It’s a Friday night in Belfast. It’s actually Valentine’s night – a fact not lost on the lone busker with his keyboard, crooning his way through a selection of romantic easy listening staples. Not that the romance is rubbing off on the passing couples. Indifference is his reward, and after a few songs he changes his tune, literally. Now it’s Erasure. An odd choice, but he’s pleasing himself now. No one is listening. Belfast’s Voodoo, on the other hand, is seething with alternative types. Goths and punks are shoulder to shoulder, the soundtrack is 70s retro and there’s a happy, expectant vibe. Hands Off Gretel are in town and there’s an expectant buzz in the venue bar. If you have seen Hands Off Gretel perform, you’ll know that they are an explosively lively bunch who have no trouble in usi...
