Directly across from the Tivoli Theatre, Francis Street, is (probably) the most yellow bar front in Dublin – Drop Dead Twice. It was here last week, where Any Anything played their first Dublin gig following their Galway debut and single premiere. They shared the night with jazz-fusion prog rock outfit, Auxiliary Phoenix Trio.

Any Anything’s performance at Drop Dead Twice was a significant milestone in the band’s musical odyssey – not only for the fact that they broke onto the scene in the Big Shmoke (Dublin) – but because they showed us that their sound can be fluid and loose. It might be something that evolves over time when musicians develop synergy with each other and the performance loses that linear mentality. Or it could have just been a noteworthy performance without any explanation needed. Whatever it was, there was a difference between this performance and their debut – and it feels promising.

Galway born Indie pop band Any Anything gave their debut performance at the iconic live music venue the Róisín Dubh in March, 2018. Their single, ‘First Time’, was picked up by Irish journalists such as Remy, and was premiered in April by The Thin Air.

The video below is from their debut at the Róisín Dubh. There is a very convoluted pun to be made about Any Anything performing their first single for the ‘First Time’ at their first gig. But I won’t risk it.

Against a west Ireland backdrop of a city that has a reputation for hosting outstanding artists (Primal Scream, Yann Tiersen, Lisa Hannigan, Blondie, Mercury Rev, Panda Dub, Seasick Steve, Spiritualised) and has witnessed the beginnings of some of Ireland’s most innovative and trailblazing artists, collectives and record labels (Rua Sound, Puzzle Events, Galway Street Club, My Fellow Sponges, Dead Horse Jive, New Pope, Elaine Mai) – Galway is a city where artists can tap into a creative atmosphere.

Any Anything proclaim themselves as “Hailing from the graveyard of ambition; although showing no obvious signs of its affliction”. Robert, Christopher, Luke, and Morgan are the four faces of Any Anything, and while Galway has been nicknamed ‘the graveyard of ambition’ by corporate-minded lizard people, it certainly doesn’t feel that way when you see people actively pursuing a creative passion.

The band’s performance at Drop Dead Twice stood out as something memorable. About half-way through their setlist they came out with ‘We Got Sumthin’ Goin’ On’

If I had to pick one moment from their performance it would be this minute and a half intro. This is what I was talking about when I said they had a looser, fluid sound. Standing in front of the stage listening to the music, it feels like everything flows naturally without any desire to push on to the next verse. It’s that loose treatment of the music that does the sound justice.

The future looks good for Any Anything. Let the odyssey continue.

Opening the gig that Thursday evening in Drop Dead Twice was the three piece jazz-fusion group Auxiliary Phoenix Trio. This band has built a strong reputation for themselves in Ireland’s music scene, and their performance was outstanding. When I hear an artist perform, a stream of musical influences automatically crisscross through my mind – during their set I was thinking about french electro-jazz and Air’s 1997 EP Premiers Symptômes, and prog rock instrumentalist hooligans which included Deep Purple and Caravan. Joining them on flute was Tom, who by all means stole the show.