Grey DeLisle and The Blue Ribbon Boys @ Anseo -12th October 2026

Anseo's small, intimate upstairs room hosted this debut Dublin gig for this talented quartet. They will undoubtedly return to bigger venues in the future.

Although Grey DeLisle and Blue Ribbon Boys frontman Eddie Glendening are the ostensible focus, praise should go to the solid input of upright bassist Jonny Bowler and Telecaster virtuoso Jacob Woodside. Alongside Glendening, this trio opened the show to much applause for their mix of original songs, which are due to appear on an upcoming album, and covers of such icons as Roy Orbison, Marty Robbins and a very well-received rendition of a song by Bakersfield singer Billy Mize.

The second half of the show opened with De Lisle adding her exuberant personality and distinctive vocals on a number of songs from across her catalogue. These included the often-bittersweet humour of her songs like Quit Picking’ On Me, the heartfelt tribute to her grandmother (who raised her) Don’t Let Go Of My Hand, and a song she explained came out of an argument between her and Glendening wherein he told her that he would go back to Denver and she could go to hell. That phrase stopped the argument and became the title of the song. They also did a duet, trading verses, which worked well, and was titled Get My Picture. Many of DeLisle songs have an observational quality that underscores her writing. They also included a Spanish-language song, Bésame Mucho, recorded in the Cash’s Cabin and produced by John Carter Cash, and a CD EP from that session was available to buy. A welcome addition to her expanding catalogue, which will soon include material recorded in Belfast on this short visit to these shores. That will undoubtedly happen again; for fans of country and rockabilly, played and delivered with verve and skill, it should not be missed.

Review and photograph by Stephen Rapid

Damien O’Kane & Ron Block Band @ The Black Box Belfast - 8th October 2026

It’s not an obvious collaboration but the friendship and music that have developed since Damien O’Kane, the Irish tenor banjo whizz, met his American counterpart Ron Block, genius of the 5-string American version of that inexplicably oft maligned instrument, have now spanned 15 years and three groundbreaking albums. The turn-out in Belfast’s Black Box venue was a testament to the duo’s popularity, especially as it clashed with several other attractive gigs tonight. Accompanied by Scotsman Duncan Lyall (Kate Rusby, Treacherous Orchestra) on upright bass, Moog and keyboards and Kilkenny musician Steven Byrnes on acoustic guitar and kick drum, the band kicked off with a Damien O’Kane composition St Patrick’s Day, which started sedately and eventually ramped up to a much livelier pace. Damien O’Kane is clearly the extrovert of the pair, regaling the audience with hilarious anecdotes between every set, while Ron Block was content to smile and generally take a back seat. Most of the music tonight was comprised of the traditional Irish system of playing two or three instrumental compositions one after the other, known as a 'set’. O’Kane introduced the next set that included a tune that he wrote called I Asked For A Hamster, explaining that he and his wife Kate Rusby had bought a drum kit for their young daughter Phoebe one Christmas but, you guessed it, she would have preferred a furry friend. 

Led predominantly by O’Kane’s 4 string tenor banjo, most of the tunes were written by him also, but the two banjos danced around and harmonised with each other in a mesmerising whirl, backed up superbly by the equally dynamic playing of Byrnes and Lyall. It was obviously why Ron Block has 14 Grammys and 6 IBMA Awards under his belt (something which led to O’Kane’s constant ribbing all evening) and his seemingly effortless playing, fingerstyle, on the brighter and lighter 5-string banjo complemented the mellow 4-string tenor banjo that is played with a plectrum. After featuring tunes from their just released BANJOVIAL album, they also played a selection of numbers from the earlier albums BANJOPHONY (2018) and BANJOPHONIC (2022). Damien O’Kane was born and bred in Magilligan, Co Derry and he told us that, not surprisingly,   some of his family were present, including his parents. He dedicated the lively tune Guiseppe to his father Joe, after telling us how that tune came about. 

Ron Block switched to guitar and sang his own composition, written for his Momma, Love Ain’t Like That. A highlight was another Ron Block instrumental composition, Mario Cart Rides Again, inspired by Damien’s driving (don’t ask) which featured impressive sound effects simulating church bells, ambulances and much skidding! Block, of course, is better known for being a member of Alison Krauss’s Union Station bluegrass outfit for the last 30 years, and bluegrass fans may have expected more of that music’s influence on the night, but they had to wait until the second half of the show for that. He introduced his lovely tune Daisy’s Dance by explaining why it was named after Damien’s other daughter Daisy, and the harmonic interplay between the two banjos that followed was simply sublime. He also played his bluegrass composition Fiddler’s Gun, after Damien O’Kane switched to tenor guitar to sing his version of Paul Brady’s iconic Homes Of Donegal. 

The standing ovation at the end said it all and a bunch of happy punters made their way home through a rainy Cathedral Quarter. Let’s hope Music Capital continue to put on great nights of world class music like this.

Review by Eilís Boland. Photo by Julie-Anne Rouquette

James McMurtry (with BettySoo) @ Whelan’s Dublin October 4th 2026.

It's a Sunday night in Dublin and the doors at Whelan’s are opened early to admit the growing queue outside the famous venue. Full of expectation, the capacity audience claim their individual spots on the ground floor and the balcony area, and eagerly await the return of master guitarist and storyteller James McMurtry to a Dublin stage for the first time since 2017. On a month long tour of Europe, James is accompanied by the superb BettySoo, who joins on harmony vocals, guitar and accordion for the main set, having opened the evening with an impressive solo set to warm the crowd. She is very much at ease onstage and her personable manner makes instant friends among those who are seeing her for the first time.

BettySoo delivers a number of her own songs that include Henry and Me, Memento, the beautiful Lark (a song from her days in Nobody’s Girl), and the excellent How To Live Alone with some memorable words ‘Living on your own ain’t as hard as before, No one to tell you to shut the cupboard door, No one to shake you awake when you snore, No one to say that’s too big a pour.’ She is joined by James during her set for two songs, the very resonant Blackout that tracks a relationship ending, and a wonderful, stripped back version of the Woody Guthrie song, Deportees (Plane wreck at Los Gatos) with superb harmony vocals telling the true tale of an air crash in 1948.

After a short interval we are treated to the wonderful world of James McMurtry for the next 90-plus minutes, during which he plays seventeen songs across seven of his studio albums, dipping all the way back to the 1989 debut and including stops along the way towards his most recent release in 2025. Interestingly he only plays one song from his latest The Black Dog and the Wandering Boy, with many of the older song choices delighting the loyal fans who have gathered to witness the spectacle. And very reverent they are too; I can only recall one shout out for a request as the audience focus on what the dancing fingers of James McMurtry decide to conjure up, negotiating increasingly complex fingerstyle playing and riffs that are mesmerising to witness up close in such intimate surroundings. I could hear gasps from those closest to me in the audience as he displayed great dexterity across the frets, at times playing distinct parts on either side of two capots placed at intervals on the neck of his 12-string guitar. His playing prowess is matched only by the likes of a Richard Thompson, such is his mastery of the instrument.

Ant then there is the songs … whether character-based observations, or personal reflections, the sense of irony and dry humour that runs through his words is a real treat to hear unfold. Witty commentary and pithy perceptions on the human condition, delivered with a knowing humour in his superbly crafted words. James is not shy of sociopolitical commentary and stands as a champion for the hardships endured by working class America. You just don’t want a night like this to end.

Included in the set are old favourites like Painting By Numbers, Red Dress, Copper Canteen (with the immortal first lines, ‘Honey don’t you be yelling at me while I’m cleaning my gun’). No More Buffalo is deep and poignant, with its lament for a disappearing world and the weight of ageing, while the real showstopper is Choctaw Bingo, that magical tour of an extended family reunion in Oklahoma and the deviant characters that colour the mini play of Crystal Meth bootleggers. The vocal delivery from both James and BettySoo is flawless throughout, and the pace of the rhythm coupled with the complex word play is something to behold. An astonishing performance.  Other songs on the evening included If It Don’t Bleed, Canola Fields, Peter Pan, Levelland and Saint Mary Of the Woods. The recent 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attack is recalled on Annie, and the lack of leadership shown by President Bush. Other songs reference female titles, like Melinda, Jackie (a long-haul trucker and equestrian lover), and Rachel’s Song, a poignant look at a relationship failure, from Rachel’s point of view, where she is left with a drinking problem and a small child who constantly asks after his departed father. Only James can pull off these vignettes with both gravitas and grace. It was a very special evening.

BettySoo has a number of her albums available via her Bandcamp page and I recommend you explore her five releases to date. And of course, every serious music collection should contain the music of James McMurtry, one of the greatest songwriters of any generation in my view.

Review by Paul McGee and Photography by Kaethe Burt O’Dea

Alela Diane @ Whelan’s Dublin September 30th, 2026

It’s been nearly a decade and a half since Californian-born artist Alela Diane last performed at Whelan’s in Dublin, so the prospect of a return visit to tour her latest album, WHO’S KEEPING TIME, was widely anticipated. Now living in Portland, Oregon, Alela is part of that city's burgeoning folk scene alongside her stablemates at Fluff & Gravy Records, Jeffrey Martin, Anna Tivel, Kassi Vallazza, Jeffrey Foucault, Jim White and Margo Cilker. Also recently signed to U.K. label Loose Music, tonight’s performance is Alela’s first show in a tour of Europe that runs until mid-November.

