Set List [Live]

Recorded in Dublin in November 2002 over four shows in Vicar Street it is essentially a greatest hits selection which takes you from that shivers down your spine opening moment as the roar of the crowd builds up as the band take the stage and kick in with 'Revelate' to the fantastic epic closure of 'Fitzcarraldo' - even the encore is captured here as Glen Hansard returns to the stage to perform 'The Blood'(the only song here that does not appear on any of their studio albums), complete with audience participation which cannot fail to move even the most cynical listener.

A great studio band are turned into a phenomenal live act during the course of 13 songs, some outstanding and beautiful moments both loud and quiet often provided by the marvellous Colm Mac Con Iomaire's fiddle which cuts right to the heart during songs like 'Your Face' and builds up to a crescendo during 'Fitzcarraldo' and after Hansard's "I will eclipse you" morphs into an absolute frenzy to which the crowd immediately repsond with roars of delight, Joe Doyle's harmonies throughout add a more gentle edge to a lot of the songs and Dave Hingerty who - performing towards the end of his Frames career really proves his mettle here, as is evident on songs such as 'Santa Maria' and 'Fitzcarraldo'. Also Rob Bochnik the most recent addition via Chicago (the city not the band!) wows the crowd by proving just how much work he has put into learning and putting his own spin on the songs.

Also worth mentioning are the live favourites 'Revelate', 'Pavement Tune' and 'God Bless Mom' which dig deep into the bands earlier rock roots but which then easily morph into the more dreamy laid back delights of 'Lay Me Down' (complete with Johnny Cash tribute), 'Star Star', 'Santa' Maria and as mentioned before 'Your Face'. But I think the highlight here has to be 'What Happens When The Heart Just Stops', a heartbreakingly beautiful song which is recieved by the audience with a hushed awe as Hansard seems to rip out his own heart on stage as he sings of disappointment and lost love. Maybe perhaps another track of the outstanding For The Birds is missing from this collection, perhaps 'Friends and Foe' or 'Headlong' but other than that an utterly flawless performance.

It is not only the band you have to listen to on this record to realise just how talented and how deserving they are of the accolade of being the best live act in Ireland, but you hear it in the audiences response, in the cheers and the laughter and the singing along all of which is beautifully captured on this album. Five stars and no doubt about it.

I'm not usually a great fan of live albums, to be honest, but this is the exception, and not only my favourite live album, but one of my favourite albums period. The chemistry between Glen Hansard and his bandmates is trumped only by that between the band and the audience. It is impossible to listen to this album without wishing to be in the audience.

I won't go through the album track by track, I'd just repeat myself over and over again about how each song is so great, but I have to make a special mention of What Happens When the Heart Just Stops...it's a beautiful song, and Glen tells an anecdote at the start..and this sums up what The Frames is about...playing music and telling stories to friends. Oh, and watch out for Star Star, I won't spoil it by telling what happens but it's magic!

Please, buy, and enjoy.