Sweet Neptune album launch with dearest & rowdy

Sweet Neptune are a band I have been following loosely for around a year now, and it had been on my radar for some time to get to one of their gigs, so when I heard they were having an album launch party in Ulster Sports Club with Rowdy and Dearest on support, I was very keen to go. Organised by BluePoolPR, Lewis and I arrived at Ulster Sports Club, only to realise we had clearly missed the memo about fancy dress. A photographer dressed as Spider-Man, Count Rockula and a man in his dressing gown were just some of the fantastic costumes on display.

First up was Rowdy, a band I must admit I hadn’t heard of before. Reminding me of somewhere in between Mac Demarco and FIFA 16, they incorporated rhythm changes and guitar tones that they let ring out throughout their set. They had a very consistent sound all the way through, something which really defined them as an outfit. Perhaps a little more diversity in their sound would have spiced up their set some more; however, I completely understand the reasons why any band is keen to find their sound and stick to it. A favourite of mine was their most recent single, 'Rollin'. Transporting me back to a time when I’d get home from school and figure out a way to convince my mum my homework could wait until after dinner so I could load up the Xbox 360 and play some FIFA with my friends, this was a very nice memory to have unlocked whilst stood in Ulster Sports Club.

Credit: Colm Laverty

Next up was Dearest. Having heard Dearest over a year ago in the Singing Thistle in Coleraine, I was eager to see how Dearest had improved and developed as a band. Whilst they played some songs I did recognise from the gig in Coleraine, they had added some new tunes to the set list, showing their development over the course of the last year. I also thought their crowd engagement and overall confidence as a band had improved a lot, as they seemed like they were having more fun playing their music and joking with the crowd throughout. Putting some nice slide guitar to use and even a harmonica at one stage, they struck me as an indie band with some clear influence from the country genre, reminding me of some songs from Oliver Tree’s album, ‘Cowboy Tears’. Perhaps one thing the outfit could work on would be their organisation on stage, as there were certain parts of their performance that maybe seemed a little off the cuff or last minute; however, this didn’t impact their performance too much, and it could be me just being a little picky. Unfortunately, a string did break on one of the guitars, through no fault of the band, but thankfully Rowdy saved the set by lending one of their guitars so the show could go on

Sweet Neptune is not for the faint-hearted or those who don’t like pirates, but if you do yearn for the sea, then you will be in for an excellent show. Dressed up in sea-themed costumes, the band looked brilliant. But of course, it would not be enough to just dress up as pirates and sailors, as their entire interaction with the audience felt like I was listening to an unreleased bloopers section of Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean. The band that had everyone laughing, singing along and keeping the energy high for their whole set. Obviously, a special gig for the fellas, as they have just recently released their first full album titled “Tridents, Pints & Fegs & Horses”, which is definitely worth a listen, they played all the fan favourites, such as ‘Tea Candle’, ‘Falling Down the Stairs’ and my favourite of the night, ‘Pints of G (and the Late Night Chippy)’. Even though Ben, their lead singer, started telling us all about Sudan’s with handbrakes, resulting in the rest of the lads shouting at him to shut up, the band weren’t only a bunch of laughs, as behind the fun they showcased some great musical ability. Nearly each member of the band sang at one point, with Sam Holt their drummer singing ‘Nightmare in New York’ all whilst drumming. Their woodwind player Jack McNally was also fantastic in his ability to switch between different-pitched saxophones. As a guitar and bass player myself, I was also very impressed with Joel Fleming and Dean Gordon on each instrument, respectively. The band have found a fantastic sweet spot of turning their musical talent into loads of fun for the audience, all whilst not taking themselves too seriously and just enjoying each moment on stage together, something I loved seeing. 

A big thank you to Sam at BluePoolPR for having Lewis and I down to the gig and letting us enjoy some great music. If any of this tickles your fancy, be sure to get down to hear any of the bands mentioned at their next respective gigs, or get down to BluePool in collaboration with Problem Promotion’s next lineup with Lord Jane headlining, joined by Alfie Norma and Tarot. Until the next time!