In an ever-challenging industry for artists, it’s a delight that Alela is touring with a band, when many of her peers are finding it barely feasible to cross the pond and perform solo. Her band includes Paige Andersen, born in Nevada City, the same small town as Alela. Paige is also the frontperson of her own three-piece unit, Two Runner, who coincidentally Lonesome Highway saw play a wonderful showcase set at The 5 Spot in Nashville during AmericanaFest less than two weeks ago. Paige plays a well-received support slot, drawing much of her set from Two Runner’s latest album PORCHLIGHT. Incredibly, for an artist who started her career as a nine-year-old in her family’s bluegrass band, Paige announced that tonight is her first time ever playing solo. She also plays guitar and banjo delightfully in Alela’s band together with adding backing vocals. The other band members, who also played on Alela’s new album, were Sabastian Owens on upright bass and Danny Austin-Manning on drums.

The inspiration for writing and re-recording WHO’S KEEPING TIME was the passing of Michael Hurley, a major presence in the Portland folk music community, and tonight’s performance draws heavily from that album. In My Own Time, To Be Kind, Galloping, Dusty Roses, California, Wide Open Spaces, Piss Blood Coffee or Wine, and Fragile As A Flame all feature with the quality of the studio recordings expertly recreated.

Playing to a full house and pin-drop silence (except one inebriated punter who barged his way near the front and insisted on talking loudly to his partner while Alela introduced the songs, there’s always one), Alela's between-song banter is relaxed and engaging. She speaks of her previous night in Dublin, fondly recalling a woman singing in the Cobblestones pub, getting drenched while walking around Dublin earlier in the day with Paige, phoning her father earlier in the day at 4 am America time to ask him the name of Paige’s family bluegrass band and speaking fondly of her nine-year-old red-haired daughter who innocently asked her mom earlier to count the number of redheads while she is in Ireland.

Giving the band a short break, Alela's solo slot includes a dip into her back catalogue, with a stunning delivery of Oh My Mama followed by Lady Divine before she reluctantly agrees to a request to sing Ether and Wood, which she notes is a difficult ask. Perched at the organ and after a few false starts, she succeeds with flying colours.

The band return for the final few songs, Nothing I Can Do, Fragile As a Flame and the quite stunning Of Love, the latter introduced as a song written to her young daughter when she was in a ‘cheeky to mom’ phase. The encore is The Pirates Gospel from the album of the same name, recorded over twenty years ago, ending what was a hugely enjoyable evening with a unique songwriter, vocalist and raconteur supported by a stellar band.

Leaving the venue, the long queue at the merch desk suggests that the stock of Alela Diane’s and Two Runner’s vinyl, CDs, t-shirts, and accessories will be well depleted early on this tour.

Review and photograph by Declan Culliton

Twelve of the Best at AmericanaFest 2026

Choosing twelve highlights from the 70+ acts we saw perform in Nashville before, during, and after AmericanaFest this year isn't easy, but decisions must be made. The twelve selected performances reflect the wide range of genres under the Americana umbrella, from traditional country to bluegrass and folk, and from soul to rock.

Andrew Sa @ The 5 Spot  (1)

A recent signing to Bloodshot Records, the Californian-born crooner’s debut album AMERICAN ROUGH has been one of my most-played albums since its release a few months ago. His perfectly placed high-pitched falsetto, dramatic stage presence, and killer band reproduced the album's material to perfection.

Kassi Valazza @ Acme & Seed  (2)

Unlike last year at AmericanaFest when she performed with a band, this year’s showcase by Kassi Valazza was a solo performance but equally engaging. Perched on a stool, her vocal phrasing and guitar skills were mesmerising in a set that included the main selections from Lonesome Highway’s Album of the Year in 2025, FROM NEWMAN STREET.

Jaimee Harris @ Skinny Dennis  (3)

Our numerous previous encounters with Jaimee Harris were solo slots or duets with Mary Gauthier. Impressive as they were, her showcase backed by a five-piece band raised the bar by some distance. An artist who is noticeably growing in confidence as a writer and performer as the years pass, her set included some hugely impressive songs that will feature in her next album.

Silverada @ Bobby’s Idle Hour  (4)

Our first encounter with Silverada since their rebrand and name change back in 2025, their live shows (we caught them again later that evening at Skinny Dennis) were as gritty and full-on as ever. Few bands perfect the mix of country, roots, and southern rock in a live setting like these guys, and recent addition Parker Twomey on keyboards was a worthy replacement for the loss of pedal steel player Zach Moulten.

Kristina Murray @ Vinyl Tap  (5)

The one consistent thing in Lonesome 'Highways' reviews of AmericanaFest over the years has been highlighting the quality performances of Kristina Murray, and this year is no exception. Not many other current singer-songwriters can epitomise quality country music in the manner that she does, and despite playing in 40 degrees centigrade heat, she breezed through her set at the New West Records Day Party.

Emily Nenni @ Vinyl Tap  (6)

Also playing the New West Records Day Party was Kristina Murray’s label mate Emily Nenni.  Her latest album, MOVIN’ SHOES, pointed to an artist equally comfortable playing country soul as hard-core honky tonk, and her performance shifted seamlessly between both.

Will Worden @ Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge  (7)

Playing solo in the early afternoon in Nashville for a relatively unknown act is no easy task, but Will Worden pulled it off with aplomb. A throwback to the 1960s, Worden’s deep baritone, songs, and dress sense have a striking Lee Hazlewood vibe, and he silenced a noisy room to pin-drop silence with his delivery.

Abigail Rose @ Acme & Seed  (8)

Local Nashville singer-songwriter and previously unknown to us at Lonesome Highway, Abigail Rose played a duo set of indie-folk compositions that caught the eye. She bookended her set, joined by numerous friends and artists, with a definite crowd-pleaser, Betty’s In The Band.

Bronwyn @ The 5 Spot  (9)

Most certainly a rising star in the modern bluegrass scene, the artist formerly known as Bronwyn Keith Hynes played to a packed room, an indication of her well-deserved growing popularity and reaction to her new album RATTLIN’ BONES. Her fiddle playing was exceptional, matched by her bandmate’s mandolin, guitar, banjo and upright bass contributions.

David Newbould @ The 5 Spot  (10)

AmericanaFest would not be complete without a hair-raising guitar shredding session, and David Newbould invariably hits that spot. His blistering set introduced an evening followed by similar gloriously thunderous showcases by Wes Parker and Laney Jones and The Spirits.

Kimmi Bitter @ Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge  (11)

A fusion landing somewhere between 1960s Countrypolitan and breezy West Coast roots and surf, Kimmi Bitter headlined Honky Tonk Tuesday at The EastSide Bowl alongside her classy set at Dee’s.

Cordovas @ Skinny Dennis  (12)

Jamming often refers to loose, unrehearsed arrangements by bands. Not so with Cordovas, who have perfected their fusion of rock, border, blues, jazz, soul and roots. Their playing was seamless, flowing, technically faultless, and a joy to behold.

Other acts we saw – Santa’s Ice Cold Pickers, Levi Foster, Adam Wright, Adam Chaffins, Dee White, The Reeves Brothers, Silverada, Emma Swift, Chuck Meade, Robyn Hitchcock, Derek Hoke, Christian Sedelmyer, Erin Rae, Nicki Bluhm, Jon Byrd, Nicole Atkins, Kristina Train, Justin Collins, Hollow Hand, Patrick Sweany, The Tiger Beats, Hannah White and Keiron Marshall, Kai Crowe Getty, KP Hawthorn, Mindy M Miller, Cast Iron Shoes, Anna Elizabeth Wescoat, The Waymores, Bonnie & The Mere Mortals, Two Runner, Fruition, Mountain of Youth, Schaffer Llana, Spencer Thomas, GA 20, Mattie Schell, The Deltas, Tyler Ramsey, Jess Williamson, Boy Golden, Tim Carroll, Jeremy Ivey, Alice Wallace, Rah Rah Rabbit, Matthew McNeal, Marcel, Lemongrass, Judy Blank, Tim Easton, Wes Parker, Allison Pontier, Laney Jones and The Spirits.

Review and Photography by Declan Culliton

Emma Langford @Whelan’s - 16th August 2026

What a special evening this was, with the intimate surroundings of Whelan’s proving to be the perfect environment, where a strong sense of community, superbly eclectic music, and inspired storytelling was delivered by Emma Langford in such an engaging and creative fashion. It has been ten years since she first started out singing her own songs in public and tried to develop her fledgling activities into a full-time career.

Emma has subtitled this current tour of towns and venues throughout Ireland as “Ten Years On And She’s Still At The Feckin’ Music (Isn’t She Very Brave All The Same, In This Economy.” This tells you all you need to know regarding her strong sense of fun and her natural ability to spin a tale. Emma has a great turn of phrase onstage and an even more natural ability to communicate effortlessly with her audience. It’s like we are all gathered in her living room for an evening of chat, music, and storytelling around the fire.

Throughout the evening, she introduces her songs with interesting stories from Irish folk mythology and magical thinking. The three musicians that create the healing music this evening are Dr. Alec Brown (cello, tin whistle, flute), Hannah Nic Gearailt (keyboards), and Emma Langford (guitars, percussion board, Shreya Box). All three blended together in vocal harmonies that were truly sublime to witness.

Shining above everything is the truly beautiful voice of Emma, with her quiet power, pure delivery, and rich tone. A singer who has mastered her instrument to such an elevated level, and who performs vocal dynamics that are quite breath-taking in parts. She delivers a set that includes songs from each of her two albums, including favourites such as Sowing Acorns, Song For My Younger Self, and the Winding Way Down To Kells Bay. Her fellow musicians play with such perception and grace, always in service of the song and deliver a wonderful example of real quality in the creative spaces. Dr. Alec Brown achieved a Ph.D. Irish Traditional Music on the cello, and his experimentation with electronic ambient soundscapes is very impressive to see in such close quarters.

