‘A beguiling achievement that should finally send awards in Bell X1’s
direction.’ ***** The Sunday Times
‘A world class Irish band at the top of their game.’ ****& ½ Hot Press
‘In short, a triumph.’ **** The Independent
Following the release of their latest album Bloodless Coup in April and a sell-outEuropean &US tour, Bell X1 will end a great year with four live shows in the UK. The dates kick off at London’s Bush Hall on Monday, 5 December and end at Glasgow’s King Tuts on Thursday 8 December.
Mon 05 Dec London Bush Hall
Tue 06 Dec Manchester Deaf Institute
Wed 07 Dec Edinburgh Electric Circus
Thurs 08 Dec Glasgow King Tuts
Bloodless Coup finds the band mixing the organic with the digital, with electronic influences coming to the fore more than on previous releases. Singer Paul Noonan’s infectious voice whisks you away with lyrics that range from social commentaries to more personal introspective songs like ‘Nightwatchmen’ and ‘74 Swans’, and the unforgettable opening track ‘Hey Anna Lena’. “There are certain
moments in the process of making a record when it just clicks,” Noonan says of the song. “And it’s not from banging your head off a wall or constantly trying to verbalize what sort of journey a song should take. It just happens, and there are few more satisfying things in music.”
The record was made in the shadow of Ireland’s economic implosion. While not a political record, Bell X1 couldn’t help being influencedby the very personal consequences of a staggering national
catastrophe.”Ireland is in ways a microcosm or concentrated dose of the madness that has us all sloshing around in the shit,” says Noonan speaking about their new single ‘Sugar High’. “The cash flying around in what was essentially a bubble during the Celtic Tiger brought out the worst in us, as it does in most. Fianna Fail, had an annual fundraising event at the Galway races, where the property developers and bankers of the day would hang with our esteemed public representatives.The song began as a HR Giger vision of this old boys club, out of their minds, riding each other on a sugar high. ”
Bloodless Coup is about the idea that momentous change often happens in subtle or benign or lateral ways – a notion which could easily be applied to the quiet success of Bell X1’s own self-made career. Noonan, Dave Geraghty (guitar) and Dominic Phillips (bass) first came together in County Kildare during 1999 as part of Juniper, alongside Damien Rice. When Rice left to start his solo career, the trio formed Bell X1, naming themselves after the first supersonic aircraft.
After three albums on Island Records, the band set up their own label to release Blue Lights on the Runway, which was to be their most successful album yet. It debuted at Number One in Ireland, was
certified multi-Platinum, and became the biggest selling independent title that year. Its lead single ‘Great Defector’ also went Top Ten in America.
