In Photos: Clock Opera + Electric Penguins @ The Academy 2, Dublin (02.12.11)

It was never going to be easy competing with the annual schmaltzfest served up by Ryan Tubridy and hordes of Christmas toy-wielding kids on live TV. And so it was that only a few dozen punters showed up to Clock Opera's recent debut Irish show at The Academy 2 - a venue that, ironically enough, might be better suited towards housing Santa's grotto than hosting gigs.

Despite the sparse turnout, the Londoners put their back into a set that gave a solid indication of what we can expect from their forthcoming debut album: shards of angular art rock with well-judged electronic interludes, basically.

Dublin-based support act Electric Penguins place a similar emphasis on arrangement, albeit theirs is a more mature, contemplative sound; the band's sophomore LP, II, is a subtly affecting piece of work that goes well with this time of year.

Live pics courtesy of Colm Kelly.