His foot pedal board lit up like a small runway, as he seeks different effects while playing, probing new ways to colour his performance with a touch of his bare toes on the different sound possibilities at his disposal. Alec also contributes on both tin whistle and flute, across different songs and his story that introduces the trio of songs An Sulán, Crónán na mBeach, and the Crónán na mBeach jig, is fascinating in the telling.

The river Sullane (An Sulán) is in Ballyvourney, Co. Cork and is a cursed river with local folklore telling of its demand to take a human sacrifice every seven years. This is the opening part of the song-triptych which leads into Emma singing the song of bees, Crónán na mBeach, followed by Hannah Nic Gearailt playing a terrific melodic and rhythmic tempo on her keyboards. Such accomplished musicians in every way, and so well practiced in performing together.

Another instrumental played by Alec Brown is Port Na bPucai (Song of the Spirits), and Emma also brings another highlight with her velvet vocal performance on Sólás ón nDólás (Comfort from Sorrow). A new song Refuge is introduced by Emma as an autistic love song and she performs on solo acoustic guitar before a powerhouse delivery on Abigail has the audience responding with prolonged applause. The power of women to stand against all challenges and impediments is the essence of Birdsong, with the audience singing along, as indeed they also do on Tug O’ Love with practiced three-part harmonies. Another special moment.  Hunting the Hare and I Am Not Yours are songs borne of both anger and frustration; the first at the state of the world and the cruelty it witnesses at the hand of humankind; the latter an attack on a former partner whose ego created a false scenario that brought much frustration to an already fraught situation.

The final song of the evening was Goodbye Hawaii and the pop soul swing is a perfect foil for a failing relationship “so I will hand you cello tape and superglue and staples / and I'll help you hold the pieces in place til’ you're fit and able.” In the song, Emma carries off a remarkable imitation of a trumpet, using her vocal chords, and it would be hard to tell the difference between this and the real thing if you closed your eyes – a remarkable cameo that brings spontaneous applause and cheering.

It really was a joy to be present on this special evening of songs from the heart, coupled with musicianship of the highest quality. Emma deserves far greater media recognition for the natural talent she holds and the consummate way in which she delivers a performance of real class.

A word also for the opening act tonight, Christian Wethered, a Dublin-based songwriter who writes songs of fragile honesty and quiet resonance. In his short set he featured Into The Garden, Mr Medicine Man, Isa and a Bob Dylan cover of Tomorrow Is A Long Time. His shy stage persona was in marked contrast to Emma Langford, but the audience was very attentive and gave Christian the reaction that his interesting performance warranted.

Review and photos by Paul McGee

Static Roots Festival @ Oberhausen, Germany - 9th to 11th July 2026

It only seems like yesterday when German Dietmar Leibecke, a regular attendee at Kilkenny Roots Festival, made the brave decision to host an Americana-styled festival in Germany. Ten years later, staged at the former industrial church complex, Zentrum Altenberg, in Oberhausen, the Static Roots Festival has earned the hallmark as one of the premier boutique roots festivals in Europe. Add the words ‘independent’ and ‘non-profit’ to describe the festival, alongside the vast amounts of money raised to support Doctors Across Borders, and Static Roots deserves the accolade as ‘unique’ among music festivals in Europe.

Music lovers flock from Ireland, England, Scotland, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Canada and Germany, the majority of whom are return visitors to Static Roots to enjoy not only the music but the inclusive community spirit and meet up with old and new acquaintances. The annual lineup matches the international flavour of the audience; this year’s roster featured artists from America, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Scotland, Spain and Ireland.

In recent years, Dietmar has included a Thursday night ‘welcome’ event alongside the Friday and Saturday schedules. This year’s event was staged in the historic old town of Essen-Werden. Originally scheduled as an indoor event, the show was moved to an outdoor venue to meet demand after tickets sold out within a few days. On a beautiful, sunny, balmy evening, Kilkenny supergroup Lincoln Skins (John Gleeson, Tony Cleere, Conan Doyle and Ger Moloney) were the first band to perform, followed by The Southern Fold, returning to Oberhausen after wooing audiences at the festival last year. In a blistering ninety-minute set, the Kilkenny-based and gothic country band led by Emlyn Holden and featuring his co-vocalist and percussionist, the Mauritius-born Madeleine Leclezio, included selections from their new album titled BENEATH the BLAZE of the BURNING SUN, due for general release in October, alongside inclusions from their back catalogue.

The annual Static Roots Friday historical tour was a guided walk to the Neue Mitte area of Oberhausen before the doors of the Zentrum Altenberg opened in the late afternoon for the five Friday acts. The Americana genre has become a broad brush, encompassing acts and individuals from a wide range of musical backgrounds. The selection of acts at Static precisely embraces that wide-ranging multiplicity. Friday evening featured the smooth folk/pop crossover of Norwegian musical three-piece collective Silver Lining, which includes Live Miranda Solberg, who performed at the festival in 2024 in her other project, Louien. In contrast, Nashville-based Ben De La Cour, joined by accordion supremo Ger Moloney, played a captivating collection of dark, poetic tales before Scottish Kirsten Adamson and her band, The Tanagers, raised the tempo with a killer show, mostly drawn from her 2025 album, DREAMVIEWER. In keeping with the ideal mix of genres, Canadian Leeroy Stagger represented Americana with a capital A, with his blend of folk, country and lots of rock. The perfect Friday closing act was Sweden’s Jesper Lindell, whose Neil Young and Van Morrison influences shone brightly.

Saturday’s festivities kicked off with Enniscorthy, Wexford-born and now Canada-based Irish Mythen, who played the annual Festival’s Willie Meighan Slot in honour of Willie, a dear friend to many of the festival attendees and a huge presence at the Kilkenny Roots Festival for many years. Performing solo, Mythen’s powerful vocals, guitar skills, and passionate tales of country borders and religious/ state outrages had many reaching for tissues to wipe a tear or two.

Next up, Jerry Joseph and his band, The Dimpker Brothers, in typical Jerry Joseph style, raised the tempo with expletive-laden song introductions and a blistering set from his back catalogue. London-based and originally from Catalonia, Joana Serrat, well known to many attendees from her performance at Kilkenny Roots, had a quite unique sound that ranged from ethereal power pop to psychedelia, all delivered by her distinctive vocals. The ‘face-melding’ performance of the weekend was the set from Julianna Riolino. In another life, Julianna was a member of Daniel Romano’s Outfit, and her gritty indie-rock performance, delivered with maximum volume, was a crowd pleaser.

Toning the volume down a few notches, the melodic hook-filled toe-tapping slot that followed was by The Dreaming Spires, led by brothers Joe and Robin Bennett (Robin played the festival previously as part of Bennett, Wilson Poole). Playing the final night of her European tour, the honeyed vocalist and ever-smiling Emily Nenni with her band ticked the modern country/honky tonk slot at the festival, dipping into a selection from her latest album, MOVIN’ SHOES and a number of songs from her previous records.

The final act, Texan Vandoliers, was the fitting festival closer. With a fully charged mix of country punk and no-nonsense rock, they raised the temperature to a boiling level with their relentless playlist. Moving to the outdoor courtyard after their set and allowing us to draw breath, Lincoln Skins, joined by a number of artists who had performed earlier that day, led the annual outdoor festival wind-down into the early hours in fine style.

Hats off and big congratulations to Dietmar, his wife Marion, his M.C., Jeff Robson, the sound and lighting engineers, and the numerous helpers, who made for a weekend that was a credit to them all.

If you attended this year’s festival, no doubt we will see you there again next year. If not, a trip to Oberhausen for Static Roots is highly recommended. Tell a few friends too, but not too many; we don’t want this precious festival to get too big.

Review and photography by Declan Culliton

Westport Folk & Bluegrass Festival - June 4-7, 2026

With another successful festival weekend under their belts, Uri Kohen and his small hard working committee can be justifiably proud of their twentieth event! Fittingly, they mounted a nostalgic exhibition of posters and memorabilia spanning the twenty festivals and commemorating people who we have lost over that time. The standard of the acts across the long weekend was as good as we have come to expect and the ancillary events were more extensive than usual, to mark the special anniversary.

Thursday night’s concert in the Town Hall was particularly anticipated by Irish bluegrass afficionados, as it marked the first appearance of the newly formed Clem O’Brien Band. Clem’s father Tony ran the Athy Bluegrass Festival for many years, as well as fronting the bluegrass band Woodbine (which included Clem and sister Nicola). Now Clem has returned to form his own band, still with father Tony on rhythm guitar and vocals. Upright bassist is Dick Gladney, who played with Clem in the Niall Toner Band, and prior to that in The Flint Hill Boys. Gerry Madden, also an alumnus of the Flinthill Boys, completes the lineup on mandolin.  They didn’t disappoint. They played a tight and varied set of gorgeous, unhurried bluegrass that ranged from Bill Monroe instrumentals and songs (including the high tempo Tennessee Blues), through early country classics (Pete Goble’s Only A Phonecall Away, Elvis’s When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again, Hank Snow’s Cross the Brazos at Waco), bluegrass classics (Larry Stephenson’s The Many Hills of Time), pre-bluegrass Monroe Brothers (The Long Journey Home) and Clem’s original song, The Cheatin’ Side of Town. It was a pleasant surprise to see that Clem has now added the dobro to his ordnance, and his singing and playing are better than ever. Mason Via had the unenviable task of following Irish bluegrass royalty, but this 30 year old North Carolina native is already a graduate of Old Crow Medicine Show, and his stagecraft and original material are up there with the best of progressive bluegrass and folk music. Accompanied only by his wife, Waverley, on fiddle and vocals, the duo played a selection of Mason’s songs from his two solo albums, interspersed with some Appalachian classic folk and old time songs. They were joined by friend Tyler Hughes (here with The Empty Bottle String Band) on clawhammer banjo for a few numbers. One of the joys of festivals such as this is the collaborations of artists from various bands, sometimes planned, sometimes spontaneous. Tonight both bands came together at the end for a wonderful rendition of Mason’s Oh Lordy Me, followed by Will The Circle Be Unbroken, complete with spontaneous instrumental breaks from most of the musicians.

