Malojian @ The American Bar, Belfast - Oct 3, 2021

Malojian (aka Stevie Scullion) kicked off his 5 week run of Sunday afternoon gigs in The American Bar by playing his debut album, THE DEER’S CRY, in full. He has handpicked a different opening act for each show, and today we were treated to a short set from Mandy Bingham. Accompanied as always by her partner Graham, Mandy admitted to being nervous since it was her first gig since lockdown. She needn’t have worried, however, as she quickly settled in, no doubt partly due to the warm reception she received from the sold out crowd. Graham’s atmospheric lap steel (and occasionally electric bass) is the perfect foil for her delicate vocals and finger picked guitar, and we were treated to mostly new songs Mandy had written during lockdown. Firebomb was particularly impressive, and it will be available soon as a single, produced by Malojian.

Then we were transported back in time to ten years ago when Malojian released his debut album into the world. Solo, he played the songs in the order in which they were listed on the album (which was a diy effort in a simple brown cardboard cd sleeve, hand stamped on his kitchen table,  the original run long sold out). Accompanying himself either on his acoustic Alvarez or his classic electric Rickenbacker, we were off on an odyssey through the whimsical world of the mind of Stevie Scullion! The Deer’s Cry was the alternative name for the St Patrick’s Breastplate prayer, Stevie explained, and that gave us some insight into ‘where his head was at’ when the album was being written and recorded. A few of these songs were in existence during his time with his former band, Cat Malojian, which he had formed with banjoist Johnny Toman, but by now that band had imploded and THE DEER’S CRY was created in the aftermath. ‘I’m never gonna live my life with my back against the wall’ in The Deer’s Cry is reiterated again in Checkmate ‘I don’t want to be a pawn in no-one’s game’. True to those aspirations, Stevie has ploughed his own furrow successfully as an independent artist, to the extent that he is in charge of his own record label and is starting to attract other artists into his Style Records stable. Recorded on a shoestring in various places, with his core band of Mikey Mormecha and Joe McGurgan, to whom he dedicated the last song, The Glue, he explained that it was somewhat of a miracle that this album ever saw the light of day. 

Not exactly known for his easy stage banter, unusually Stevie was in a (relatively) talkative mood and we heard some hilarious anecdotes about the inspirations for some of the material, and about some of the escapades the band got up to at that time. The Old Timer, accompanied by the Rickenbacker today, gets me every time and the unlikely inspiration for Do You Believe was quite a surprise to this reviewer.

All the gigs sold out very quickly but the audio-visual team of Chris McCorry and Colm Laverty are expertly live streaming the gigs via Stage Left, so you can experience them for yourself even if you weren’t lucky enough to grab a ticket.

Review by Eilís Boland

Brigid Mae Power - The Sunflower, Belfast -10th Sept 2021

 Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter was alive this week with an almost palpable air of giddy anticipation with the return of live music and arts events, post-pandemic. Even though there were still some restrictions, the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival (cancelled completely in 2020 and postponed this year from its usual early May slot) returned with a bang. 

Galway based Brigid Mae Power admitted to being quite nervous for her very first live gig in almost two years and admitted to feeling ‘rusty’, but she needn’t have worried. The necessarily small but appreciative audience, in the intimate room that is the upstairs venue in The Sunflower Bar, was respectfully supportive and equally glad to be there. Kicking off with the never more appropriate You Have A Quiet Power, she did indeed demonstrate that quiet power over a 70 minute set of solo interpretations of her own folky songs and a couple of covers. This reviewer hadn’t experienced a live Brigid Mae Power gig before and wasn’t very familiar with her work, so was pleasantly surprised to have enjoyed it quite so much.

Most of the set was taken from her acclaimed 2020 album HEAD ABOVE WATER, which was co-produced by herself, husband Peter Broderick and Alasdair Roberts. Without the luxury of a full band tonight, Power used only her electric Squier Telecaster (quietly strummed or finger picked), and occasionally a harmonium, to accompany herself and nothing more was needed. Her sweet and simultaneously powerful voice and unusual vocal stylings carried off her songs with a quiet confidence, despite her initially timid stage presence. On a City Night, I Had to Keep My Circle Small (where she easily reached those ‘impossibly high notes’!), Wearing Red That Eve and We Weren’t Sure were exquisite. I haven’t heard a better cover of Dylan’s classic One More Cup of Coffee, taken from her upcoming EP of cover versions, BURNING YOUR LIGHT. Also from that EP we were treated to the traditional May Morning Dew, a nod to her traditional Irish roots in Galway, via London. A new song, the dream-inspired Mother in the Sky was given a first airing, and Prine’s Angel from Montgomery was a welcome favourite.

For the encore, there was a call from a possibly inebriated audience member to ‘play the harmonica again’ and an amused Power obliged by treating us to Let Me Hold You Through This from her debut album.

Confiding that she didn’t enjoy her on-line gigs because every little mistake felt magnified and unforgiven, I’m sure we all join with her in the hope that we will never again have to return to those  miserable days.

Review by Eilís  Boland

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival - Various Locations : 3rd October 2020

Those of us who were lucky enough to be able to tune in to watch the online special version of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2020 Let the Music Play On were treated to a riveting three-hour documentary exploring some of the best of contemporary American roots music. This was the 20th anniversary of the festival which was set up by the late billionaire Warren Hellman and, thanks to his philanthropy, it has continued annually since his passing in 2011. Uniquely, the festival is completely free to attend, and attracts crowds of hundreds of thousands to the Golden Gate Park in San Francisco every October.

The pre-recorded documentary film, thanks to the well-funded organisation left behind by Hellman and involving many of his family, boasted very high production values. The musical performances were pre-recorded in various locations in the US (both indoor and outdoor) and indeed Ireland (Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi) and consisted of beautifully lit themed sets. The pieces were stitched together by tongue in cheek links from Californian musicians Chuck Prophet and Tre Burt, filmed on location in Golden Gate Park.

The proceedings kicked off with an affectionate portrayal of Warren Hellman himself from family and musician friends, and a chronicle of his unlikely friendship with Hazel Dickens. Hazel, who passed away herself not long before Hellman, was a much admired pioneering bluegrass musician who was also a champion of worker’s rights and of feminism. What began as a ‘strictly’ bluegrass festival evolved within a few years to become the ‘hardly strictly’ celebration that it is today.

Importantly, the aim of the festival this year was to raise much needed funds for Artist Relief, a philanthropic organisation that is providing much needed help for musicians (in the US) who are, of course, struggling more than most during the pandemic. The HSB company itself has donated $1m to the fund, and during the documentary funds came tumbling in from the appreciative audience.

 The running theme that stitched the whole event together was the evolution of the 5-string banjo music and its sociopolitical significance since its arrival in the US with African slaves in the nineteenth century. Parallel with this ran the clear anti-racism message of equality for all, regardless of ethnicity.

 Also notable was the strict adherence to social distancing and mask wearing (by all except the singers).

The traditional Country music of artists like Emmylou Harris & Buddy Miller, Jimmy Dale Gilmore & Butch Hancock, Robert Earl Keen and Steve Earle was played with both passion and purpose, while new artists such as Aaron Lee Tasjan, Tré Burt, Amythyst Kiah and Yola delivered a mix of Folk, Blues and new Country with a gritty edge to complement their more contemporary sound.

Sierra Ferrell gave an arresting performance and Steve Earle & the half-grass Dukes (with Tim O’Brien & Dennis Crouch) played with great energy and verve (“Ladies & Gentlemen, notice at no time do our fingers leave our hands.”)

Rhiannon Giddens appeared with Francesco Turrisi for a fiddle & percussion masterclass and she also spoke about the traditions of the Banjo at various points, interspersed with performances from Alison Brown and the Black Banjo Reclamation Project, also masters of the instrument and its place in the roots of musical communities and ethnic identity.

Los Coast were one of my favourite ‘unknown’ discoveries with strummed electric guitar and cello lifting a rendition of the classic, A Change Is Gonna Come, along with the soulful vocal delivery. Gospel trio The Sons of the Soul Revivers were also an interesting act, as indeed was the funky soul performance of Fantastic Negrito. The wonderful fiddle playing of Carrie Rodriguez was highlighted on the traditional, Frío En El Alma, a Mexican ballad and Bonnie Raitt delivered a sublime Blues performance on Shadow Of A Doubt.

