The current music scene, both sides of the border in the Emerald Isle, has never been in better health than it is currently. With bands like Fontaines DC and Murder Capital attaining large venue status in the UK and Europe, there is a groundswell of artists emerging to fill the gaps they leave behind. This years Rebellion sees the likes of Cherym (Derry) Problem Patterns (Belfast) and Nxb0dies (Dublin) performing and each of them a welcome addition. The are an injection of angry new blood to act as a transfusion for their ailing hosts. Punk may not be dead, but we are on statins with type 2 diabetes!! Each of those aforementioned acts will be subject to their own Countdown To Rebellion feature, but for now it’s the turn of probably the most incendiary and controversial to come out of Ireland since SLF wrote “Alternative Ulster”. A dhaoine uaisle, go bhféadfainn cur i láthair (Google it!)….Meryl Streek
Meryl Streek is merely holding up a mirror to Irish society, reflecting on the the nations blights in the shape of child abuse by Catholic priests, organised crime, corruption in politics, institutionalised whitewashing, alcoholism, mental health and suicide.
Live performances are a melting pot, or more accurately a blast furnace, mixing electronic beats, TV news soundbytes, punk rock guitar and spoken word vocals. The resultant beauty lies in the rawness of the visceral and heart-wrenching lyrics, presenting an often uncomfortable, but utterly compelling listening experience. The face behind Meryl Streek is no seasoned musician, even though he’s 33. The lyrics for the album were only written 2 days before the album 796 (Venn Records) was recorded and the recording session was only the 3rd time he’d ever picked up a mic. Method in the extreme, but it’s probably that approach which ensured that the resultant output combined to be one of the angriest records of 2022, if not this decade. The message is real and it needs to be heard.
Check out Meryl Streek’s Bandcamp for more music.
Don’t leave Rebellion without seeing Meryl Streek 23:00-23:30 – Sun 6th Aug – AFTER DARK in ARENA otherwise you’ll have to hear everyone who stayed going on about it for ages!!!