As has become the tradition, Friday night is Old Time night and the Town Hall was long sold out for three top notch bands from the US. Madeline Dierauf & Jackson Grimm treated us to their magical, delicately wrought and performed folk songs, interspersed with old time tunes. In a surprise addition they were then joined by Irish old time performers, father and son Ben & Caolán Keogh on banjo and fiddle, to finish off an impressive set with the lonesome There Ain’t No Ash Will Grow. Next up, the Empty Bottle String Band from East Tennessee showed why they are one of the top old time dance & string bands in the Appalachians, and they were greeted with much whoopin’ and hollering’ from the well educated Westport audience. Lead by the aforementioned multiinstrumentalist Tyler Hughes, the fiddle player, Todd Meade is a former Clinch Mountain Boy. Top of the bill were the masters of the tradition, Mike Compton & Joe Newberry. Compton is a mandolin maestro, with a huge list of achievements gained since he was mentored by Bill Monroe as a youth. Newberry has an equal list of achievements, being a songwriter, clawhammer and guitar player and music historian. Songs included the lonesome train song Cherry River Line, the instrumental Old Melinda and a haunting rendition of the ‘traditional’ Careless Love, all interspersed with insightful anecdotes. Together they are mesmerising, and their set was over far too soon. As we have come to expect, all three bands came together on stage for a final fling, which included some spontaneous Appalachian flatfooting.

Friday saw the launch of a new festival venture, simply called The Literary Event, and one which we hope will become a fixture. Ably hosted by the IBMA’s Nancy Posey, it saw three authors of recent books on various aspects of bluegrass - Dr Lee Bidgood (ETSU), Prof Pete Ward (Durham University) and Kristina R Gaddy (whose recently published book on early black music was co-written with Rhiannon Giddens) - discuss in depth various themes associated with their research, including the connection with religion. 

Saturday was a busy day, with multiple ancillary events to partake in and enjoy, most of which were free to attend. The Academic Symposium this year focussed on the connection between traditional music and religion, and a panel of academics/musicians from the various strands of Irish traditional and American traditional music came together for another fascinating discussion. There were instrumental workshops given by some of the world class musicians attending the weekend, various organised and spontaneous sessions throughout the town, and the Red Room Mystery Gig in Matt Molloy’s. The Town Hall gig tonight concentrated on bluegrass. Bigtooth from Wisconsin opened proceedings. Next up, bassist Vickie Vaughn, on her first international appearance with her own trio, blew the audience away with her sassy personality, backed up with her musicality and vocals. She played a lot of the self-penned songs from her recent solo album (she’s better known as a member of High Fidelity and then Della Mae), accompanied by stellar banjoist Justin Hiltner and guitarist Jack McKeon. Their set veered into almost rockabilly territory at times, and at other times they became sentimental on her moving ballad Mama Took Her Ring Off Yesterday. She left the audience wanting more, such was the impact of her all too short set. The Alex Leach Band including the outstanding Brady Wallen on banjo, closed the night with their blend of authentic traditional bluegrass and lore.

Those who could get up in time on Sunday attended the always popular Gospel Hour in the historic Holy Trinity Church, this time it was opportunity to enjoy the Alex Leach band doing a fully gospel set. The energetic attended the Square Dance, called by Tyler Hughes, with music provided by his Empty Bottle String Band. Mighty craic was had. Ireland’s Luke Murray filled the folk slot in Matt Molloy’s on Sunday night, the last official fixture of the weekend.

In addition to the Town Hall gigs, there is a whole host of free gigs in some of the great pubs in the boutique town, on all four nights of the event. Every year there’s a surprise or two, and this year was no exception. The standouts for this writer were the Reedy River String Band, a high energy string band trio out of Greenville, N Carolina. Their high octane sets consisted of manic extended renditions of rock, pop and prog rock classics, all done jam band style with superb musicianship. Big Love Car Wash also impressed, in a similar vein. And the local wonderful Rocky Top String Band continue to be a delight. Blouser’s Bar was the venue for old time sessions every night, and especially on the Sunday afternoon wind down with Tim Rogers & friends. And everywhere, throughout the weekend, there were sessions/jamming both day and (late) night, and the smiles of satisfied punters. Don’t forget to put June 10-13 into your calendar for 2027.

Report by Eilís Boland Photos by Eilís Boland and Teresa Mullen

Ray LaMontagne & Natalie Jane Hill @ Waterfront Hall Belfast - 22 May 2026

Ray LaMontagne has come a long way with his stage craft since the early days when he couldn’t even face the audience, choosing to stand stage right, facing the void opposite, so crippling was his shyness. Tonight the Belfast audience in the sold-out 2,000 capacity Waterfront Hall were in a buoyant mood, not having had a visit from LaMontagne for several years. Shouts of 'Keep ‘er lit, Ray' may have been somewhat lost in translation, but the warmth they conveyed must have been obvious to him and his three piece band. Giving his band equal billing by arranging them in a row across the stage alongside himself is an unusual layout, but he seemed quite comfortable when he emerged and asked the audience to indulge him by listening to a few recent songs. Roll Me Mama, Roll Me, It Takes Me Back and Such A Simple Thing followed without further ado, and just a simple 'Thank you' from LaMontagne.

Then the backdrop changed to the familiar and iconic Jason Holley image of a blindfolded woman dancing with the devil and we knew that he was going to play his 2004 debut album TROUBLE - the tour was, after all, billed as the “Trouble 20th Anniversary Tour”. (I’m not sure why he’s two years late getting here, but no-one was complaining tonight). He launched into Trouble, and then proceeded to play the whole record, all ten songs. He opened up surprisingly and briefly, just before this. He told us that he is still amazed at how these songs have gone on to have a life of their own, so long after he wrote them as a young man and father of two little boys aged 2 and 4, ‘just trying to figure it all out'. And he has 'just celebrated his 30th wedding anniversary, and his boys are now older than when he wrote those  songs' in his mid-twenties. In response to an audience member shouting up that he had seen him playing in Chicago in the early days, he laughed and explained that he was ’so full of rage in those days’ and that he still has that first guitar that has blood dried into it. In fact, he admitted, at one stage he came home after being on the road forever and pulled the guitar out from under the bed to realise that his wife had driven a steak knife into it. He laughingly said that he decided to stay home for a while after that!

Each song from TROUBLE was greeted with whoops from the audience and they sang along quietly with the choruses. The supporting musicians were all multi - instrumentalists, and added backing vocals behind LaMontagne’s raspy vocals when needed. Mat Davidson (Big Thief, The Low Anthem) switched effortlessly from pedal steel to fiddle to keyboards, while the percussionist switched to guitar occasionally, and the electric bass player also played a floor drum. Most of the time, Ray characteristically stood rooted to the spot, moving only to accept a change of acoustic guitar from his guitar tech. He looked exactly as he always did - bearded, lanky and dressed in a check shirt. After a standing ovation, the band returned to the stage for a generous three song encore, which included Yearning from 2024’s LONG WAY HOME.

Opening act Natalie Jane Hill is pretty much unknown to Irish audiences, although the Texan native has just released her third album, HOPEFUL WOMAN. Her set consisted mainly of songs from that record, and her quiet presence belied the fact that this was the biggest audience she had ever played in front of. She accompanied her thoughtful, slow paced, folk songs with some deft fingerpicking and her sweet yet powerful voice achieved a hushed reverence from the audience. Every song was met with considerable applause and the long queue at her merch table afterwards set her apart as ‘one to watch’.

Review and images by Eilís Boland

Kaitlin Butts @ Whelan’s Dublin - 22nd May 2026

A booking at the Highways Festival at the Royal Albert Hall in London last week afforded Nashville-based Kaitlin Butts the opportunity to extend her visit in Europe and play shows in England, Scotland, Belfast and tonight’s gig in Dublin. Her stage presence is far removed from when we first witnessed the Tulsa, Oklahoma-born artist perform an acoustic solo at AmericanaFest in Nashville almost a decade ago. An entertainer in the true sense of the word, Butts combines seriously crafty songwriting with a powerful vocal, often self-deprecating humour, and a sure-footed stage presence, all fashioned from a work ethic and touring relentlessly, both as a headline and support act. Billed as The EUROPEAN Cowgirl Experience, she’s backed by her crack touring band, The Mules, in what is the last date of her current tour.

Opening with Cher’s million-seller single Bang, Bang and closing eighty minutes later with an extended, raucous version of Shania Twain’s Any Man Of Mine, Butts and her band sign off their tour powerfully. White River and Roadrunner, the title track from her 2024 album, follow at breakneck speed, and Butts then explains the backstory to the next song, Come Rest Your Head On My Pillow. An adept storyteller, she recounts that at her first appearance at The Grand Ole Opry, she was approached by Vince Gill, who, impressed by her performance, ended up contributing to the recording of the song. She also adds hilariously that the title of the song came to mind when she encountered a well-endowed woman at a festival wearing a tank top that read ‘cowboy pillows.’