Birds of Chicago delivered American Flowers with gentle power but the highlights for me were the heartfelt tribute to John Prine, when a variety of artists sung Paradise, with its references to the Peabody Coal Company and strip mining, together with the final rendition of Woody Guthrie’s This Land Is Your Land based around an existing Carter Family tune and including an additional verse from Steve Earle that called out Mr Trump.

Other standout performances included Buddy Miller’s curated performances from his Nashville home, including Kieran Kane with Rayna Gellert, The McCrary Sisters and (of course!) Jim Lauderdale and Emmylou.

Festival founder, Warren Hellman, had a vision and a deep passion for bringing people together and this uniquely FREE Festival, with no corporate sponsors, delivered a 20th Anniversary that did his memory proud and honoured his generosity of spirit.

Never before has it been more important to reach out to each other and the format of this online festival was completely successful in achieving this feeling across the 3 hours of archive footage, varied insights from assembled interviewees and lots of wonderfully diverse music.

The 3 hours went by quickly, which is always a good sign of enjoyment levels, the themes of Daybreak, Day and Dusk were well co-ordinated and with pledges in excess of €250,000 received from the virtual audience, it was an unqualified success on all levels. Congratulations to the event organisers and all the hard work from the technical staff behind the scenes.

The documentary is available to stream until Oct 11 - do not miss it!

Review by the Lonesome Highway Team.

Courtney Marie Andrews Live - Nashville

Courtney Marie Andrews at The Parthenon Nashville 26th September 2020

‘From this Arizona desert, to your cold English shores, I’m sending you my love and nothing more’. 

The final words from Courtney Marie Andrews’ album OLD FLOWERS are also her parting declaration to this breath-taking performance, streamed live from The Parthenon in Centennial Park, Nashville.  

She’s seated at the piano in the centre of the large hall, where she has presented the ten songs from OLD FLOWERS in the same sequence as they appear on the album. It’s quite a striking setting – a large rug is placed in the middle of the stately room, sparsely decorated with flowers, candles and a Wurlitzer electric piano, guitar, pedal steel console and microphones.

Accompanying her are vocalist Erin Rae, who also adds percussion on occasion and multi-instrumentalist Matthew Davidson on pedal steel, electric piano and violin. Both these players leave the stage for that final song Ships In The Night, as if to give Andrews the breathing space and privacy to perform the song without distraction.

The atmosphere gently reflects the melancholic sentimentality of Andrews’ fifth album which addresses the breakup of a nine-year relationship. 

Released in July of this year and without the option of an album launch to a live audience, this evening’s setting, somewhat ironically, perfectly captures the tenderness, vulnerability and delicacy of the album. The communication between Andrews and her musicians is minimal yet respectful, and there’s no conversation or introduction to the songs. Why would she? 

The lyrics spell out heartache, acceptance and resilience, drawing the listener into every track with the pain and confessions clear and raw. The imposing camera work captures her in close up, spotlighting facial expressions that suggest emotions of fragility, even exasperation.

Her vocals are crystalline, beautifully supported by Rae’s gentle tone and the musicianship is exquisite throughout. Guilty, Old Flowers and Together or Alone feature Andrews’ vocal and electric piano and only Rae’s backing vocals. Carnival Dream is one of the most potent offerings from the album and here she expresses it vividly with the song’s climax adorned by Davidson on electric violin and Rae adding percussion as Andrews agonises: ‘Will I ever let love in again.’ How You Get Hurt is another highlight with confiding vocals enriched by wisps of pedal steel.  If I Told finds Davidson switching to piano on another song of sensitivity, sadness and optimism.

Throughout, Andrews draws you in to every intense song; you get the sense of a wound not yet quite healed. But you are also reminded of the incredible talent she possesses as a songwriter, singer and musician.  

Review by Declan Culliton

Daddy Long Legs with Trouble Pilgrims @ The Sugar Club, Dublin - 29th February 2020

Storm Jorge may have been raging outside, but New York trio Daddy Long Legs were brewing up their own gale at a well attended Sugar Club last Saturday night. Their Dublin show was the final date of their European tour and it was obvious that they fully intended to enjoy the experience every bit as much as the punters, who had braved the wind and rain to catch the band’s return visit to Dublin.

When the New Yorkers were made aware that The Trouble Pilgrims included three members Ireland’s first New Wave / Punk band The Radiators from Space, they booked them as support act. In previous bands, prior to the formation of Daddy Long Legs, guitarist Murat Arturk and drummer John Styles included early Radiators songs in their sets, so it was no surprise to find them at the side of the stage enjoying the opening set. It proved to be the ideal warm up, engaging the audience with their familiar drive and swagger. They featured material from their current album DARK SHADOWS & RUST, all delivered with maximum attitude. It was no surprise either, that Styles - with beer bottle in hand - joined the Dublin band on stage for his requested Radiators song Enemies. The song may be over forty years old but it was blasted out with as much energy and venom from Pete Holidai and his cohorts, as it was back in their heyday.

What followed was a scorching and relentless onslaught of blues driven rock and roll from the The New Yorkers. Togged out like a throwback to a 1960’s R&B outfit, they are made up of lead singer, harmonica player and occasional rhythm guitarist Daddy Long Legs (Brian Hurd), who struts around the stage like a demented Lee Brilleaux, ripping out harmonica breaks and machine gun vocals. Arturk on guitars (and classic shapes and poses) and Styles on drums complete the trio. Renowned for their no nonsense and full on live sets, they hardly drew breath from the onset and had the front of stage  heaving with dancers three chords into that opening number. With the energy of The Ramones, the swagger of Dr. Feelgood and the stompy blues of John Lee Hooker, they blasted out song after song in rapid fire speed, including Evil Eye, Glad Rag Ball, Pink Lemonade and a host of others whose titles escaped me in the relentless frenzy. Through endless tours and full on performances like this, Daddy Long Legs have earned the reputation of one of the hottest blues/punk bands treading the boards these days. Their welcome return visit to Dublin certainly got the thumbs up for anyone that weathered the Storm Jorge to savour a stand out night of raw and no-nonsense rock and roll from New York’s finest blues stompers and Dublin’s Godfathers of punk.

Review and photographs by Declan Culliton

Sean McConnell, Kelsey Waldon & Garrison Starr@ Whelan’s - 11th February 2020

 This evening offered a flavour of some of the components that make up the eclectic mix that we call Americana music featuring three individual artists. It was also a flavour of the quality of music coming out of Nashville.

Sean McConnell represents the classic singer songwriter, forging a living by performing and writing, both individually and in group sessions, on Music Row. Kelsey Waldon characterises the more edgy side of country music that is so prominent these times around East Nashville. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Garrison Starr displays with flying colours, an industry survivor, whether by performing, releasing her own material, providing music for shows or recording in Nashville with like-minded artists. 

It’s Sean McConnell’s first headlining show in Dublin, his previous visits were as a support act to other artists. He is currently on tour with Garrison Starr, an artist and friend of many years and one that he has recently collaborated with. Kelsey Waldon, very much a rising country artist in America, is on her first venture outside her home country. She has been performing with her fellow Virginia native, Ian Noe, in Europe and took the opportunity with open arms to hook up with McConnell and Starr on their dates in Ireland and Scotland. She is then on tour with John Prine in Europe, followed by opening for Drive By Truckers on their headline dates back home.

Originally from Hernando Mississippi, Grammy nominated Garrison Starr has been performing for over twenty-five years and has sixteen albums in her back catalogue. To describe her as a powerful live performer only scratches the surface. She owns the room throughout her twenty-five minute set this evening, with a strong presence that oozes confidence and a booming vocal that could fill the room without amplification. Her set includes The Devil In me, Run and Dam That’s Breaking. She also performs Bones, a request from an American friend in the audience currently living in Ireland. A gay woman, who proudly wears her sexuality on her sleeve, she speaks of her anger and demoralisation as a younger woman, fuelled by being banned from her Church. Fortunately, that anger is in the past and is replaced by acceptance and charisma. Her final song, The Train Is Gone For Good, was written for her grandfather. It’s a Mississippi Gospel song and Starr has the audience singing the chorus along with her in what’s been the perfect warm up for all that follows.

