When listening to up and coming local bands such as Liffanway and the Magic Dragons its hard for critics such as ourselves to remain objective, however in the spirit of honest journalism we’ll try our hardest to appear unbiased.
We first met Liffanway and the Magic Dragons during their 2012 formation when they were a meandering selection of fragmented local talent. We have been part of their avid following for a month now (surely a badge of pride for any aspiring indie kid) . We’ve watched them grow from wailing alley cats to triumphant, titillating tigers. Stalking the local music scene closely, now’s their time to pounce!
Coming from a collection of other successful bands (ska’d 4 life , stand against reason) theres no doubt they know what there doing ; and it shows. Influences range from bands such as the artic monkeys, the fratellis and madness to their own teenage experiences (perhaps most evident in the hit single crumptons) leaving us with an assortment of eccentric teens doing what they love best. There’s clearly no doubt that their an indie band (with all the characteristic twang of the kooks) with a lot to say for themselves. By now it might seem we’re little more than gushing fan boys, and that’s because we are - and believe us, we hate the fact.
The range of their lyrics stretches from discussion of drunken teenage antics to childish nostalgia fuelled love for Disney. Perhaps our favourite is from the song Trust in Me (slip into a silent slumber/sail into the mist/slowly but surely your senses will cease to resist), whilst this is clearly lifted straight from the Jungle Book, it works incredibly in the context of the song, perhaps enhanced by the perfectly engineered and haunting reverb? Although we love how far they have come already, you get the sense they have not quite hit their stride yet, it will be interesting to see if over the next few releases they can push the boundaries of contemporary indie rock and truly go from filler to killer.
We have seen Liffanway and the Magic Dragons play 5 or 6 times now, at a variety of venues from festival fields (not quite mainstage, but close enough to the people that cared) to rooftops, living rooms and even the occasional beach hut. Each experience has been characterised by fun, laughs and a vibrant atmosphere; they seem to have this great ability to interact with their audience (breaking the fourth wall with style and finesse) making sure everyone has a great time. One thing we’re particularly excited about is the promise of upcoming merchandise, which will hopefully be on sale at the next few gigs.
In short we can’t state enough - We love Liffanway and the Magic Dragons! They are enthusiastic and talented enough to capture our imaginations (even though they have pulled this together in little over a month) even in spite of some outlandish and occasionally crude lyrics (which if anything make us love them even more!) We hope they get even more outlandish, even more crude for the next few gigs, we cant wait for them - and neither should you!
Even if Eddies scat singing sounds like this…. http://leekspin.com/
Words by Suspicious Shades and Captain Harrington
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