Live

Bearsuit

Lee Puddefoot 11/09/2007

Making their way through the crowd in very fetching white Astronaut 'Space Suits', six figures take the stage squashing themselves in amongst limbs, equipment and wires as they head straight into the sugar-rush epidemic of “Jupiter Force”. Sounding like Star Trek meets a dysfunctional Brady Bunch, the song leaps in all directions like a rouge bouncing ball. The front of the stage becomes pandemonium, trumpets parp like musical bottom burps, the keyboard melodies gleefully twinkle toe around the rhythm section as the three female vocals screech and sing between them.

Their playful approach to live shows is as infectious as the common cold and just as deadly. Resist the urge to have a wide smile at your peril. An ode to “naked girls fighting with their tits out” leads into new song “Foxy Boxer”. Front woman Lisa Horton takes your main focus with her constant beaming smile and contagious dancing.

Promoting their new album Oh:Io (Fantastic Plastic) they pop out little fuzzy love nuggets and throw them around the room like musical confetti. One accidentally landed on my tongue. It tasted very nice indeed.

It's soon apparent that they get their lyrical inspiration from the world's oldest pastime, “wanking”. As “Hey Charlie, Hey Chuck” is introduced, singer/keyboardist/guitarist Iain Ross gives the band a heads up (no pun intended) on the lyrics. With a wave of giggles riding bareback around the room, the tambourine is out and they harmonise and terrorise their way through the song. Resembling Modern Life Is Rubbish-era Blur, it escapes and runs around the room and before you know it it's whipped into a frenzy of distorted riffs and manic keyboard arrangements.

With the pitter patter of tiny banter bouncing back and forth from the stage they make the Dublin Castle feel like a big family home. They flit seamlessly between new and old songs - “Love Will Never Find You” is another track inspired by self-love and sits well next to older tracks like “The Gazumper” and “Chargr”. The night then produces a space epic, a brief mosh pit moment involving the soundman and Lisa Horton and, well, just lots of good old fashioned fun. There are few bands around like Bearsuit: original, entertaining and most of all ridiculously fun.