Tongue-in-cheek murder ballads also feature. She throws down the gauntlet in Hunt You Down (“Just know that if you mess around/Boy, I'll hunt you down”) and addresses a narcissist ex-boyfriend in You Ain’t Gotta Die (To Be Dead To Me), the latter’s title taken from literal words offered to Butts by her mother. Less light-hearted and more explosive, a fiery take on the traditional American folk song In The Pines follows.

Butt performs Elsa solo acoustic, explaining it was inspired by her time singing at a retirement home, where she befriended a woman with dementia. On a later visit, she learned the woman had died. This experience is reflected in the lyrics: “Elsa was from Germany/She loved my songs, she was always smiling/She said she had seen all kinds of war/And she used to play guitar but she don't know how anymore.” Unsurprisingly, the first of three encores is Tulsa Time, a celebration of Butt's hometown.

Described by Butts as the loudest audience they played to on the tour, the beaming smiles of the five on stage matched the audience's embrace of an artist and her standout band, whose career trajectory continues to soar.

Credit also to the opening act, Meels. The Californian artist, playing both guitar and banjo and accompanied by an acoustic guitar player and backing vocalist, held the room's attention during her thirty-minute set. A mix of original songs and covers, the highlights were her self-written Willow Song and Neil Young’s Harvest Moon.

Review and photography by Declan Culliton

Kilkenny Roots Festival - 1st to 4th May 2026

Receiving the baton from previous festival directors John Cleere and Tom Stapleton, Garret Kehoe’s line-up for the 28th Kilkenny Roots Festival was an extremely well-selected roster of acts, both relatively new and emerging, and household names. Texan legendary songwriter Rodney Crowell’s exclusive Irish show at The Set Theatre on Saturday afternoon was a close-to-two-hour trawl through his phenomenal back catalogue, performed to an adoring audience. Accompanied by two outstanding musicians, Eamon McLaughlin on fiddle, who had performed with Emmylou Harris in Dublin last January, and Catherine Marx on piano, his set kicked off with Ain’t No Money and finished with Pancho & Lefty, eighteen songs later. The previous evening at the same location, The Big Star Quintet had power-popped their way through a rousing eighteen-set. Comprising original band member Joey Stephens, Mike Mills (R.E.M), Chris Stamey (The dB’s), Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub), and Jon Auer (the Posies), and with three electric guitars and four vocalists, they recreated the original band’s material with reverence, creating a joyful experience that they appeared to treasure as much as the full house. Closing the festival on Monday evening, The Long Ryders can also be described as elderly gentlemen, having formed the band over four and a half decades ago. Sid Griffin, Stephen McCarthy, Greg Sowders and Murray Hammond (of the Texan band Old 97s), replacing the deceased Tom Stephens, they ripped through a set of old favourites and selections from their recently released album, HIGH NOON HYMNS, closing with their anthem Looking For Lewis And Clark.

If those three acts represented the ‘older brigade,’ two bands, both coincidentally from Philadelphia, were torchbearers for the newer breed of collectives blending country and indie with a little grunge on the side. Six-piece Florry, fronted by the force of nature and wildly exuberant Francie Medosch, was like a runaway train as they ripped through a set mainly taken from the album SOUNDS LIKE .FLORRY closing with an incendiary take on First It Was a Movie, Then It Was A Book. Slightly less raucous but equally impressive were their city mates, Friendship. A four-piece band fronted by Dan Wriggens, their folk-indie sound ebbed and flowed through a set that drew heavily from their 2025 album CAVEMAN WAKES UP.

A more relaxed event featured Uncut magazine founder Allan Jones, by now a regular festival attendee. He was in conversation with Belfast-born music journalist Stuart Bailie. Bailie’s latest book, The Song Is Nearly Over, shares his thoughts and insights from forty years in the music industry.

A pointer towards the festival’s varied lineup, pedal steel pioneer Joe Harvey-Whyte and psychedelic guitarist Bobby Lee’s fifty-minute instrumental set was a cosmic, reverb-heavy and swirling delight. Pedal steel was indeed prominent over the weekend. Nashville-based via London, Spencer Cullum is a ‘go-to’ player in Nashville and dipped into selections from his COIN COLLECTION album trilogy during his show. Our own maestro, David Murphy, played pedal steel on most of the set, allowing Cullum to concentrate on vocals and acoustic guitar while delivering some traditional folk songs with his own distinctive twist. His bandmate, Annie Williams, also took centre stage with a couple of her own impressive songs.

Chris Eckman performed twice at the festival as his initially announced show sold out. Accompanied by Alistair McNeill, who produced his last two solo albums, THE LAND WE KNEW THE BEST, and WHERE THE SPIRIT RESTS, and with David Murphy joining on pedal steel, the former member of Seattle band The Walkabouts delivered a spellbinding set, including selections from those albums, encored with a powerful rendition of Drinking In America. 

Greazy Alice, recently signed to Loose Music, is the brainchild of New Orleans-based Alex Pianovich, and influences from his adopted home city manifested in their set, which drifts seamlessly from honky tonk to blues. A highlight was the vocal fusion of Pianovich and band member Jo Morris. California-born voice actress and singer-songwriter Grey DeLisle performed four times over the weekend on the Smithwick’s Music Trail, which featured over fifty free gigs. With her band, The Blue Ribbon Boys, DeLisle charmed audiences with extended country sets delivered with class and wit and some dexterous Telecaster twang.

Willi Carlisle won a slew of new fans with his always politically charged and hilarious stream of consciousness between-song patter, his insightful socially aware songs and his instrumental wizardry on banjo, bones, squeeze box and fiddle. Mayo’s folktronica legend Seamus Fogarty debuted his latest album SHIPS for a wildly enthusiastic room of fans in Billy Byrne’s new music space, followed by DJ Edel’s disco. Another highlight was the 2-hour visit to Nick Harper’s childhood home at 58 FORDWYCH RD, where he grew up with his father, Roy Harper, and the inspiration for Nick's latest album. He regaled us with anecdotes from his father and his own memory and played songs from seminal folk artists Davey Graham, Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Paul Simon, Jackson C. Frank, Marc Bolan, David Bowie and Sandy Denny.

The Equatorial Group played four shows over two days, and drew on material from across their four albums, with their superb harmonies, strong melodies and impressive performance dynamic. Their music is a joy to experience in a live setting with their rhythmic subtleties augmented by engaging guitar, keyboard, and pedal steel colourings. Ben Reel made his customary appearance at the festival and is always great to see in a live setting. His blend of Rock and Roots music is taken from across his wide catalogue of albums and influences. A very accomplished artist and performer.

With close to eighty acts performing, it was not possible to see as many as we would have liked, but the ones referenced above made the weekend a memorable experience. Here’s looking forward to Kilkenny Roots 2027.

Review and photography by the Lonesome Highway Team 

Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter @ Bello Bar, Dublin 24th April 2026

Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter last visited Dublin in 2024, sharing the stage with the drone metal band SUNN O))) at the plush National Concert Hall. They performed as a three-piece on that occasion, Sykes and her musical and songwriting partner, Phil Wandscher (former guitarist for Whiskeytown and Nada Surf), were joined by Bill Herzog on bass guitar. Tonight’s show is better suited to a more intimate venue. Sykes sings and plays acoustic guitar, accompanied by Wandscher on electric guitar, harmonica, and backing vocals. The performance is played to pin-drop silence.

FOREVER, I’VE BEEN BORN, released in 2025, was the first album in over a decade from the cosmic Gothic folk/country artist. As Sykes explains this evening, the long gap was a challenging time during which she faced mental struggles, cared for her elderly mother, and endured other hardships. The album's recording began in 2016, and the material, described by her as “sombre and about extremes,” reflects the difficulties and exhaustion experienced during its making. Sykes' trademark themes and fascination with death and the afterlife appear on the album. However, as the title suggests, melancholic though it is, it also rejoices in rebirth and renewal.

Despite recovering from losing her voice earlier in the tour, Sykes is in fine voice tonight, aside from a few coughs. Opening the set with Hard Not To Believe from their 2007 album LIKE LOVE LUST & THE OPEN HALLS OF THE SOUL, they follow with Be It Me Or Be It None, which seamlessly merges into Winter’s Empty Pages, the first inclusion from their new album. The marriage of Sykes’ delicate and otherworldly vocals and Wandscher's guitar skills is quite unique, and the selections from the latest album recreate the ebb and flow and intimacy of the studio recordings. They include Dewayne, and the title track, the former of which Sykes says was inspired by the documentary film Streetwise, which chronicled the plight of homeless teenagers preyed on and abused in Seattle and the subsequent cry for help and suicide by the song’s character. Also performed from the new album is (‘’Another one about death of course’’) is Feather Treasure.

Selections from the back catalogue include Doralee and the stunning Grow A New Heart, the trance-like closing track from OH, MY GIRL. The show ends with Wooden Roses from their MARBLE SON album, where Wandscher extends the studio version with a dazzling display of fuzzy guitar, pedal, and feedback mastery.

Few, if any, can deliver such bleak, haunting and often menacing themes as eloquently and with such passion as Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter. Combining that skillset with their trademark hauntingly lonesome sound was a joy to behold this evening.

Review and photography by Declan Culliton

Dead Goat @ McKowski Café, The Harrison Hotel, Belfast - 26 March 2026

A new music venue is a rare and welcome happening these days. Mark McKowski recently started a collaboration with The Harrison Chambers of Distinction, an upmarket hotel in Queen's Quarter, Belfast, which sees him running a music lounge most Thursday nights in The Live Lounge, followed by playing records (with optional cocktails!) in the speakeasy bar. The Wedgwood blue and white restored Victorian interiors and candlelight of the Live Lounge provided a cosy welcome in the packed room when Northern Ireland’s Dead Goat foursome took over the club for the launch of their eponymous album on another cold and wet night. 

