THERE comes a time in a music-lover’s life when you see something extraordinary on stage, and I think I may have witnessed this on Saturday night.
Irish rockers Kodaline have something remarkable about them – an aura, a vibe, a confidence that belied the small Oxford 02 stage they were playing, and instantly put me in mind of a Coldplay or Muse-style stadium band.
Their catchy, meaningful lyrics avoid the cheesiness of the classic pop song, but are just as listenable, and to all ages. Their guitar-rock sound seems to appeal to all, and the audience reflected this.
These guys have bags of talent: Kodaline’s album, In a Perfect World, was a number three chart-placing success, and propelled them to be one of the breakout bands of the year.
Frontman Steve Garrigan held the audience with his every whisper – the crowd were captivated from start to finish.
They ran through their one and only album for their show – and every fan in the building knew the words and sang along - with gusto.
We felt honoured to be there: this November tour was sold out, and they have now set dates for a March 2014 tour. And in three months, their debut track ‘All I Want’ approached almost 100,000 copies sold.
This band may only be starting, but watch out – they are destined for great things.
Kodaline have just released their 2014 dates, which includes shows in London, Manchester and Ireland.
See www.kodaline.com/home and www.ticketmaster.co.uk
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