Kelsey Waldon’s career path has been on a steady rise in recent years. Having paid her dues working double shifts in Nashville while attempting to advance her musical career, her time has come.  The hard graft and talent have earned her a number of performances at the Grand Ole Opry and a record deal last year with John Prine’s OH Boy Record Label. These days she is more accustomed playing to large crowds with her band but she’s still firmly grounded. “One night I’m playing to sell out crowds at The Grand Ole Opry, the next night to a sell out at 3rd & Lindsley, two nights later I’m playing to five people in Houston’ she jokes in her heavily accented Virginia drawl, before adding ‘ I’m back where I started here, playing a solo set.”

Her eight-song set includes Kentucky 1988, Lived and Let Go and Anyhow, all from her recent WHITE NOISE/WHITE LINES album. She also includes Very Old Barton from that album, explaining that the song refers to a Kentucky Bourbon that John Prine deemed to be his favourite, at a recent whisky tasting session that he and Waldon enjoyed. High In Heels, a harrowing narcotic related song from her 2014 album GOLDMINE also features, as does her anthem All By Myself.

If Waldon’s sound represents the thornier country music emanating from Nashville, Sean McConnell’s background falls into the more traditional classic singer songwriter category side of Music City. A polished performer, excellent guitarist and vocalist, his songs have been recorded by household names such as Tim Mc Graw, Martina Mc Bride, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts and more. Brett Young hit the No.1 Spot in The Country Charts in 2018 with the McConnell written Mercy (“very helpful to me and my family” he jokes). Adding that he does not often perform the song live, he includes it in his set this evening. It’s obviously quite mainstream and unreflective of the more rootsy material that he also delivers.

Of particular note are the selections from his most recent recording SECONDHAND SMOKE. The title track, Rest My Head, Shaky Bridges especially impress. Announcing that what was to be a one off co-write in Nashville with Garrison Starr, developed into a full album recording under the band name of My Sister/My Brother, he invites Starr on stage to perform two songs from the album, Nothing Without You and I Don’t Know How To Love You, due for official release in March. McConnell’s songs cover blues infused country and gospel and he ends his performance with a song dedicated to his grandfather Leo McConnell, who passed on a pocket watch to him when he was a child. Fittingly, the watch had been purchased by him in Dublin. A number of his songs are written from a personal perspective and he looks back at his youth in songs like Secondhand Smoke that details his relationship with his Father, Old Brown Shoes, that song for his grandfather and Queen Of Saint Mary’s Choir, a song that captures growing up in a musical household where his Father was a musician and his Mother a singer. 

This evening was a snapshot of the calibre of music coming out of Nashville. Interestingly, although living in the same city for years, McConnell had not met Waldon previously, a pointer possibly to the contrasting musical landscapes that prevail in Music City. Whether it’s mainstream or left of centre Country, Gospel or Roots, there was something to cater for all tastes on stage this evening, by three very individualistic and equally talented artists.

Review and photos by Declan Culliton (with thanks to Paul McGee for additional information)

FIVE OF THE BEST @ AMA UK FEST - Hackney London 28th 29th January 2020

Michaela Anne @ Oslo 

What a difference a year can make. Same venue and same stage for Michaela Anne as this time last year at AMA UK, but the transformation is titanic. In contrast to the sparsely attended show last time around and a somewhat dodgy sound system, the room is buzzing this evening. What follows is a cracking set from Michaela Anne and her tight band, which includes her husband and musical director Aaron Shafer-Haiss on drums. Touring her excellent album DESERT DOVE, the Nashville resident may be petite in stature but she’s blessed with one of the sweetest and most powerful country voices to come out of Music City in recent years and it’s fully on display tonight. Difficult to select any one highlight from her set but both By Our Design and One Heart are sublime. We’ve been raving about this artist for a number of years and on the basis of her performance tonight and the punters reaction, her breakthrough to attaining household name status in the Americana world can only be around the corner.

Sam Baker & The Empire Bar

The trademark and disciplined semi spoken delivery by Texan Sam Baker is an absolute winner at The Empire Bar, as he recounts tales that address those less fortunate everyday characters that populate his songs. A crammed and noisy Empire Bar is transformed to drop dead silence as Baker delivers the opening line of his first song Migrants and the next thirty minutes are equally spellbinding. His set includes some of his much-loved material such as Waves, Isn’t Love Great, Tattooed Woman and his signature song Broken Fingers, which closes his set. Thankfully he also manages to squeeze another song into his slot with an outstanding delivery of Thursday. Playing electric guitar and accompanied by the gifted Croatian Radoslav Lorković on piano and accordion, this evenings performance by Baker is as good as I’ve witnessed over many years and many shows by this talented troubadour.

Pete Gow & The Siren Strings @ Oslo

There’s barely enough space on the generous Oslo stage to accommodate Pete Gow, his band and his string orchestra. Gow’s 2019 album HERE THERE’S NO SIRENS appeared to land  left of centre, a rich and sumptuous collection of spectacularly arranged songs. It’s dark, middle of the night music and an album that is likely to be discovered by a much wider listenership going forward, as word of mouth spreads it’s praises. The opportunity to witness the material delivered with his string players and full band is captivating and indeed, quite moving. ‘’There’s a radio on, it’s an old Pogues song, I can hear Shane sing, You’re the measure of my dreams’’ Gow sings on the title track, the orchestra gently joining him mid song. It’s a goose bumps moment which is repeated on the equally beautiful Strip For Me. Closing on a upbeat note, they unleash a rousing version of Warren Zevon’s Lawyers, Guns and Money. A classic finale to a quite stunning and memorable performance.

 Malin Pettersen @ Paper Dress Vintage & Rough Trade East

The festival offered two opportunities to catch Norwegian Malin Pettersen.  She’s an artist whose reputation as one of Europe’s most gifted country singers has been gaining momentum over the past year and most particularly since the release of her mini album ALONESOME, late last year. Her showcase set at Paper Vintage Dress finds her fronting a full band, which include members of her fellow Norwegians Darling West, who are also playing a slot at the festival. It’s a lively and impressive thirty minutes of upbeat rockin’ country fare, featuring material from her debut album REFERENCES PT.1 and a taster of what we can expect from recordings she put down in Nashville last Autumn. The following day she performs an instore at Rough Trade’s flagship store in East London. In total contrast to the previous evening, Pettersen plays a minimalistic acoustic solo set, with material drawn from the equally stripped to the bone ALONESOME album. It’s a platform for her to showcase her exceptional vocals and she wins hands down. Particularly impressive are the title track and Pause, written about the horrors of dementia. She also finds time to perform the Iris De Ment song Hotter Than Mojave in My Heart and the Tammy Wynette classic Take Me, which she dedicates in honour of her hero George Jones. 

Peter Bruntnell & Band @ Paper Dress Vintage

Whether playing solo, in a duo, a trio or a full band, Peter Bruntnell never fails to deliver. His showcase is a 11.30pm kick off this evening, playing to a full house and joined on stage by his regular bassist Peter Noone, drummer Mick Clews and Wynntown Marshal’s Iain Sloan, who plays pedal steel and occasional guitar. With only a thirty-minute slot and an extensive back catalogue to dip into, Bruntnell offers a mix of older classics like Cold Water Swimming and By The Time My Head Gets to Phoenix with a couple of tracks from his most recent and possibly career best album, KING OF MADRID. Concentrating on the rockier numbers from that album both London Clay and Broken Wing feature. Credited for his song writing talents, what’s often overlooked is his guitar skills and they are on display tonight alongside his razor-sharp band. A fitting close to the showcase gigs I attended and as I head back to the Oslo Bar for a nightcap, I’m left wondering how KING OF MADRID has not been nominated as Album Of The Year at The AMA UK Awards Show. There’s no accounting for taste!

Review and photography by Declan Culliton

Jeffrey Foucault and Ry Cavanaugh Irish Tour @ Mick Murphy’s, Ballymore Eustace - Mon 27th & DC Club, Dublin. Friday 31st Jan 2020

Ballymore Acoustic Gigs have become something of an open secret among those who lean towards a discerning taste in music. Monday is not always the best night to get free from family commitments or the pressures of the working week, but with Aidan Ingoldsby at the helm, the good ship that is Mick Murphy’s bar is steering a steady course since he inherited the promotion duties from Roy Thompson and this cosy venue continues to offer attractive gigs for these cold nights and hopefully, into the future.

