Live Review: My Dynamite, Jesse Redwing Band, Rich Davies & Ayleen O’Hanlon

The upstairs room of Yah Yahs fills out slowly; some are here to catch the bands, others are here to dance with friends. Either way everyone is here to support live music.

Alt-folk duo Rich Davies & Ayleen O'Hanlon start the night off, accompanied by a violinist. They deliver Scottish storytelling and a banjo, violin and mandolin jig. At times the intricate picking and vocal harmonies seem a little shaky and the violinist lacks dynamic. They end their set stomping on the dancefloor as the small crowd applauds.

Blues-rock quartet Jesse Redwing Band claim the stage with an air of confidence and belt out classic blues-soaked sounds. Redwing's vocals are smooth and American-sounding; much like the Chicago grooves the band project — sounding like a mixture of The Black Keys and Gary Clarke Jr. They keep their performance contained with no banter between songs. This allows the music to speak for itself but also deprives the crowd of experiencing the band's personality. 

The room is filled with Saturday night party people as My Dynamite take the stage. The six-piece manage to comfortably fit onto the tiny stage, with lead singer Pat Carmody somehow finding room to dance. Their sound is blues-driven rock with upbeat swinging grooves that get the whole place dancing. Carmody's long hair flails about and he wears a psychedelic '60s shirt, channelling Robert Plant with his wailing vocals. The rhythm section is tight and the guitar solos are deep and smooth, calling to mind The Black Crowes. Guitarist Benny Wolf plays the pedal steel for a song and it gives off a country-blues vibe like a wedding band on drugs. Keys are switched for a tambourine and Carmody unleashes the harmonica. He asks those with drinks to lift them high into the air for Raise Your Glasses, punters cheer and some rush to the front of the dancefloor. Carmody declares it's been "12 months since our last gig and the cracks are showing". My Dynamite are possibly not as tight as usual, but we dance the night away regardless.