REVIEW – Hermitage Green at Malones

November 25, 2013 7:32 am

Pop folk Limerick band, Hermitage Green, played at Malones for the first time to a healthy crowd. An Irish band in a cosy, intimate bar – how very fitting, and exciting.

As a band, Hermitage Green are impressively versatile. Four of the five members are vocalists, while two play guitar and another plays bass guitar, the remaining two band members play percussion. However, they vary their choice of percussion by using Bodhran and Djembe drums on most tracks, while adding some banjo and mandolin to some of the songs. As vocalists, they are rewardingly pitch perfect; as musicians, they are wonderfully melodic with no complications whatsoever.

With their début album just out on Friday, they predictably performed a number of songs from it while slipping in a couple from their EP, The Gathering. The band also performed a cover of Florence and the Machine’s ‘Cosmic Love’. Considering Hermitage Green only have the one album released, it was surprising to see somany people – up to or maybe more than 100 people – attend their gig in a city where they might not be considered so well-known. It is amazing how word of mouth spreads the news about an extraordinary up-and-coming band so quickly.

However this didn’t stop the audience. The Edinburgh crowd slowly danced their way from the seats to fill the area in front of the stage. With people performing the waltz in the middle of the venue, it created a joyous atmosphere which had to be admired. There was some overpowering chit-chat from the audience which had to be shushed by the band. It wasn’t just the chatting that was loud, though; it was how well-received the band were during and after their songs. The band were clearly welcomed warmly to the city of Edinburgh.

Hermitage Green have been compared to Mumford & Sons by many critics and fans, and even I can see the resemblance. Musically, there are similarities but in terms of appearance, it is a whole lot different. It’s easy to go as far as saying that Hermitage Green have the edge over Mumford & Sons – their music being more simple and confined.

It is by no surprise that the band are already conquering abroad. With a substantial following in their native Ireland, people are quickly noticing the talents of the band on the worldwide stage. They have already performed in the US and Australia, and have moved on to conquer the UK next.

Do we have another Irish export after Kodaline’s recent efforts? I’d put a bet on it.