McKowski himself is one of the members of this recent collaboration. Aka Mark McCausland, an Omagh native and one half of the now disbanded The Lost Brothers, he has adopted the McKowski moniker for his solo work which includes his solo music projects, music production work, collaborations with other artists including M Ward and Howe Gelb (Geckos) and a feature film, The Spin, along with his Boneyard Records shop in Omagh.

Lurgan’s Stevie Scullion (Malojian) gathered the other three musicians together in his studio last year 'to see what would happen’. They found they had an easy rapport and very quickly began to write songs together and the result is this album, and an occasional gig when they find themselves all available (which doesn’t happen very often).

The percussionist is Decky McManus, also from Omagh, who recently worked with Stevie in The Breeze, and earlier in The Basement with McCausland. The fourth member of this ’supergroup’ is the well established Hilltown, Co Down folk singer-songwriter, Matt McGinn, who has six well received albums under his belt.

From the opening chords of Any Way The Wind Blows, with its heavy sultry swamp vibe, it was obvious that we were in for a treat. Matt McGinn took the lead vocals on this one (as well as electric bass throughout), with McKowski singing close harmonies. Stevie Scullion and McKowski provided rhythmic and spiky guitar backdrops on their vintage electric Gretsch and Rickenbacker respectively. Another easy paced number, Broken Arrow, followed with the same vocal set up, then Stevie took the lead vocals on the sweet All That I Need, another laid back slow groove with a more acoustic musical backdrop, ‘meet me somewhere underneath the blanket full of stars …' repeating to beautiful fade out. Writ of the Lonely has a definite Malojian feel to it, with Stevie taking lead in his familiar falsetto. This one had a decided Beatles influence in its driving beat and guitar hooks. Prisoners of the Dark had a much darker tone, with Matt on lead vocals, with lyrics including ‘Desperate times, desperate people …. Holy chaos, Holy Orders’ hinting perhaps at clerical abuse. 

It became clear very quickly that, to quote Matt McGinn, ’there are no real leaders in this band’, but refreshingly, also, there are no real egos. The lack of a set list provided some moments of humour but the relaxed vibe permeated the audience and no-one really minded.

McKowski led on an instrumental that had a decidedly South Western US feel, and Stevie added to the twang factor with his skilled guitar work. So Long John had a much heavier sound, with a driving drum beat, building eventually to a cacophonous conclusion. Death of an Actor was ponderous, ‘words between the lines/voices echo in time’, Stevie’s use of an eBow creating a mesmerising and eerie vibe. Nut Germs was clearly another Stevie Scullion-influenced number, with its sparse instrumentation and somewhat cryptic lyrics. Matt closed the short set with the folky Laughs for the Lonely, and Stevie pulled out the classic folk song He Was A Friend of Mine for the encore. Catch the band at a couple of appearances in Ireland over the next month and check out the new album, which I hope won’t be just a one-off.

Review and photo by Eilis Boland

Samantha Crain @ Whelan’s – 8th March 2026

It’s a welcome return to Samantha Crain, a singer-songwriter who is a favourite of the Irish music-loving community. Her show in the upstairs room at the iconic Whelan’s venue is sold out and the crowd is asked to move forward by Samantha in order that those at the back of the room have an opportunity of seeing the actual stage. Her small frame is something that she mentions in urging the crowd to the lip of the stage and her easy presence is a testament of the natural communication skills that shines through.

Samantha appears with just her guitar, which suffered damage to the neck on the plane flight across the ocean. She tunes between songs and highlights the lower E-String that keeps ‘wandering’ – her narrative always engaging and informative. She speaks of feeling at home in Ireland and that her understanding of the bond between her people and this country runs deep. Samantha is promoting her excellent GUMSHOE album from last year, and she performs Neptune Baby, Dart, Gumshoe, B-Attitudes (a song for her grandmother and the house she lived in for 60 years), and all are taken as firm favourites already among the fans, who sing along on some of the choruses.

An Echo is beautifully haunting, as is the rendition of Joey from the A SMALL DEATH album of 2020. When We Remain is a song that she sings in her native Choctaw language and Samantha speaks movingly regarding the Trail Of Tears that saw her ancestors displaced from their lands in Mississippi and forced to move to a reservation in Oklahoma, where she grew up. The Irish Plantations come to mind when it comes to a displaced people, she also speaks of the close bond between the Irish people and the Choctaw nation, forged during the Famine when her people donated money to aid with the starvation that took the lives of so many.

UNDER BRANCH AND THORN AND TREE is an album that appeared back in 2015. Tonight Samantha plays the very atmospheric Elk City which traces the life of a young girl who gets stuck in an Oklahoma town, trying to make a better life, but slowly sinking down, along with the recession. Her fingerstyle playing is aligned closely to the chord structure on the Richard Thompson classic Vincent Black Lightning. She jokes of trying to learn the original song, but failing on the basis that Richard Thompson “has fifteen fingers.”

Bloomsday is introduced as her only happy song, and the reference to James Joyce is well received by the packed room. Her persona is quietly self-assured throughout and she created a warm sense of intimacy in the venue. She played for close on seventy minutes, leaving the stage with no encore, but it didn’t seem to matter; the sense of kinship from stage to audience was palpable and nobody felt short-changed by the stripped back solo performance. Come back soon, Samantha, a warm welcome is always assured.

PS: Just a few lines about the support act tonight, Podge Lane from Co. Cork. Recently returned from travelling in the USA, he is promoting a new album, LESS OF ME. His confident stage presence and easy banter with the audience has him warming up the atmosphere as he plays new songs Kicking Up Dust, Broken Door and The Story from the new release. He sings out with plenty of energy and his ease on guitar and harmonica go down very well. He closes his set with Ghost, a song about singing on the road and trying to make a living as a gigging musician. It’s always encouraging to see venues like Whelan’s giving local Irish artist the opportunity to play their music and Podge certainly took his chance with enthusiasm and a strong performance.

Review and photo by Paul McGee

Courtney Marie Andrews @Whelan’s – 21st February 2026

What a welcome return to Dublin this proved to be. The last time that Courtney Marie Andrews played in the city was back in 2022 when she appeared solo at Liberty Hall in fulfilment of a previously cancelled show from 2021. Tonight, her return has been greatly anticipated, as witnessed by the capacity audience, together with her first new music in four years. Her current album VALENTINE now being toured across nine European countries, before returning to America for extended dates into late April.

Her career started to gain momentum ten years ago with a lot of media attention around her album HONEST LIFE (2016). Since that jumping off point, Courtney Marie has steadily build her reputation around a strong touring ethic and continued quality output across subsequent album releases MAY YOUR KINDNESS REMAIN (2018), OLD FLOWERS (2020), and LOOSE FUTURE (2022). Now we stride forward to her tenth studio release and an opportunity to reflect upon her journey taken, over the same ten year period, in a career that has really blossomed into different directions.

Today, Courtney Marie finds herself in a space that would have been a pipe dream for her younger self. An independent recording artist, surviving in an industry that is particularly cruel and dismissive of solo female songwriters, guiding a career strictly on her own terms. She is also a poet, having published two books of her inner musings, and a painter, who has been exploring this side of her creative process since Covid lockdown.

Her interest in continuing to grow and explore as a creative artist has never been more evident that on the new album, and the superb Valentine is a beautifully crafted testament to her fascination with both connection and love, in all different forms and guises. The ten songs are creatively refined, subtly woven with layered melodies, that form a perfect mirror for self-reflection and quiet contemplation. Played here in a live setting, without studio technology, they stand alongside any of her impressive back catalogue.

Tonight, accompanied by her excellent three-piece band, Courtney Marie Andrews delivers a show that includes a full performance of the new album, the back-to-back delivery of all ten songs making perfect sense in the intimate atmosphere of Whelan’s. The band comprises Jerry Bernherdt (album co-producer) on keyboards and guitars, Matt Carroll on drums, and Taylor Zachary on bass. Each musician is superbly gifted in the art of serving the song and playing comfortably at all times in what is commonly referred to as “in the pocket.”

Their band interplay and harmony vocals are very impressive throughout in support of Courtney Marie, who displays her own expertise on both acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards, and flute (who knew!), to great effect. She also delivers a vocal master-class on what nuanced performance is all about – quietly reflective in one moment; powerful and poignant at the next. Her pitch and tone has always been capable of melting the hardest heart at ten paces and tonight she soars like a songbird.

In fact, the presence of artificial white doves on the instruments and microphone stands is further evidence of the abiding message that she wants to impart; that we are all part of the same cosmic glue, and we have more loving awareness in common than what keeps us apart. Release the white doves of peace…

Of the new songs, instant stand-outs are Cons and Clowns, Little Picture Of A Butterfly, Outsider, and Best Friend. It’s a sign of their quality in that they sound like immediate favourites, and are greeted warmly by the enthusiastic crowd. Courtney Marie also takes some moments to read from her recently published poetry book “Love Is A Dog That Bites When It’s Scared”, but it’s a missed opportunity in that she doesn’t frame the pieces that are performed or introduce them in any context. Such is her reluctance towards self-promotion, preferring to let the work speak for itself.