Tonight, we are truly blessed to have the wonderful talents of American singer songwriter Jeffrey Foucault and his songs that cover much of the subject matter that occupies the daily lives of everyman. His guitar playing is very compelling and lays down a mood for each song that his words inhabit; words that are both insightful and reflective in reaching out to share a common emotion or feeling.

If we are to make any difference in the space that we occupy upon this planet, then we should take it upon ourselves to leave a happy and positive legacy. Foucault works from this perspective and slices through a lot of the doubts, fears, hopes and dreams of what binds us together in this human glue.

There is a support slot from Ry Cavanaugh, fellow traveller and excellent songwriter in his own right. He joins Jeffrey later and he warms things up with a short set of 6 songs, including two tracks from his new release, TIME FOR THIS; a tribute to his Father who died many years ago but who was a songwriter in his younger days also. Ry also plays a song that Mary Black recorded, Lighthouse Light, plus a few more from his years with his band, Session Americana or as a solo artist.  Raking Through The Ashes is a terrific song and there is also a funny work-in-progress that he’s writing with his son about their dog. Ry leaves in order to allow some room for refills and shifting of seats and stools among the audience, before returning with Jeffrey, smartly attired in denim and Stetson Open Road hat, to kick off the main event.  

Over the next 75 minutes we are treated to a set of 13 songs that display the full range of talent on show, with Ry playing around the acoustic guitar lines of Jeffrey and adding some fine electric guitar runs and light touches. The harmony singing is beautifully loose and yet always in the pocket when the two musicians share vocals at the microphones. 

Although BLOOD BROTHERS was Jeffrey’s most recent American release in 2018 and gets a UK release this March, it is not the central album that features tonight, with only three tracks played – Blown, Blood Brothers and Little Warble. More of the set is taken from the SALT AS WOLVES release in 2015 and five songs are included - Des Moines, Rico, Left This Town, Blues For Jessie Mae and the encore, Hurricane Lamp, with its lovely message of “You've got a heart like a hurricane lamp, Keep your light inside.” 

Jeffrey also plays a few solo numbers and the impressive presence he exudes is testament to the journey he has taken in his career to arrive at the centre of his power these days. His combination of wistful, soulful vocals and inventive guitar playing is a reflection of his rounded experience and knowledge of performance dynamic and song structure.

Crown Of Smoke is a fine performance of a still unrecorded favourite and his take on what the life of an ex-lover has amounted to has a fragile sadness, “Somewhere along the way, She gave up on love.” 

Cover versions include a slow burn rendition of Don’t Get Me Wrong, The Pretenders song, made famous by the smoky delivery of Chrissie Hynde. There is also a Chris Smither song in tribute to the great man and Jeffrey tells of the way that he was mentored by Chris in his early career. He also dedicates No Love Today in memory of the late, great Larry Roddy, who was a big fan of Chris and used to sing along, out of tune, to this song. There is also a performance of The Moonshiner, a tradition Folk song that Redbird (Foucault, Kris Delmhorst and Peter Mulvey) included on their debut album.

Everybody’s Famous is also performed from the HORSE LATITUDES album and is a fine example of Jeffrey’s ability to capture and mirror the feeling of our times. Something in the lines “And there's something down inside you, Feels like it's being torn, everybody's famous, everything is gone,” just seems to resonate and capture the frustration and isolation at large these days. 

Foucault says that many folk artists have a compulsion to explain exactly what every song is about, thus taking away the power of the meaning for others as a result. That could never be the case with these songs that leave enough room and space for contemplation and interpretation. This was a really great evening of entertainment, fun and inspiring performance. Hopefully Jeffrey will not leave it so long to return to Ireland next time out – he has certainly been missed and his ability to plug straight into the Irish soul is a special thing to witness.

Dublin

As this short Irish tour winds down, we are pleased to be in the company of Jeffrey Foucault and Ry Cavanaugh once again, as they find themselves in Dublin City at the DC Club. This discreet venue, in the basement of an old building at the corner of Camden Row, is like stepping back in time and you descend the stairwell into a room that seats quite a healthy number, flanked by a bar to the right and a separate room for those who enjoy a game of snooker. The décor has an old World feel to it, even if the bar prices are very much 21st Century.

Intrepid host Paul Lee is delighted to boast a sold-out show tonight and in contrast to Ballymore Eustace last Monday, a seat is very hard to find among the tables, couches and stools that populate the space. Given the long absence since the last time Jeffrey Foucault played in Ireland, this is a very heartening sight to behold and proof that live music is indeed alive and well in the current climate of home-based media entertainment and a diet of music selected by download and streaming preferences. True, the average age of the audience could be defined as ‘mature’ in profile, but it is filled with those who know their music and are happy to share an evening with two gifted musicians.

Ry Cavanaugh opens up with a short set of six songs and a few changes from those played at Mick Murphy’s last Monday. He plays a funny Toothbrush Song with clever lyrics and also speaks of the song that Mary Black covered, Lighthouse Light, that he played on Monday.  He has an easy, relaxed stage presence and is very expressive on guitar as he delivers fine tunes like All For You, One Good Reason and Raking Through the Ashes, a song inspired by his stay on the Inishowen peninsula one winter, in a summerhouse, with his wife, Jennifer Kimball. 

Jeffrey Foucault appears after a short intermission and for the next 80 minutes we are treated to a master class of song craft, tales from the road, insights into life and love, plus a healthy amount of witty repartee. With Ry Cavanaugh by his side, the songs and performance dynamics are superbly crafted and the guitar work of each musician is beautifully balanced as they play off each other and around the rhythms created. There is plenty of space in the arrangements and the playing is never rushed, with a less-is-more feel to the delivery and mood. Foucault is a real student of song and the finely tuned skill of a professional musician is very evident as he delivers soulful vocals and a dextrous guitar style that fit perfectly into his sense of place and style.

The setlist tonight has six different songs to those he delivered on Monday last, with two striking cover versions, Leon Redbone’s, If We Never Meet Again This Side Of Heaven, plus a superb version of Bob Dylan’s, Señor (Tales of Yankee Power), his second encore at the end of the evening. Also included in a strong set are Ghost Repeater, Cross Of Flowers, Slow Talker and I Love You (And You Are A Fool)– a song he insists was not written about his beautiful wife, Kris Delmhorst. 

The tempo changes on Rico, which has both musicians playing electric guitar with a bluesy groove, but this apart, the evening passes in a mellow sense of being in the moment and witness to something special in the hushed environment. Left This Town ended the set before an encore of Hurricane Light, followed by that Dylan song, brought a satisfactory conclusion to proceedings and had the audience filtering back up the stairs to the reality of a cold January night, fortified by the glow and warmth of the evening just ended. 

Reviews by Paul McGee and photography by Kaethe Burt O’Dea

The Felice Brothers @ Whelan’s - Thursday 23rd Jan 2020

Support on the Felice Brothers tour is Carson Mc Hone from Austin Texas and despite being under the weather with a heavy cold since landing in the UK, she performed a set that was well received by pin drop silence from the full house.  How Bout It and Drugs featured from her current album CAROUSEL - she added that Drugs was the song that caught the attention of Tom Bridgewater at Loose Records in the UK and got her signed at the label. Other songs included the haunting Tried and new material Folk Song, Someone Else and Hawks Don’t Share. She also performed The End Of The World, explaining that she wrote the song while touring Sweden late last year having been given the great news that a close friend had become pregnant. Worldly matters had been foremost on her mind at the time and she joked that maybe the title wasn’t the most appropriate to celebrate her friend’s good news. Her slot was a welcomed taster for her solo dates in Ireland in May, where she performs at The Kilkenny Roots Festival.

The Felice Brothers take the stage with Ian Felice, James Felice, Will Lawrence and Jesske Hume all looking ready for the challenge. It has been quite a while since they last played in Dublin and they are reminded by the capacity crowd of a cancelled date back in 2017 (due to health concerns for Ian), although James insists that they had good reason to cancel back then, the members all look fit and healthy tonight. 

