Nomads, Paradise Conspiracy & Charcoal Greys Light Up Culture Night – Review
By Three Tipperary bands, one big night of live music in the heart of Thurles
Culture Night, presented by The Source Arts Centre, took over Thurles’ Market Square last night, bringing together two of Tipperary’s most exciting emerging bands, The Charcoal Greys and Paradise Conspiracy. The Charcoal Greys are a band firmly on the cusp of bigger things, while the young guns of Paradise Conspiracy arrive fresh from a memorable performance at this year’s Eclectic Picnic.
It’s not the first time these two bands have shared a stage. Back in February, they played to a sold-out crowd at The Source Arts Centre, making their return pairing for Culture Night feel like a natural one. With both bands carving out their own place in Tipperary’s growing music scene, there was plenty of anticipation around seeing them together again.
First up, though, were a band I hadn’t even realised were playing: Nomads. They quickly made their presence felt with a set packed with slick tunes and plenty of promise. Sometimes the best discoveries are the ones you never saw coming, and The Nomads are definitely ones to keep an eye on.
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With the crowd beginning to swell, it was clear Paradise Conspiracy’s arrival was drawing people in. Like me, plenty seemed to have assumed things weren’t kicking off until 8pm, which suddenly explained the rush of bodies and the noticeable change in pace around the square.
Paradise Conspiracy never disappoint. They instantly brought the place to life with a full-on assault of energy, ripping through a set that mixed their own material with a few covers — the Fontaines D.C. number going down particularly well. The guys were relentless from the off, with Conner even finding time to head down into the crowd and play among them. Time may have prevented a full set, but the crowd didn’t seem to care — they were loving every minute of it.
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With the energy in the place now at a high, The Charcoal Greys took to the stage to a huge wall of noise, quickly kicking off their set with ‘Loyalty’ and their latest release, ‘Blisters’. The latter had the crowd singing along to Emily O’Keeffe’s powerful vocals, her distinctive raspy edge at times drawing comparisons to the late, great Dolores O’Riordan.
‘Pandora’s Box’, ‘Complications’, ‘Morbid Curiosity’, ‘Deny Ur Alibi’ — the tracks just kept coming, each one holding its own and showing exactly why The Charcoal Greys are a band are on everyone’s lips. There’s a real confidence running through this group, not just in the songs but in the way they carry themselves, even finding time to step into the crowd for a bit of banter along the way.
Closing the set with fan favourite ‘Muddy Shoes’, The Charcoal Greys had the crowd right where they wanted them, much to everyone’s delight. It was a fitting finale to a night that showcased exactly what Tipperary’s emerging music scene has to offer.
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Once again, Culture Night proved a huge success, bringing people together to enjoy an impressive showcase of local talent. Nights like this are a reminder that there’s no shortage of great music coming out of Tipperary — and plenty of reasons to keep listening. A big thank you to everyone involved in creating and supporting events like this and giving local artists the stage they deserve.
Check out Charcoal Greys Source Arts Centre Live Review