The Masquerades

The Masquerades are an Irish rock band from Bray, Powerscourt, and Newcastle, Co. Wicklow. They are seven-piece, playing a mellow mix of rock, and softer, acoustic alternative music. They are a concept band, in that their music and theme are based around artistic perception of non-artistic work, interpretation of philosophical writing, and original prose. The group (and its meeting place in Bray) has become a centre for ideological and philosophical discussion and debate in the greater Dublin area.

History

The band stemmed from an earlier group, 'G-Man and the Masters of the Universe' (a homage to the 80's cartoon 'He-Man'). The majority of the band were to be found in the original line up, but the band's true genesis came in the Italian city of Florence. It was there, on a trip to the Uffizi Gallery, the group came upon a young Dutchman named Thomas Dejong, and far more crucially, a young street performer named Jon Hozier-Byrne. He was playing congas on the street as DeJong played fiddle. The rest of the band watched for hours, before spending the evening playing music with borrowed instruments in a local music shop. The group sat under Brunelleschi's Doma, and the pianist, Candice Pearse, commented on the beauty of Masquerade Ball masks being sold by in a shop window. The result, was of course, the naming of the band. As the street performers had plans to move Dublin anyway, the transition into the band was made easy, and the Masquerades became a regular fixture amongst both young audiences of Dublin and the intelligencia of Bray.

Members

Lead vocalist is Miss Catherine Repko, an American multi-instrumentalist. On piano is Candice Pearce, a player of remarkable skill from South Africa. On violin is Thomas DeJong, a skillful musician. On drums is Jon Hozier-Byrne, a classically trained street percussionist and circus performer. On guitar is G Crotty and Daire Kennedy(an African swallow found in bray carrying coconuts), both remarkable musicians and songwriters, both also noted by critics for their astounding good looks. But the final word of mention must go to Adam Roche, the irrepressible lead guitarist. One local critic even noted "With guitar licks so furious they could melt your face off!". A mention must finally go to Peter Dalton, self proclaimed "groupie-extraordinaire"

Interpretation

Apart from the obvious importance of their first meeting, the name the Masquerades takes on artistic meaning. It is representative of the early works of Descartes, the Medations of First Philosophy, and the fundamental concepts of existentialism, even nihilism. Another influence is the works of T. S. Eliot, who's concept that all men were live masquerades; lives defined by someone else, perhaps in the name of social placing, or sexual intent. The common link between all these sources is the concept that man (specifically modern man), is lost (as illustrated aptly in "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"). This is recurring theme throughout their work, from 'Hangman' (an epic ballad of self-examination and suicidal contemplation, as a man is tortured by the eyeless faces of childlike scribbles on a page), to 'The Ballad of G' (a tragic examination of time, life and love lost). Critics around the area wait with trepadation to see what effects the group will have on the musical map in the near future.