Music
Press
The Prescriptions’ choice of venue, The Hub, is wonderfully sleazy; a dim, subterranean lounge with intimate, candlelit tables, plush velvet seating and a stage which would be as much a home to a pole as a drum kit and amplifiers. A seeming abundance of large, well-dressed men contribute to the Bada Bing! atmosphere, so, avoiding all eye contact, I seat myself in a discreet corner to the right of the stage. Of course, my initial misgivings prove unfounded; there’s actually a lot of love and chumminess in the air. As it turns out, one of the aforementioned “large men” in the venue happens to be the singer with The Prescriptions. Niall (for it is he) has both a formidable stage presence and voice; sounding akin to Tom Waits before he went all Benson & Hedges, he has a remarkable range of tones and emotions. Both raw and soulful, he is the ideal frontman for a band whose influences hover between Van Morrison, sundry Americana and Waits himself, but still retain a singular style. Their perfect showcase is the opening number, the majestic Government Health Warning; a stomping rhythm, solid and delicious guitar chords, a mesmerising Matt Friedberger organ backing and a chorus you simply do not want to end. It’s so good that it does overshadow much of their set – which is not helped by covering Bowie’s Absolute Beginners, of all songs – but there’s more than enough here to warrant further investigation. With a clutch of solid, well-crafted songs, an album due imminently and, in their brilliant drummer Shay, one of the most endearingly bizarre performers on the circuit, a visit to The Prescriptions is just, er, what the doctor ordered.
- Johnnie Craig/soundsxp.com
With their americana-flavoured tunes. the Prescriptions have recently been impressing anyone who has cared to listen to the excellent Pro Bono Publico EP. packed with five nuggets of melancholic richness, the EP boasts a gritty stroke of originality that not many irish bands can match. Songs like House Fallen Down and Love Your Enemy marry the lyrical style of John Mellencamp with the rustic sound of The Band. The laboured vocals of Niall Brennan, backed by piano, drums, banjo and guitars, are pretty attention grabbing in their own right. And a song like Black Sheep is so lip-smacking that you wonder why this band doesn't already have a major record deal.
Metro Reviews - Metro
THE PRESCRIPTIONS - Pro Bono Publico EP Good Medicine Music........... rating -*** Nothing to do with the U2 singer, this is a strange brew of The Stones, Dire Straits and Boomtown Rats, backed by four other rootsy tracks featuring the Dylanesque rasp of Niall Brennan. - The Irish Times
"Songs ranging from the highly polemic to gorgeously melodic"
Colm O'Hare, Hot Press
"They are the type of band that you want to listen to all night long"
cluas.com
- Misc.
Dubliner Niall Brennan has a voice like freshly turned earth, and it works a treat on these four evocative tracks, ranging from Super Furry psychedelia to heavy Waits jazz-rock. A simple, well-crafted pleasure. - The Irish Times
Discography
Pro Bono Publico - EP, Good Medicine Music, 2005
Love Your Enemy - limited edition single, Good Medicine Music, 2004
Simple Pleasures - 4 track single/EP, Good Medicine Music, 2002
Photos
Bio
Formed in 2002, The Prescriptions create the type of music that has character. Away from the over-hyped indie rock groups and glossy pop acts, here is a band that writes, sings and plays with a tenacious personality. Songs bursting with stories of longing & loss, greed & vanity & the occasional murder are coloured by hook-laden arrangements. They excite and entertain in the same effortless stroke of creativity.
As reliable as a Grandfather clock, this is a band that makes music that has great depth. On both Eps that they have released to date (Simple Pleasures, Pro Bono Publico) that depth is exploited through the stirring lyrical content and sublime musicianship that forms the structure of their songs. Using a rigid song structure they skilfully bind together a bittersweet flavour of alt. country and indie rock.
Quite simply, The Prescriptions are the type of band that you want to keep a secret. You want to keep their acute harmonies and wry lyrics all to yourself. But a part of you wants to share the songs of rustic beauty with anyone willing to listen. They are the type of band that impresses you more and more with each live performance that you make sure to catch. The Prescriptions are the sincere yet rousing band that you have been waiting years to find.
Gareth Maher
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