original members Brendan and Declan are still very much at the heart of things, as can be heard on their fine new album Fingerprints.

They’ve been round a while, haven’t they?

Since 1989. It took a while for Songs For The Tempted to pick up momentum but once it did they were away, even if they recall their Dublin debut in Sides with something approaching horror.

What happened?

It was about their fifth ever gig; the audience was comprised of media and other bands. Things went pear-shaped.

It obviously didn’t do them any permanent harm?

No. Within a year they were playing sold-out shows at the SFX and had screaming girls beating on the sides of their van.

Surely they still don’t get screaming girls at their gigs?

Er, no. However, there’s still a very strong female presence in the crowd who go misty-eyed when Brendan hits great songs like She Hits Me, Sunlight, Change and a rather popular ditty called Mary.

And how does the new stuff stand up?

At the show I saw in Limerick a couple of weeks ago you could have heard a pin drop during Blue from the new album, a gorgeous and moving song which recalled The Blue Nile or the latter-day Trash Can Sinatras at their very best.