Wales and Ireland share a similar cultural heritage and the Celtic traditions also stretch to the tale that St. Patrick was indeed Welsh illustrates the bond shared between our nations in language, stories, songs and music. Martyn Joseph was born in Penarth, Wales, and it has been more years than he cares to remember since he last played a live show in Ireland. He recounts tales of the old Point Depot in the docklands and support slots with headliners such as Chris De Burgh.
He has also shared the stage with Marc Cohn, Joan Armatrading, Art Garfunkel, Janis Ian, and Suzanne Vega, among many others. He tells a story of touring with Shirley Bassey and leaving after a short number of shows over what was referred to as "rather obvious artistic differences." This was a time when his star was rising in terms of mass media appeal. Having achieved Top 40 chart success during the 1990s, the changing tides saw Martyn develop his own record label and look to the burgeoning internet as a way to support his journey through the many winding roads that is the music business.
It has been a few years since his latest releases appeared on my radar and I have fond memories of his talent dating back to when he was establishing his talents on the early albums. So, it was a pleasant surprise to learn of this gig in Whelan’s on a quiet Wednesday night, with the lead up to Christmas festivities already in the air. There seems to have been a lack of publicity surrounding the gig and the ticket price may have discouraged a few folks from deciding to take the opportunity of seeing a singer-songwriter of undoubted charisma and skill.
My decision to purchase a late ticket for the event was well judged and it was an absolute pleasure to witness this talented artist in such close surroundings. In a career spanning over 40 years, 27 studio albums, over a half a million record sales, and thousands of live performances, there can be no doubting the quality of this songsmith, foraging real emotion and feeling from songs that touch upon so much of what makes us human and connected in this fragile world.
Martyn performed a stirring set across many songs taken from his album catalogue, in addition to playing requests from a very attentive and enthusiastic audience at Whelan’s. He sings passionately about injustice, inequity, the social morass of today, corruption, both moral and political, and the abuse of the innocent and vulnerable in these troubled times. He is a champion for protest, and for what should be the better part of our humanism, and he speaks so eloquently regarding the baggage that we are passing down to our children and their generation, who are full of a steely determinism not to repeat the mistakes of their elders. Martyn writes songs from the heart and the head, never backing away from the tough questions and asking that we hold a mirror up to our own internal compasses that guide the way in which we negotiate our daily lives.
Spirited performances of songs like Here Come the Young, Please Sir, and In A World That Breaks Your Heart speak to the questions that occupy a sentient mind in the search for better days, his guitar prowess always enhancing the dynamic, and the use of effects pedals and a percussion block rounding out the immersive sound with great craft and skill. This man certainly is at one with his Lowden guitar, as befits such a close companion through all the ups and downs of a storied career.
Last Night I Heard America is a new song and imbued with great power in the delivery and in the lyrics that call to mind better days when a great nation was not victim of its own division and uncertainty. There are a number of sing-along moments across the setlist where the enthusiastic audience join on choruses that lift the overall experience to greater heights. This Light Is Ours is a particularly memorable moment with the chorus refrain ‘This light will shine on all of us, Not just for the few, Take me where the grass grows green, And I’ll walk another mile with you.’
Never underestimate the power of a harmonica to augment a rhythmic reverie, and Martyn even slips into a Dylan impersonation as part of the delivery.
Things That We Have Carried Here and I Searched For You are other moments of deep resonance and with both his trusty Lowden and a beautiful Takamine 12-string guitar as the weapons of choice, in true Woody Guthrie style, Martyn carries the audience on a wave of righteous anger and railing against any system that conspires to keep us compliant. Can’t Breathe is a real highlight tonight and the intensity of the performance is riveting in the delivery, with passionate vocals and sincere in every way. A personal request from a couple who travelled from Cork is played and the poignant story behind Chapel Porth Beach is one that elicits spontaneous applause from the audience at its outcome.
Dolphins Make Me Cry is another classic in the repertoire and the poignancy of the lyric resonates ‘Did you ever touch the loneliness of a broken man? did you see a starving child die? do we really do these things to one another? do you see why... Dolphins make me cry.’ Another song in the encore is Driving Her Back To London and an insight into a father-daughter relationship, the sweet pride of watching your child grow into a fully formed adult and the difficulty of letting go… it’s a wonderful song, and a perfect testament to the songcraft thar Martyn Joseph brings to his music. It was a special gig and one that I hope will be repeated with a return visit into next year.
Review and photo by Paul McGee