Overview: A Night of Irish Indie Brilliance
On Thursday, January 29, 2026, The Alternative with Dan Hegarty on 2FM delivered a special spotlight from one of Ireland’s most celebrated music moments: the RTÉ Choice Music Prize. Dan digs into the live energy of Silverbacks, captured during their March 2025 performance set at the awards show. The band’s moment in the sun came as they were shortlisted for Irish Album of the Year for their album Easy Being A Winner, a record that quickly became a touchstone for contemporary Irish indie rock.
The Context: RTÉ Choice Music Prize and the Irish Album of the Year
The RTÉ Choice Music Prize is a landmark event in the Irish music calendar, celebrating the best and brightest across the island. Silverbacks’ nomination for Easy Being A Winner placed them in the company of Ireland’s most compelling artists, signaling a shift in the indie scene toward bold, punchy songs with a storyteller’s heart. Dan Hegarty’s programmatic approach to the live cut provides listeners with a front-row sense of the atmosphere—an essential ingredient when judging why a record resonates beyond the studio walls.
Live Set: What Dan Hegarty Highlights
Dan’s medley of the Silverbacks set centers on the band’s dynamic performance choices: tight rhythms, jangly guitars, and a vocalist whose delivery lands with both swagger and sincerity. The live renditions illuminate the album’s core themes—playful dissonance, anthemic hooks, and a readiness to collide with raw emotion. The host’s narration ties the moment back to the larger arc of Silverbacks’ career, illustrating how a strong live show can elevate recorded material into a memorable concert experience.
Why
Listeners get a crisp window into Easy Being A Winner as a complete package: the album’s sunlit energy, the band’s fearless tempo shifts, and the unmistakable chemistry among the members. Hegarty places the live clips in the context of Silverbacks’ discography, explaining how the material on the album translates to a stage environment where every guitar flourish and drum fill is a heartbeat in real time.
<h2 The Aesthetic of the Performance: Sound, Space, and Story
From Dan’s perspective, the RTÉ Choice Music Prize performance captured by a radio host is as much about storytelling as it is about sound. The room’s acoustics, the balance between the bass and the snare, and the crowd’s energy all play a role in shaping how the performance is remembered. The Silverbacks’ rhythm section locks in with a precision that makes the melodies sing, while the guitar lines provide just enough whimsy to keep listeners on their toes. This balance—between grit and shimmer—mirror the album’s own dual identity: a nod to post-punk urgency with indie-pop warmth.
<h2 What This Means for Irish Music Right Now
The Choice Prize nod for Easy Being A Winner signals that Irish indie rock is thriving on multiple fronts: critically, commercially, and in live settings. Dan Hegarty’s feature on 2FM serves as a bridge for new listeners to discover Silverbacks while rewarding longtime fans with a fresh, radio-friendly glimpse into a performance that many would have loved to witness in person. The segment also underscores the ongoing relevance of live radio in shaping the conversation around music releases—where a single, well-curated live snapshot can reframe a studio album’s public perception.
Conclusion: A Moment to Revisit
For those tuning into The Alternative, the Dan Hegarty-led showcase of Silverbacks’ RTÉ Choice Music Prize set is a reminder of why live performance remains essential. Easy Being A Winner isn’t just a collection of songs; it’s a narrative that gains momentum when performed with confidence on a big stage. The combination of the live clip, Hegarty’s insightful commentary, and the band’s undeniable chemistry creates a lasting impression of a moment when Irish indie rock asserted its place on a national stage.