They first played Dublin back in 2008 at the Sugar Club and I also recall a gig at the Academy in 2012. If memory serves me, it was 2014 when they last played Whelan’s and no matter when they last appeared here, the joyful sound of their music has always remained a favourite among Dublin audiences. 

Tonight, they focus on their most recent album, Undress, which was a highlight for many people last year upon its release. Seven songs are featured, spread over a lengthy set that included many other favourites from previous albums and the band enjoyed playing some requests and jumping away from the set list that had been planned. Included from the new album are the title track, Special Announcement, Hometown Hero, The Kid, Days Of The Years, Socrates and Salvation Army Girl.

There has always been a ramshackle elegance to their sound and the lyrical insights of Ian are at the cutting edge of their newly crafted vision. Although missing the colour and vibrancy of Doug Farley on fiddle, the trimmed down line-up includes drummer Will Lawrence and bassist Jesske Hume. As a rhythm section they are both economical players and blend into a perfectly tight engine room for the melody supplied by James on keyboards and accordion and Ian on electric guitar. There is an energy present that may have been absent in previous years, leading to the brothers deciding to pursue other paths for a while; James touring with Conor Oberst and Ian concentrating on a solo project.

Old songs are revisited and versions of Butch Cassidy, Jack At The Asylum, Aerosol Ball and the excellent Let Me Come Home are all very well received by the partisan crowd, who sing along with happy smiles at the chance to relive past favourites. Ian and James balance each other very well with James doing most of the between-song conversations with the audience and Ian jumping in every once in a while. Indeed, Ian seems to be really enjoying the new focus in the 4-piece and he regularly breaks into an easy, relaxed grin, in addition to falling to his knees in squeezing out some incendiary guitar lines.

Whelan’s is renowned for its great sound but the decibels tonight are turned right up to Spinal Tap levels, with some distortion and muddiness creeping into the room as a result. Not that anyone seemed to care very much as this was a celebratory return and everyone was certainly into the general groove of living for the moment!

James spoke about previous incidents in Whelan’s when he accepted one drink too many from the crowd and how he doesn’t tend to indulge very much these days; upon which, 4 whiskeys duly arrived stage right from a generous audience member. James smiled with the irony of the moment before tipping two drinks into the one glass and delivering a stirring rendition of Whisky In My Whisky.

The excitement was building throughout the gig and the pace at which the band played through their repertoire was very impressive, with one song blending into the next number with barely a pause for breath at times. I don’t know if I captured every announcement and often the band didn’t name check the songs, but I’m pretty sure that Katie Dear, Silver In The Shadow, Wonderful Life, Lincoln Continental and Love Me Tenderly were all included.

The encore was a solo version of Ballad of Lou the Welterweight by Ian, along with killer guitar breaks and followed by band workouts of Cherry Liquorice and the superb Penn Station.

With this much momentum to boost them, James excelling on both accordion and keyboards, Ian delivering inventive and incisive guitar lines and the watertight rhythm section of Will and Jesske, this is a band that is having fun and has been born again.

Review by Paul Mcgee and Declan Culliton Photos by Declan Culliton

Jonah Tolchin @ The Black Box, Belfast - 22nd Jan 2010

These things happen, but Jonah Tolchin didn’t let it bother him. In fact, he was grateful that even a dozen people had bothered to come out to see him, when his first solo gig in Belfast unfortunately clashed with gigs from at least two other big name bands.

Those of us that were lucky enough to be there were glad we had made the effort.

Less than 48 hours after arriving into Dublin on an overnight flight from his native New Jersey, and already having Dublin gig under his belt, Jonah showed no sign of jet lag as he launched into Mockingbird from his debut album. Still only 27, he has already released three records (all on Yep Roc) and tonight he treated us to many songs from the latest FIRES FOR THE COLD. Armed with just his favourite touring guitar, a small bodied parlour acoustic, Jonah mostly let the songs do the talking. 

White Toyota Ranger, Timeless River andMaybe, I’m a Rolling Stone were particularly memorable, all written in the upheaval of the last couple of years when he was going through the turmoil of a personal crisis precipitated by his marriage break up. Possessed of a powerful voice, in contrast with his slight build, he delivers the songs in an unhurried, understated style. His delivery, finger picking and songwriting called to mind a young Kevin Welch - a comparison I don’t make lightly.

There were a few more uptempo bluesy numbers too, allowing him to showcase his guitar picking and his love of the blues as an important early influence in his musical education. He’s joined on the album by several big California names including Jackson Browne, Rickie Lee Jones and Sara Watkins, but there was no room for name dropping here tonight. (Look out for our review of that record soon).

The intimate atmosphere of the Green Room at the Black Box, with its cosy sofas and subtle lighting, had the feel of a house concert that no one wanted to come to an end. Many thanks to Sean Kelly and his Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival team who continue to put on gems like this to shorten the winter nights.

Review and photograph by Eilís Boland

Tyler Childers @ The Grand Social, Dublin - 17th Jan 2020

Making his Dublin debut Tyler Childers brings his brand of honky tonk to a sell out crowd in the Grand Social. It was an interesting mix of age and gender in the room, somewhere between 50% on the plus side of 40 and the rest on the lower side. These were obvious fans who responded with enthusiasm and exuberance, often singing along with the songs to the extent that at times it wasn’t that easy to hear Childer’s own vocal. Unfortunately, some folks idea of attending a gig is to talk all through the evening while yelling “yee-haw” at inappropriate moments.

But before we get into his show proper there was a six song set from The Local Honeys, a duo consisting of Kentuckians Linda Jean Stockley and Montana Hobbs on guitar and banjo. They were joined at the end of their set by a local violinist friend. Although steeped in the traditional old-time music they write contemporary songs that deal with issues that are current today. Though they have just released an album titled GOSPEL, they noted that one of the best parts about religion was when you could laugh about it.

They spoke of the way that large companies had destroyed the land in Kentucky and had taken all the profits away away leaving a lasting legacy of pollution in their wake and played Dyin’ To Make a Livin’ about the plight of miners and Cigarette Trees about the black sludge left behind in large pools. That they were environment and socially aware was apparent, but that they conveyed these views in a strong musical setting was welcome. They finished with the song by Elizabeth Cotton from their album LITTLE GIRLS ACTIN’ LIKE MEN and will be back in Ireland in February for further dates.

While the girls between songs banter was easy to follow, Tyler Childer’s drawl competing with the raucousness of the audience wasn’t as easy to discern. During the show he introduced his band but the names escaped me. However, there were all good players, the line up of drums, bass, banjo, fiddle, guitar/steel and keyboards were used effectively throughout the night and the band were able to stretch out some of the songs which allowed then to blur the boundaries of what might be expected of a country band. Childers himself stuck mostly to acoustic guitar but above all his vocal ability and range shone through.

As with most bands the transition from album/studio versions of the songs to the live setting pronounced the heavier rockier side of the line. As you would expect the set list mainly focused on his two Sturgill Simpson and David Ferguson produced albums. Childers said that it was good to be here and to play some music before launching into a selection without further word until he began to introduce the band further into the set. One that kicked off with Whitehouse Road and went through Honky Tonk Flame, House Fire, Bus Route, Tattoos, Creeker and the current album title COUNTRY SQUIRE. The themes look at life in a small town, with all that that entails from the good to the subjective negativity of that situation for those seeking wider horizons.

There are a number of covers thrown into the mix including Tulsa Turnaround, best known by Kenny Rogers when he was in The First Edition and the Charlie Daniels’ song Trudy, which he plays as a final song of the set after teasing the audience about his all time favourite song … by Miley Cyrus. He plays the first line of Wrecking Ball before swiftly moving on. Thus, ended an evening that was notable by a sell out crowd, something that augurs well for the future of such more traditionally-minded country/roots acts that may get the opportunity to play the capitol outside of the mixed bag that is the C2C Festival. The individual level of enjoyment will have depended, to a degree, on how you like to hear your music as this was not the best sound I have heard in the venue.  However, Tyler Childers and his band made their mark tonight.