Outside of the new album performance, she visits four previous albums across seven songs chosen, with favourites such as Table For One, Irene, Burlap String and If I Told all included. She performs an unrecorded song titled Standing In the Rain and also the superb Near You, which appeared on an EP titled LEUVEN LETTERS(2014). One of the encore songs is the iconic May Your Kindness Remain and the words hang in the air almost like a prayer against these troubled times ‘The richest of people aren't rich with houses, cars, or fame, No, they're not rich with something that can be bought or arranged, No, it's kindness that makes them beautiful and a kind heart don't cost a dime, It's a gift that keeps giving for the rest of your life.‘

It’s an atmospheric performance in a room packed with hushed admirers. Courtney Marie speaks of her joy in returning to Whelan’s and of her first memories playing there as a very young artist (in the front bar)! Not only has she come a long way since such humble beginnings, there is a special place in our hearts for the beautifully constructed art that Courtney Marie creates, and a warm glow to be in the presence of live performance of this quality.

P.S. The opening act tonight was  Roisín Gowen, an Irish singer-songwriter who has a winning stage presence and a way with a song. She played her tunes to a listening audience who were very encouraging, and both Gift Of Presence and Fighting Spirit were well received. A cover of the Sandy Denny song Who Know’s Where the Time Goes was also included, after some extended tuning and audience interaction. Roisin has an album launch party taking place on 28th March next in Dublin’s Unitarian Church.

Review and photos by Paul McGee

The Paper Kites @ 3Olympia – 18th February 2026

It has been just shy of two years since the Paper Kites last played in Dublin. Back then the venue was Vicar Street and the band was comprised of eight musicians on the night, the regular five-piece augmented by members of The Roadhouse Band. The show was centred around the release of At the Roadhouse and included seven songs from the album. It was a very special illustration of the quiet power that the band has harnessed over many years of touring and playing together, blended with understated interaction that was a joy to experience in such a perfect listening venue.

Tonight the band is commencing a tour in support of the current release IF YOU GO THERE, I HOPE YOU FIND IT and they perform six of the new songs taken from the album. Any band needs to change and grow over the arc of a career, and there are always influences at play in the dynamic of what presents itself onstage. Sam Bentley is the lead vocalist and guitar player, with the songs he writes a defining influence on the persona of the band. There is a sweetly tinged feeling of melancholy that runs through the song arrangements with the melodies conjuring up a sense of reverie in the laid-back delivery. However, over a set that includes sixteen songs, the pace doesn’t change very much and at times there is the impression that the band is performing with the brakes on.

Given that the gear they cruise in is very appealing, and creates a sense of quiet calm, there is the risk that everything becomes just a little bit one-paced in the delivery. In fairness, there is the new arrangement of Black and Thunder that lifts things into a different scenario, and the extended link from Bleed Confusion into Without Your Love adds a different colour in the performance, but somehow the return to a reflective, yearning ambience somewhat restricts the show from really catching fire and taking off. Sam Bentley has a vocal timbre that rests in the higher register and this defines a certain trait in the overall sound; something that soothes in the gentle delivery but also restricts a wider palette of musical exploration.

The band is really superb throughout, even if the visits to a communal mike don’t always work across the set, together with a visit to the ground floor of the venue for an acoustic number that left three band members temporarily redundant onstage, while the song performance was lost to the audience who were placed on the balconies above. There were three occasions when the band gathered around the front-of-stage microphone; beginning with the opening Morning Gum from the new album, continued on Deep (In the Plans We Made) into the set, and concluding with the ever-popular Bloom as part of the two-song encore. Does this approach always work? Maybe in a smaller, more intimate venue, but here it just serves to break up the natural flow of the concert. There is also an acoustic duet with the impressive support act Bess Atwell joining Sam on co-vocals on the song Dearest which appeared on the ROSES album from 2021.

The concert was somewhat compromised by the failing light show, with the stage plunged into total darkness at intervals, something that didn’t lend to the cohesion of the performance. No doubt, such glitches will be ironed out as the tour continues and the band is very genuine in their comments of the joy experienced in playing to an Irish audience over their previous visits to our shores.

Over the setlist, the band revisit eight of their releases, dating back to 2011. It’s a very generous approach in trying to include stops at a number of signposts along their successful career path and the enthusiastic crowd are very fulsome in their reaction to the song selections. Tonight, the band of six members comprises Sam Bentley (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Christina Lacy (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Josh Bentley (drums, percussion), David Powys (guitars, banjo, lap steel), Sam Rasmussen(bass guitar, synthesizers), and Chris Panousakis (pedal steel, guitar, mandolin, percussion).

I get the sense that David Powys could be let loose just a little bit more to express his obvious talents on lead guitar, his intuitive playing is a real highlight, plus the multi-skilled Chris Panousakis should now be a key element to the band sound into the future. His pedal steel adds a subtle and sublime element in the overall atmosphere that is so much a part of the sound, and so gently delivered. The Paper Kites remain a firm favourite, the inventive ensemble delivering so much reward in their intuitive playing. It’s as much the space between the notes that creates their special resonance and my wish is that they develop this sound into new dimensions as they move inexorably forward.

Review by Paul McGee. Photos courtsey of Anne Power.

John Smith @Whelan’s – 16th February 2026

There are nights that linger in the memory and that nestle over time to bring a smile when remembering that warm sense of belonging. This was one of those nights, the return of a consummate musician, an intimate setting in the main room of Whelan’s, and an audience who were completely wrapped up in the magic that was delivered from this skilled performer.

John was finishing a short Irish tour in support of his latest release, GATHERINGS, which is a look back down the path, with ten songs revisited from the first ten years of his music career. He talks about making a decision in 2005 to give up his part-time jobs in order to concentrate on a full-time career in music, the journey that has unfolded and the wisdom gained from the experiences of a travelling troubadour.

A debut album arrived in 2006 and The Fox and the Monk began a steady rise to the pinnacle of the modern folk summit, a place where he now resides and in which he is comfortably ensconced in the lofty environs. His guitar technique is hugely impressive and his accomplished skillset has been honed over many years of playing live around the world. Over the years of seeing John perform, his vocal delivery has reached a stage where it entwines seamlessly with his guitar playing and the chords wrap around the words in such a sweetly sonorous feel.

From the GREAT LAKES album John selects Freezing Winds Of Change, Town To Town, Great Lakes, and Salty and Sweet. The latter song is one where John directs the audience to sing harmony vocals on the melody and it’s a lovely moment of communal bonding in the room. With a self-effacing humour John tells stories of the road and of the career he has spun since attending music studies in the city of Liverpool, through to his current status as a guitar virtuoso, with online content that is worthy of your time.

Songs from Headlong are also included and Far Too Good is a highlight, along with the superbly delivered Joanna, which includes a section from the Van Morrison song Tupelo Honey and another opportunity for the audience to join on the chorus lines. Hummingbird and Willy Moore also feature, along with Trick Of the Light, The World Turns, and Too Good To Be True. John also plays another song Silver Mine from the 2024 album Trick Of the Light and this is dedicated to his daughter. The encore is a song taken from that debut album and Winter is performed with John seated and creating real sorcery from his movement across the fretboard, using the guitar body as a percussive ally, while he makes the strings dance along to the rhythm and melody.

Over a very inspiring ninety minutes, we keep the world outside at bay and revel in the power of music to deliver a soothing balm, with John using his two guitars, various foot pedals and percussion to create some very special memories. He speaks of his genuine love of playing at Whelan’s and the appreciative audience return his warmth in their response throughout this evening of  great joy.

Review and photo by Paul McGee

Jeffrey Martin @ Whelan’s - 29th January 2026

It’s been less than a year since Jeffrey Martin played at Whelan’s and he makes a welcome return tonight. He is on a short European tour in support of a live album that is due for release next month on Loose Records. A regular visitor to these shores, Jeffrey has created a dedicated support base over recent years of playing here and his impressive songcraft is what endears him to our nation of saints and scholars.

Playing to a main room that soaks up all the emotion in his live performance, Jeffrey is authentic and engaging in a song set that generates an intimacy and a quiet sense of reverence for all who treasure his deeply poignant music. He displays a humility and wisdom in speaking of his inner reflections, and there is a real humanity at the core of Jeffrey Martin, that is highlighted in his songs. They speak to the essence of our human condition in all its fractured complexity and he asks the big questions, such as "Why are we here?" and "What's our purpose?"

Jeffrey delivers a solo performance and it’s a compelling experience, as he spins his songs of deep contemplation and insightful perspective. The songs tonight include seven that are taken from the most recent studio album THANK GOD WE LEFT THE GARDEN and Jeffrey speaks between the numbers of his belief in the human spirit and the hidden depths that we all possess.  He likens the media news that we receive daily as akin to an aperture that is very narrow. The lens closing doesn’t allow for the way that we all relate to the world and to each other. Jeffrey assures us that there are many good people out there, doing positive things and making change, especially in America in the toxic atmosphere that pervades at present.

Renditions of Garden, Paper Crown and Quiet Man are powerful, and his song that looks at intolerance and ignorance, Red Station Wagon, is a really intense moment that brings a lengthy applause from the audience. Jeffrey performs a few songs from earlier albums also and the joy of going to see him in a live setting is that you never quite know what he will choose from his impressive repertoire. Tonight we are treated to the very personal Coal Fire, a love song of sorts in Thrift Store Dress and the superbly structured Draw the Line.

Jeffrey has a great sense of humour and his wry observations are often hilarious. The tells of the frustrations that Covid brought and how he channelled much of his creativity into odd experimentation, like buying a cheap Casio keyboard and trying to create an instrumental electronic album. The random purchase of roller blades had him skating around his neighbourhood in the depth of the night, complete with headphones, while he listened to his compositions, sometimes with the aid of some magic mushrooms. When the experiment didn’t work out to any great degree of satisfaction, Jeffrey wrote a song titled Walking instead. He includes this in the set and it has a poetic take of life ‘The violent sounds of busy streets, People living at all cost, Die away eventually, If you stay up late enough, Stoplights play for no one, The dogs are gone to dream, When I go out walking.’

