LIVE REVIEW: The Mary Wallopers, Problem Patterns, SSE Arena, Belfast, 29/12/2024
Photo Credit: Sorcha Frances Ryder
As we were quickly moving towards the end of 2024 we though it would be a good idea to count up the total number of gigs attended during the year, the answer? This was gig number 102 if you count a festival day as one gig and what a way to celebrate during the festive period with Dundalk folk band The Mary Wallopers ending their 7 Drunken Nights tour at the SSE Arena in Belfast down by the River Lagan. This group of talented Irish musicians brought a very authentic mix of traditional Irish folk music – mostly covers – helping to keep this genre of music alive and well. Founded by brothers Andrew and Charles Hendy they came into the spotlight during the pandemic when they played a few online shows and haven’t looked back since.
There would have been at least a couple of thousand in the arena for local Belfast support act Problem Patterns. What agreat choice of support they were, as the punk four-piece played a very entertaining thirty-five minute set, they describe themselves as “four shouty queers from Belfast who write songs for right now”. Formed in 2018 they are Alanah Smith, Bethany Crooks, Beverley Boal and Ciara King (aka ABBA) and are right out of the Bikini Kill school of Riot Grrrl music. Uniquely Problem Patterns don’t have a recognised vocalist, instead they all take turns on vocals and instruments, they reminded us of fellow Irish band Pillow Queens in a lot of ways. They certainly don’t hold back tonight, here is a band that released debut album Blouse Club in October 2023 who have now gone on to win Northern Ireland album of the year 2024, a great achievement. Oh and they also played at the 2024 Glastonbury Festival.
It’s a very energetic start to the set as they slide across the floor, Poverty Tourist is one of the best of the set as they share vocals followed by the drummer swapping with the guitarist for Lesbo 3000, another highlight of the set … there are not many bands that can multitask like these musicians. By the end of the set the SSE Arena was filling up nicely. “Bev is a fucking liability” says Alanah Smith as Bev attempts to crowd surf, but unfortunately the crowd haven’t woken up yet and is soon back on the stage! All four band members are wearing matching shirts that have prints of the album cover on them as Letter Of Resignation ends the set, but not before we have one last burst of energy from Alanah who proceeds to run up and down the stage before ripping off the shirt and rolling around the stage. We will be looking out for Problem Patterns touring in 2025 * 8/10
In what is their biggest show to date The Mary Wallopers took to the stage at 9pm to a thunderous welcome, there must be a good nine thousand in the arena now, it feels very festive among this crowd. The crowd reaction to Rich Man and the Poor Man is special as everyone sings along to the chorus. We first saw the band at the Neighbourhood Weekender Festival in 2022 playing on the smallest stage, in the two years or so since then they have gained a massive following as was proved in Glasgow recently when they sold out three nights at the iconic Barrowland Ballroom. There are more than a few of their songs with a Scottish feel and specifically Glasgow connection and we soon get to hear a cover of Scottish musician Matt McGinn song Lots Of Little Soldiers. The anti-war song gets a great crowd reaction, there are Palestine flags being proudly displayed all around the arena as Sean McKenna comments “This song is about larger countries, who are normally richer, invading smaller, poorer countries who are their neighbours, I can’t think of any examples off the top of my head”. The crowd laugh and cheer at this as we all know what country he is referring to!
We then move into three quiet tracks but there is nothing quiet about the SSE Arena tonight, the atmosphere is electric, incidentally this is our first time visiting this venue and it is a very impressive setup. The three ‘quiet songs’ in question are Smuggling The Tin, The Idler and Trip Through Holyhead before the arena explodes with energy for The Rakes Of Poverty, a track that they comment on “If you complain about immigrants coming into this country then fuck you”, no holding back there then! You wouldn’t expect crowd surfing and mosh pits at a traditional Irish folk gig but that’s what sets these musicians apart, they are taking traditional Irish music to a new level and mostly a modern audience. Next up is Gates Of Heaven, a song dedicated to “all the people that do wrong” and this is quickly followed by the excellent Eileen Ogg before what we thought was the best of the set, Cod Liver Oil and Orange Juice, a song written by Glaswegian Hamish Imlach and now brought back to life. That’s what The Mary Wallopers are all about after all, the quirky lyrics of the song would get anyone laughing with the classic lyrics “Out of the East there came a hardman, oh-ho-ho all the way from Brigton” and “Does this bus go to the Dennistoun Palais, oh-ho-ho I’m looking for a lumber”.
As each band member is introduced they all get an individual cheer, brothers Charles and Andrew Hendy, Sean McKenna, Ken Mooney and Finnian O’Connor … before we come to bass player Roisin Barrett who gets the biggest cheer of all, the crowd are shouting out her name in unison “Roisin, Roisin, Roisin”. After a slight sound issue we all sing Frost Is All Over before penultimate track The Blarney Stone plays. The atmosphere reaches fever pitch as we watch people attempt to jump the wall to the standing area perhaps getting a little too caught up in the emotions of the night? There is one song in the encore to end the night; the brilliant All For Me Grog ends a perfect night of music bang right in the middle of festivities. As we leave the arena The Pogues’ Dirty Old Town plays us out, there are smiling faces all around keeping with the festive spirit ending a very electrifying night of music. The Mary Wallopers are heading out for a European tour in 2025 and will be in high demand for festival season we are sure, we are looking forward to watching them grow. It shouldn’t be too long before the band are ready to take on their first arena tour. 10/10
* We were also lucky enough to see Problem Patterns in Dublin on 1st January as part of the New Year Festival and are now definitely on our ‘must see again’ list for 2025.
Written by: Alan Brown