Review by Stephen Rapid Photography by Kaethe Burt-O’Dea

Luan Parle @ The Mermaid, Bray - 17th Jan 2020

It seemed fitting that Luan Parle opened her seventeen  date Irish tour with a concert in her home county. The Wicklow born singer songwriter releases her latest album NEVER SAY GOODBYE on February 7th and on hearing a sample of the songs in her setlist this evening, it may prove to be her strongest recording to date. As usual these days she’s accompanied on stage by Clive Barnes and his impeccable crisp guitar work, both on his trusted white Gretsch and acoustic guitar. Coupled with Parle’s stunningly crystalline vocals and a wonderful venue and sound engineer, we are treated to an enthralling evenings entertainment. As would be expected, the material is a selection of material from the new album together with songs from her back catalogue. Also featured are a few well chosen covers which include the Roland Salley song Killing The Blues, immortalised by Robert Plant and Allison Kraus on their collaboration RAISING SAND.  It’s the song chosen to open her set and she also performs Dolly Parton’s Jolene and Applejack as part of a three-song encore. Stevie Nick’s Landslide also features and is delivered in a stripped back minimalistic style.

Her stage presence is relaxed and assured and she succeeds in catching the audience’s attention and holding it, both in her songs and banter. She regales us with tales of her ghost and crime fiction obsessions (Ghost Of Martha is the title of one of the new songs she plays). She also reminisces about the beginnings of the album and tells of her retreat to Innisboffin, together with her mother two years ago, following the passing of her father, to seek inspiration, gather her thoughts and put them to paper. She also explains how she took her time writing the album over a two-year period, thankfully not being under any time deadline to complete it.

Barnes is a guitarist that is as comfortable playing blues as he is grunge and a man that wears many hats. His performances with Parle in recent years have cemented them essentially as a duo, he contributes backing vocals alongside his customary atmospheric guitar work. He also takes the time to deliver his own anecdotes and this evening we’re told of a near road rage experience in New York when Luan and he are unceremoniously ‘car bullied’ by a limousine driver, whose occupant turns out to be none other than Paul Simon. Tales aside, the real winner tonight is the quality of the music and its delivery. 

The material played from her new album includes My Something Beautiful which is the first single from the album and has hit the No.2 spot on the iTunes country charts on its release last week. Others that really impress include Cocaine Corner - inspired by a phone call from Barnes to her, recalling how he had just performed what was to be a low key solo gig, only to be saddled with a sound engineer directly in front of him who appeared to be wired up and undoubtably under the influence of a chemical substance. Come To Me Darling, Fare Thee Well and Change Your Mind from the new album also impress. Crowd favourites from her back catalogue include Roll The Dice, Why Baby Why and Ghost, after which she name checks two stand out young singers (Holly and Grace) in the audience.

Very few artists in the roots/country genre whose musical careers are launched as child stars, manage to prolong their careers successfully throughout adulthood, Tanya Tucker being one exception. Luan Parle has managed that transition seamlessly. She would have witnessed a number of shifts in the direction of popular music during her career and the current predominance of roots music drifting towards country under the Americana banner. It’s a branch of music that she excels in and I expect that NEVER SAY GOODBYE, on its release, will remind listeners of the quality of her vocals and songwriting. In the meantime, check out her website to catch one of the upcoming shows, you certainly won’t be disappointed if this evening’s splendid performance is anything to go by.

Review and photos by Declan Culliton

Aldous Harding @ Vicar Street - 3rd December 2019

The silence is only broken by some nervous giggles as Aldous Harding gingerly takes to the stage at 9.15pm, dressed in billowing white flared jump suit, trainers and black pullover. There’s an anxious tension in the air, bordering on electric, akin to an apprehensive school classroom, as the pupils guardedly await the mood their favourite teacher may be in on arrival. Taking a seat and staring mischievously at the audience, Harding has the appearance of a mid-70’s Marcel Marceau mime student, or the type of character you might encounter in a David Bowie video. She hesitates as if psyching us out, before delivering her two opening numbers solo with acoustic guitar. I’m So Sorry and Living The Classics are played hunched and swaying on her stool, as if oblivious to her predicament and surroundings.  Both songs featured on her 2017 album Party, which earned an IMPALA nomination as European Album of The Year.

Her four-piece band join her on stage and launch into Designer, the title track of her latest album, hailed as one of 2019’s finest in many quarters. The mood changes in the room to rapturous applause and throughout her seventy-five minute set, Harding and her seriously talented bandmates, deliver a quite mesmerising performance. Currently resident in Cardiff, the New Zealander’s band are Mali Llyweleyn on keyboards (and occasional guitar), Gwion Llewelyn on drums and trumpet, Huw Evans on guitar and Harry Stevenson on bass. An extremely well-oiled unit that flawlessly compliment Harding, their collective playing is superb, in addition to adding backing vocals and harmonies to Harding’s own crystal-clear deliveries.

She continues with Zoo Eyes, Treasure and The Barrel, all also from her current album and all equally well received from a captivated audience, before once more dipping back into her PARTY album with What If Birds Aren’t Singing They’re Screaming and closing the ten-song set with Blend from the same album.

Harding’s every movement and facial expression, however hesitant they may appear, seem choreographed to perfection. She switches from seated with acoustic guitar - her playing is excellent - to standing menacingly, and also joins Llyweleyn on percussion for two numbers. At times the influence of P.J. Harvey is evident - no coincidence that John Parish has produce Harding’s last two albums - other times Joanna Newsome. However, despite certain similarities, she has, to her credit, developed a quite unique style of delivery of her own. Her engagement with the audience this evening is minimal, a number of barely coherent ramblings. Yet the intensity in her presentation seems to draw you in, generating an attachment whereby you feel you’ve become part of the performance. And actions do speak louder than words, she is unable to suppress her obvious pleasure at the audience reaction and ovation at the conclusion of the main set.

Two encores follow, Imagining My Man and Old Peel, closing what has been an extraordinary experience and one that will be parked in the memory bank of anyone that attended for some time. 

Utterly brilliant.

Review and photo by Declan Culliton

Tom Russell @ Whelans, Dublin - Sun 17th Nov 2019.

The majority of those who were in the audience were seasoned Russell fans who were well acquainted with him, and his songs and performance style. He came onstage as Railroad Bill - the bastard son of Tom Russell. He was disgruntled that his guitar wasn’t plugged in before playing a short set of covers from the likes of Townes van Zandt and Hank Williams Snr., as well as LA Freeway from Guy Clark and Carmelita from Warren Zevon - he had the audience sing the chorus and then commented that, considering the song’s subject matter, that there must be a lot of junkies in tonight! He also touched on Leonard Cohen’s Tower Of Song and Gordon Lightfoot’s Early Morning Rain,as well as a chorus or two of Pete St John’s Rare Old Times. 

He then reintroduced himself and began his set proper with The Rose of Roscrae. As there was an Irish connection to the song, he mentioned Finbar Furey and meeting him in O’Donoghue’s Pub. Furey has sung Carrickfergus with him on the album and Russell also spoke of the stick as well the the stick he had received from Maura O’Connell for misspelling the name of the town and his local geographical knowledge. Hair Trigger Heart was then played as was Guadalupe before he moved on to a selection from the current album, OCTOBER IN THE RAILROAD EARTH one he described as “Jack Kerouac meets Johnny Cash in Bakersfield.“ The songs included Isadore Gonzalez, Highway 46 and Small Engine Repair,which was the title song of a small independent movie featuring Iain Glen - not one to miss an opportunity, Russell told us that he recorded this song for the new album in the light of the actor’s success in the Game of Thrones.

Throughout the set and between each song there were anecdotes, admissions, admonishments and insults (bastards - he frequently exclaimed when talking of a person or situation he didn’t like, including a sly slight to Garth Brooks). Anyone interested in his work was treated to songs from throughout his career - which has been long and accomplished. There was Tonight We Ride, God Forgive Me, St. Olav’s Gate, Blue Wing, East Of Woodstock West Of Vietnam. The latter prefaced by a story of his time in Nigeria in 1969 during the Biafran War. There were many other such stories which entertained and held the audience enthralled as the evening progressed and Russell, playing solo, often called on them to join in or sing the chorus on a number of occasions. The final song before the encore was his now viral song Who’s Gonna Build Your Wall? A song he played on the David Letterman show that makes a pointed comment about the impracticality of some of the policies of the current US administration, although the song was written in 2007.