Mick Flannery is a friend, and Jeffrey recalls how he was so impressed by the album A Night At the Opera that centres around the theme of famous chess games and their players. Suitably moved to respond to the challenge, Jeffrey sent Mick a song titled Checkers that is very funny and proves to be a firm favourite for audience participation on the chorus. In speaking about wanting to follow your heroes, Jeffrey chats about the beat poets and mentions William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac. He notes that on examination they turned out to be less than attractive in their own lives and he performs the song Billy Burroughs, a tale about an incident in Mexico when he shot his wife dead in a trick that went wrong when she placed a highball glass on her head. Life can be seen as a game of chance and this incident shows just how fragile our existence can prove to be.

As the show concludes Jeffrey plays a cover of the Neil Young song One Of These Days and he invites the support act duo Mark Erelli and Dinty Child to join him on guitars and vocals. The standout song was There Is A Treasure and it has all the elements that make a Jeffrey Martin song into something to cherish  ‘The city will still be moving in the morning, A million lives all breathing like a tide, Each one a story beyond our comprehending, Each trying to make a life and feel alive.’ There is the soul of a poet in Jeffrey Martin and with his songs tonight he made us all feel a little bit more connected and a great deal more alive. A superb evening.

We had a very special opening act to add even more quality to the show, and the appearance of both Mark Erelli (Lori McKenna, Josh Ritter, Jeffrey Foucault) and Dinty Child (Session Americana, Kris Delmhorst, Catbirds) onstage, brought great rewards to the audience who responded with a very warm welcome. The duo are lifelong friends and an intrinsic part of the Boston Folk/Roots scene as both singer-songwriters and multi-instrumentalists. Their performance tonight across a short set was inspiring in the interplay between the two guitars and the vocal harmonies. Songs they have written together such as Look Up and History Of the Future are performed with great skill and Feels Like the First Time, The Morning and Solitaire are also included, plus a new song, written with Peter Mulvey recently, gets a first time performance, and When I Get To Where I’m Going has the crowd singing along on the chorus with great enthusiasm. The duo are currently finishing off a short tour of Ireland where they played shows in Dublin, Galway, Cork, Donegal, Wexford and Tyrone. It was great to see them support Jeffrey Martin and hopefully they will return again in the not too distant future.

Review and photos by Paul McGee

Amythyst Kiah @ Oh Yeah , Belfast - 28 January 2026

Although she claimed to be still a bit jet lagged after her journey from Johnston City, Tennessee, via Glasgow (where she played at Celtic Connections a few nights ago) Amythyst Kiah still had an arresting stage presence tonight. The small audience in the Oh Yeah Centre in Belfast’s buzzing Cathedral Quarter seemed to be familiar with her work, and she had fond remembrances of her first gig here in 2022. She probably first came to prominence to wider audiences as part of the Our Native Daughters project, with Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla and Allison Russell, but prior to this she had graduated from East Tennessee State University's prestigious Bluegrass, Old Time & Country Music Studies degree. 

She launched straight into songs from her current album, 2024’s STILL + BRIGHT, accompanying herself initially on her open back banjo, played frailing style. I Will Not Go Down features Billy Strings on the album version, but Kiah’s solo version was no less powerful tonight, a song of defiance with some Gothic horror thrown in. ‘If I’m to be left all alone/I’ll kill the beast all on my own’. S P A C E is a plea to be allowed to explore one’s psychological issues as a normal part of existing, and Kiah explained how she felt the need to suppress these things when she was young, but no longer. Comfortable on stage, her between song banter was illuminating, her explanations of the background to her songs made them all the more powerful. Switching to her acoustic Vintage Gibson guitar, she told us of her deep interest in the cosmic horror genre and it infuses many of the songs she performs tonight, including Gods Under The Mountain, Die Slowly Without Complaint and Silk and Petals. 

Before performing Empire of Love, Kiah gave us some background about her upbringing in Johnson City Tennessee, where she felt out of place, for obvious reasons, but she decided to stay, and has since ‘found her tribe’ and is happy there even though she has rejected the faith that has given rise to the Bible Belt moniker of the American South. She still appreciates the folk music that she turned to while she was in denial after a personal tragedy at 17, hence the rendition of Darlin’ Corey, concerning that ‘moonshining, banjo playing, gun toting’ legendary female. Her next cover version was of Lady Gaga song, Game of Love, which demonstrated how  Kiah is as influenced by popular culture as she is by the Appalachian traditions which she is also immersed in. A muscular version of the folk standard In The Pines is followed by Play God and Destroy the World. 

Explaining that she had used alcohol for years to avoid facing the aforementioned trauma that occurred during her teens, she performed three songs all on this theme - Hangover Blues, Firewater and Greendays’ Hitchin’ A Ride. She is open about the fact that through therapy she has faced those demons and is now in a good place, which is very obvious to all tonight. Her final cover song is her version of Vera Hall’s well known 1937 song, Trouble So Hard, which was recently used in the Netflix series, The Abandoned. She bid us goodbye with perhaps her best known song, the Grammy nominated Black Myself, which she points out is essentially about freedom for all, not just her black demographic. 

The opening act was local Belfast man, Carl Devlin, who not only is a proficient blues guitarist influenced by Robert Johnston, Blind Willie McTell etc, but he is also researching the link between Irish music and the blues, and the Alan Lomax collection. He performed a fascinating version of Goodnight Irene as gaeilge (in Irish)! We’ll be watching that project with interest.

Review and photo by Eilís Boland

Craig Finn @Whelan’s – 27th January 2026

This is such a welcome return to Dublin for a songsmith who, were he Irish, could perhaps stake a claim to be included among some of our literary greats. His story songs create alternative lives and his descriptive talents are second to none when it comes to painting a vista of life on this mortal coil. Craig Finn illustrates the dignity in daily struggle, the frailty and strength to be found in equal measure among our collective experiences, and reflects on ways we somehow forge a meaningful path through life, in all its complexities.

Craig Finn has a seat at the table with the greatest exponents of the human condition and his insightful craft is so finely honed over decades of songwriting that he stands tall among his contemporaries. The story songs that he creates are the woven threads of Flash Fiction, contemporary plays, fringe performance, and beat poetry. The characters come alive in his songs and we want to follow their journeys as they negotiate the unseen rapids of daily living. Compassion, empathy and a knowing acceptance run through the songs and it is without doubt one of the great pleasures on a cold and rainy night in Dublin to witness his creative muse in such an intimate setting.

The capacity crowd could not be more supportive and they listen in hushed reverence as the songs unfold, painting characters that are at once familiar and so much a part of a world in which we all could meet in our daily routines. They are at once believable and authentic in the mini-plays where they exist and their challenges are part of the glue that binds us all together.

Craig Finn grew up in Minneapolis and, given the current volatility in his city, he keeps everything on an even keel tonight regarding any political speeches, restricting his comments to a simple “you may have seen it in the news recently.” He makes special mention to his band, who join him for the second half of the set, and notes the sacrifice they have made to travel to Europe, leaving family behind, in support of his tour, at a time when so much unrest exists in his home state.

All three of the musicians in the Band Of Forgiveness (so aptly named) live in Minneapolis also, and Nelson Devereaux (saxophone, flute, clarinet), plus Joe and Ethan (whose surnames are not highlighted), display so much talent on electric guitars, keyboards, and drum samples. Their playing in support of these spoken-word songs is akin to jazz experimentation as they interpret the song dynamics.

Ireland is steeped in a storytelling tradition and if we were looking to recognise an honorary bard, then Craig Finn comes very close. You find it in the detail of the lyrics, the minutiae contained in the descriptive words that populate the lyrics and that hit a bullseye in every song. There’s forgiveness and redemption in all the songs, as if despite our worst natures we can always turn toward feelings of  fresh hope. Many of the songs are from dark places but the need for optimism is always there, just beyond the next horizon.

The songs tonight cover two separate sets. Craig opens up the show with an acoustic solo performance of seven gems, including Maggie, I’ve Been Searching For Our Son, Be Honest, Tangletown, Crumbs, Dennis and Billy, This Is What It Looks Like, and Magic Marker (Craig suggests that the latter is his favourite in a long list). There is a short break while everyone gets the chance to digest and discuss such a strong start to the evening, with the room buzzing on the electricity generated. Everything went up a notch when Craig returned with his three supporting musicians who graced the performance in their ensemble playing and excelled across a further seventeen songs of the highest quality.

The creative use of wind instruments and keyboard swathes add greatly to the performance dynamic and the two most recent albums, ALWAYS BEEN and A LEGACY OF RENTALS are featured across fifteen songs in a set that includes many highlights, with God In Chicago, Clayton, Betheny, Preludes and Fletcher’s being received like old friends with enthusiastic applause. Craig talks of not trying to create a Walt Disney version of love in his songs and the couples featured often struggle for common ground a lot of the time.   

Other highlights are the superb Shamrock, I Walk With A Cane, Messing With the Settings, People Of Substance, All These Perfect Crosses and Due To Depart. Quite how he can remember all the words in his burgeoning repertoire is a feat of great dedication to his work ethic. Not one of the songs performed tonight comes anywhere near being just ordinary and this is song craft of the highest order,

It all comes to an ending all too soon as the evening concludes and we all make our individual journeys out into the night, just like we are playing roles and characters in one of Craig’s songs. While there is no such thing as the perfect gig, this one ran very close, and the experience was acknowledged and shared by all present. A very special evening.

Review and photo by Paul McGee