Animal pleasures

An Evening with Gabby Young and Other Animals

Workman’s Club

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It’s been a dismal day in Dublin, but all is not yet lost. Gabby Young is determined to inject some colour into Tuesday evening’s monochrome mindset – and her bright pink hair is a good place to start. The Londoner and her five-piece band are purveyors of circus swing, a self-described genre that encompasses cabaret, gypsy-jazz, folk and rock, and it’s not long before a rather soggy audience are galvanised by the energy emanating from the stage.

Young, a ukulele-toting, kazoo-playing frontwoman with boundless get-up-and-go, can sing, too; both Ones That Got Away and Walk Away showcase the clarity of her full-bodied quiver, while tender love song Male Version of Me hushes a chatty crowd who are eager to dance. They get their opportunity on the lively Balkan-styled pop of Horatio, which sees good-natured audience participation and an array of swinging limbs. True, the musical range isn't hugely varied, but it's hard not to get swept up in the delight of crowd and musicians alike.