The final song was Navajo Rug which had everyone going insinging and made for a fitting end to an evening that his fans will remember. He then went to the merchandising table to meet and greet and sell copies of his recent album as well as some posters and art that he brought with him. Russell is an artist in every sense and as such, is worthy of respect and wider recognition for his work over the last few decades.

Review by Stephen Rapid Photography by Kaethe Burt O’Dea

Wildwood Kin @ Lost Lane, Dublin - 23rd Nov 2019.

This marked the debut show in Ireland for a trio of talented artists that are starting to generate quite a media buzz. Comprising of sisters Emillie and Bethany Kay and their cousin Meghann Loney, this trinity of family members deliver a show that is high on energy, with plenty of soaring melodies and terrific harmony vocals that leave a big impression on the audience. It is a decent turn out for a show that slipped under the radar with little real promotional activity and those who attended were not disappointed as the three musicians gave everything to a performance that really impressed.

Concentrating mainly on their current release, WILDWOOD KIN (2019), the songs contain messages of love, loss, being positive, spirituality and healing words. They first came to the attention of Sony at a show in London and were signed on the back of their performance. An EP in 2015 was followed by their debut album in 2017, TURNING TIDES, and they have been turning heads ever since with a gathering momentum that saw a number of singles released, followed by an EP of covers in 2018, before the release of this current record.

Their live sound is focused around the very percussive playing of Meg on drums and percussion, while the combined vocals of all three rise above the rhythm to deliver sweet harmonies. All this is augmented by Beth on keyboards, bouzouki, shaker and acoustic guitar, with Emillie playing acoustic and electric guitars to add additional layers to the overall sound.

Four tracks from their debut are featured, Steady My Heart, Hold On, Run and the call to arms that is Warrior Daughter – a song of female empowerment and a message that is repeated on the closing song of the set, Time Has Come – a call to action and having self-belief. A cover version of Stevie Wonder’s song Higher Ground is full of energy and drive and Signals asks that we look for the signs to maintain balance and plot a straight course.

The new songs are equally impressive and the message of love and support on All Of Me is also repeated on Never Alone, a very personal song that Meg explains was written in honour of her brother who suffered from depression and sadly took his own life. Out of such crippling sadness comes a hope that others will never feel on their own and will reach out for help. 

Wake Up Sleeper and Breathe are songs that urge taking stock, starting over and staying open to change, but it is the superb Beauty In Your Brokenness and its message of believing in yourself that leaves the greatest impression. Uplifting stuff and given the gap in the market for this style of contemporary music, a clear path lies ahead for this band who deliver great positivity in their message. 

Review and photograph by Paul McGee

Jude Johnstone @ Rathfriland, Co Down - Wed 20th Nov 2019.

Jude Johnstone. House concert at Maggie’s Farm, Rathfriland, Co Down. 

Tonight sees the launch of this new venue for house concerts, a beautiful rebuilt farmhouse nestled on the slopes of Dechomet Mountain in County Down. It is an ideal setting for the quietly reflective music of Jude Johnstone, a musician of the highest quality and writer for the stars.

Joined by a stellar group of musicians that includes Ray Duncan (guitar, melodica, vocals), Nicky Scott (upright bass), Rob van Duuren (pedal steel and guitar), and Linley Hamilton (trumpet), the evening is broken into two sets, the first a walk through most of the songs on her new release, Living Room and the second, focused on other songs from across her previous albums. She also debuts a new song, Spring In Paris, which is another quiet gem to add to her impressive body of work.

There is quite a lot of self-reflection and deep contemplation in Jude’s songs and the ability to go below the surface is something that has always provided her admirers with the solace that she acts as a lightning rod for many of the personal highs and hurts that they experience in their own lives. Some find her songs too couched in melancholy but that can be viewed as a positive in that it is an aesthetic emotion. It is not somehow debilitating, like sorrow, despair or depression, but includes wistful feelings of yearning and memories of the past, that can bring much pleasure and sweet nostalgia for what we have loved and lost. There is also a longing in her words and a hope for a better tomorrow so that a message of optimism is always there too. 

Jude plays nine of the tracks from her new album, in sequential order, highlighting the back story behind each song and how it came to be included on the album. LIVING ROOM is a wonderful addition to her body of work and stands up there with her best, every song revealing subtle joys upon repeated listening.

Song-writing is an ever-evolving journey and the process never reaches a point where one can say they are a fully formed writer. Jude talks of little ideas and snippets of lines that she has been keeping for years until the right moment arrives to frame and shape the song into a completed form. She tells of a melody her daughter, Ray Duncan, played on the piano at age eight – one that she kept for over ten years before asking her daughter’s permission to use it in a song (Seasons Of Time).

So, the symmetry of having her daughter on this tour sees the story turn full circle, with Ray opening the evening by playing a few numbers herself before joining her mother for the main concert on backing vocals. The harmony singing of mother and daughter is lovely and the phrasing of Jude’s voice is so enjoyable to witness in a live setting, such nuance and soulfulness in her delivery.

So Easy To Forget has co-host Linley Hamilton guesting on trumpet and it was a shame that he didn’t feature more over the songs, perhaps duplicating cello/violin/trombone parts on the original recording or just playing under the melody. As a professor of music at the University of Ulster in Derry, he has all the necessary talents to add greatly to any song, having also played with Van Morrison at different stages of his career.

Hardly a dry eye across the evening where audience members can be seen gathering themselves and composing their posture as certain songs unfold with Jude’s beautifully poignant words jogging individual reflections and memories. Serenita is a song that Jude co-wrote with tonight’s hostess, Maggie Doyle, who reveals herself not only to be very gracious and welcoming but also a talented wordsmith in her own right. 

The superb playing of Nicky Scott (Van Morison, Mary Black, Gilbert O’Sullivan etc) is perfectly measured throughout as he enriches the melody and adds great context to the song delivery. One particular song, All I Ever Do, has Jude wondering why she didn’t use Nicky and his double bass on the original recording. 

Is There Nothing and One Good Reason are pleas for communication when trying to navigate the vagaries of the human heart and the compulsion to search for something more. I Guess It’s Gonna Be That Way is a Christmas song that has a very lonely theme wrapped in a lovely melody as the musicians play in perfect symmetry within the song structure. Rob Van Duuren, who flew in from Amsterdam for this show, plays with understated grace and colours the songs with a subtle playing style that gives just enough texture and he never overplays. He also contributes on guitar and vocals at different stages, proving his overall quality. 

Jude also plays a song she wrote while visiting Northern Ireland and Rathfriland is a lovely way to introduce the second set this evening. She also plays Deep Water from an early album, TOUCHDOWN JESUS, a song she wrote for Dr John in his New Orleans ragtime playing style and Never Leave Amsterdam is the final song of this very intimate concert. All in all, a wonderful night that was enjoyed by the local gathering. Congratulations to Maggie’s Farm and here’s to the next show at this interesting new venue.

Review and photography by Paul McGee

Caroline Spence @ Workman’s Club, Dublin. 16th Nov 2019.

This concert marks the Irish debut of Charlottesville, Virginia native, Caroline Spence. She has been living in Nashville for a number of years now, initially moving there in order to write songs for other artists. However, over this time, she has been quietly and steadily making a name for herself, not only as a songwriter, but also a performer of some substance. 

Appearing at the Workman’s Club with fellow musician Charlie Whitten on backing vocal and guitar, Caroline delivers a set of 13 songs over 70 minutes that leaves the audience certainly wanting more, yet satisfied with the quality of the content and the easy manner of her communication, story-telling and rich talent. 

Her finely observed songs tend to gravitate towards matters of the heart and finding her place in this World. Focusing mainly on her recent release, MINT CONDITION, Caroline includes seven songs and with just stripped-down guitars and vocals, the audience has the chance to hear them in their original form, before studio embellishment.

Caroline plays Long Haul , Angels or Los Angeles, Song About a City, Who’s Gonna Make My Mistakes, Wait On the Wine, Who Are You and the title track, a song that was one of the first experiences she had in trying to write from an external perspective and look through the eyes of someone else – in this case her Grandmother.

She also plays tracks from her second album, SPADES AND ROSES (2017) and includes Heart of Somebody, Hotel Amarillo, All the Beds I’ve Made, You Don’t Look So Good (Cocaine) and Slow Dancer. For an encore, she goes back to her debut release, SOMEHOW (2015) and plays Whiskey Watered Down.

