Photos by Zacc McGloughlin and Carrie Davenport

As I shuffle down the steps towards the basement of McHugh’s Bar, I’m struck by an energetic buzz. The small room is brought to life by the conversations of the crowd, which is modest in size, but mammoth in enthusiasm. I’m surrounded by teenagers in low-rise jeans, looking like extras from an episode from Sabrina The Teenage Witch (the Melissa Joan Hart version, obviously). The first support Lorcan Nelson has the tough job of harnessing their youthful excitement, taking to the stage armed with a series of charming acoustic tunes. His voice is reminiscent of Ryan McMullan, with an indie-folk edge. His opener ‘Mind the Fall’, is an earnest love song that fills the room with a sense of warmth. A newcomer to the music scene, Lorcan has no officially released tracks, but a few of the songs previewed tonight already seem radio-friendly. Whilst his on-stage persona is endearing, some bravado is needed to quell the rowdy crowd, as the chatter occasionally rises over some of his softer tunes. Nelson closes his set with ‘Call It A Favour’, showcasing his effortless falsetto and knack for a bouncy chorus. 

Up next is Susi Pagel, a pop artist and Scratch My Progress alum. Technical difficulties mean that she cannot perform her planned set, which involves electric guitar and backing track accompaniment. However, Susi and her bandmate/producer Jack McGarry manage to borrow Lorcan’s guitar, performing an impromptu acoustic set. Susi’s usual sound is dark, 2000’s inspired pop (think Melanie Martinez with syrupy guitar solos), so not everything translates when stripped down. However, the highlight of her set comes when she engages the crowd in a singalong rendition of Avril Lavigne’s ‘Complicated’, even if some of the audience members are too young to remember it being released in the first place.

As Charlie Hanlon and his band appear, the young crowd begins to gather around the designated stage area, an assemblage of amps and sound equipment on the floor of the basement venue. The whole set-up is fittingly DIY, as punk stalwart Terri Hooley watches over proceedings from his seat at the bar. The young singer-songwriter greets his audience and launches straight into ‘The End of Everything’, a well-rehearsed intro that seamlessly blends into ‘I Lost Myself’. The latter is a hypnotic, slacker anthem about alienation in the digital era, that has garnered support from ATL Introducing and cemented his status as a teenage contender. It’s clear that Charlie and co. take their craft seriously, as the entire band manage to balance their unbridled energy with a sense of professionalism. They have honed their live set, having played countless gigs this year including a support slot for legendary songstress Bronagh Gallagher in Whelan’s, Dublin. Performing with a live band gives Charlie’s songs an injection of energy, eagerly lapped up by his audience. His unreleased track ‘Dance Like Danny Devito’ prompts a mini mosh pit to erupt in the crowd. 

Later in the set, Charlie announces, “Every artist needs their own shitty love song. And this is mine,” as he launches into ‘Will You Stay Tonight’, a heartfelt anthem buoyed by big guitars and a catchy chorus. Charlie has been writing songs since his early teens, and the development in his sound can be clearly heard. He closes his main set with ‘Better Off Than On’, a mid-paced ballad that evokes The Walkmen and other darlings of the New York indie scene. The night comes to a close with ‘Kids Today’, a track that truly showcases his confidence. The audience throw themselves around, passing around a pair of Charlie’s signature heart-shaped sunglasses. And when they start to stream out of McHugh’s and into the Friday night lights of Cathedral Quarter, I can’t help but think that his set deserves to be heard in an even bigger room.