Caroline started her set with the song, Long Haul, which seems very appropriate, since Ireland is the last leg of her European tour. She speaks of the freezing cold she encountered while in Norway and how she has always wanted to visit Ireland and how every city on the current tour is a new experience for her. 

Long Haul is something of a wry (and ironic) look at life on the road for a professional musician, the need to juggle a sense of loneliness with the urge to create and communicate – an insight to her World, with the words; “It's a funny little addiction with no cure in sight, So I keep breaking everything I'm fixing so I can be fixing to do it tomorrow night..” 

This topic is also covered again in Amarillo Hotel where a night off leads to an existential crisis and too much wine to fuel the insecurities of life on the road; “I'm just passing through, it'll only be the night, I just need somewhere to crash where I can turn off all the lights.”

Song About a City is similar in theme with places she has been name-checked against a desire to have someone there to take the place of the travel blur; “I wish that I could make the most, Of the magic on this coast, Can’t see the beauty through the ghost, That I’m still dragging around.”

Spence says that all her love songs have a rain cloud and all her sad songs have a silver lining. It is this gift to put her finger on the emotional pulse that separates her out from many other songwriters trying to find a voice. Her search for true love and honesty with no holds barred, is covered in songs like Heart Of Somebody and All The Beds I’ve Made; the perils of the journey always worth the risk in arriving at a happy destination. 

Disappointment in relationships is looked at in Whiskey Watered Down; “So I've been searching high and low and all around this town, For something that won't feel like whiskey watered down.” You Don’t Look So Good (Cocaine) is another look at the vagaries of relationships; “Some people see roses, you only see thorns, At the first little drop of pain you wish you'd never been born.”

Slow Dancer also questions the risk of falling too fast and wanting to feel a warmth that another can bring; “Found the part of my heart that won’t take no for an answer, You turned me into a slow dancer.” There are many other favourites on her records that she didn’t include in the set tonight but by now, her skill at crafting words and her insight into emotions and feelings is very apparent to all in the room. 

Spence is also very funny storyteller and quite a natural in stretching out a yarn – something that will endear her to Irish audiences. Her admission to feeling nerves does not come across in her confident stage presence and her tales of how Mint Condition evolved from a dream to write from the perspective of her Grandmother and to also channel Emmylou Harris; to the reality of having Emmylou sing on the track, something she was able to share with her Grandmother before she died – it’s just the stuff to make you want to believe in the magic that a dream can bring about, to say nothing of synchronicity, karma or whatever else is floating out there in the ether.

Wait On The Wine is the standout track and the most intensely powerful vocal delivery of the night. A song of unrequited love and a secret crush, Spence opens her vocal range with great nuance in her delivery and compelling performance. It made me think that there is so much more for her to stretch for, not that she sings safely, but the tone and colour of her voice can certainly be further developed as she continues to grow into live performance. There is a natural catch in her vocal delivery which is very appealing and it heightens the experience in absorbing these songs of personal hope and loss.

There is an aching, yearning quality to her delivery, not quite beaten down, but ready for the fight. I have no doubt that Ireland will take Caroline Spence to their hearts and that she will return to these shores. Word is already spreading.

Charlie Whitten opened the evening with a short set that included gently delivered songs from his body of work - Since She’s Gone, Wedding Song, Another Plan and Virginia were all very well received and he has a gentle alto voice, also a sweetly tuneful whistle which he uses in a few of the songs. A dreamy, mellow, lo-fi sound.

Review and photo by Paul McGee

Tinariwen @ The Olympia Theatre, Dublin - Monday 11th November 2019.

No strangers to Ireland over years past, Tinariwen stand as much for their ethnic community as they do for their collective approach in creating music. Indeed, the music is an expression of the political and social issues that occupy their Tuareg people, as the various tribes have suffered over many decades in fighting to maintain their nomadic way of life in the deserts of their homeland in Mali. 

Founded originally back in the 1980’s by band leader Ibrahim Ag Alhabib, the group has released nine records to date and continues to perform with regularly shifting line-ups across Europe, America and Australia, drawing high praise wherever they play.

The audience in Dublin is no different to many that Tinariwen encounter on a regular basis with much interest in the exotic appearance and ethnic dress worn by the group and lots of engagement in their live dynamic as they perform the songs. Their rhythmic structures bear little resemblance to any of the usual arrangements that Western populations are used to hearing every day, whether on the radio or via the various media outlets that surround us.

The band name translates as ‘Deserts’ and the traditions of their past are celebrated each night in the robes worn by the seven musicians, with only Ibrahim opting not to wear the traditional Tagelmust (turban/veil) headdress. The Tuareg are often referred to as the ‘blue men of the desert’ due to the strong Indigo dye that they use in their clothing and long shirts. The silk and cloth robes display different colours, although two of the band members tonight wear a plain white robe.

Due to the lack of normal communication outlets in the desert areas, this collective change touring musicians, depending on who is available or contactable. This results in a dilemma of sorts because, without band member introductions, it is nigh on impossible to know all seven musicians playing onstage tonight. Similarly, the songs are delivered in their native tongue and the lack of insight into the words or translation, means that the setlist is not easy to decipher, as one tune runs into the next. This is an area that Tinariwen could address in bringing their message of oppression to foreign audiences, but perhaps they prefer the mystery of their image to prevail?

Many of the songs carry an expansive syncopation and groove, with the predominant electric guitar sounding somewhat similar across a number of the extended jams that develop within the song structures. Although based in traditional African rhythms, the arrangements also incorporate the individual influences of the band members and many of the songs stray into jazz-like experimentation with Latin beats adding to the overall fusion of styles. However, at the root of the sound is a blues influence that is raw and pulses through the fuzz guitar lines of many solos, both primal and reflecting the wide open desert landscapes where Tinariwen find their inspiration.

Judging from a recent concert they played in America, the current album, Amadjar (2019), featured most with six songs, followed by a number of tracks from both the Emmaar (2014) and Elwin (2017) releases. They do however change the setlist and always include tracks from the early records like Amassakoul (2004) and Aman Iman: Water Is Life (2007). 

Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni on acoustic guitar and vocals is one of the principal performers and often moves front and centre as he encourages the audience to partake in the clapping and addictive rhythm that is the cornerstone of the sound. Pivotal to the energy created is the percussion section and the two players who drive each song forward with their compelling playing, either solo, or as a duo together. Add the very creative and expressive bass playing of Eyadou Ag Leche and it all makes for a compelling, trance inducing cocktail.

Add to this the dancing dervish that is Alhassane Ag Tohami, one of the original members, who lifts the collective spirit with his body and hand movements and the atmosphere created is always one of celebration and joy. As Abdallah asks, on a regular basis, “Are You Happy”? – to which the response is always a pronounced cheer and positive shout from the crowd. Hypnotic and elemental, all the fun of the fairground. Sahara Blues at its best.

Review and photograph by Paul McGee

AA Bondy @ Workman’s Club, Dublin - 9th November 2019

It’s been a number of years since this talented artist from Birmingham, Alabama released any new material. His previous body of work includes AMERICAN HEARTS (2007), WHEN THE DEVIL’S LOOSE (2009) and BELIEVERS (2011) and his folk sound was very engaging, bringing plenty of admirers to his music. However, for reasons unknown, he stepped away from recorded output since then and eight years later he re-emerges with ENDERNESS (2019), a departure from his original sound and a tilt at reinvention through a persona that best resembles an Automaton on stage, dark shades, robotic stance, minimalist moves at the microphone and a computer/laptop/backdrop slide accompaniment that wrapped the venue in swirls of ambient sounds, heavy drum beats, looped keyboard melodies & trance rhythms over which he sang . 

Sadly, his voice was somewhat lost in the production and the words were largely indecipherable. In addition, the lack of any communication regarding song titles leaves me  in the dark as indeed the venue was, at his request, for this short set. Tracks from his latest album are Diamond Skull, Killers 3, In The Wonder, The Tree With The Lights, Images Of Love, I'll Never Know, Fentanyl Freddy, Pan Tran, #Lost Hills and the title track, Enderness. Given that the entire set saw one track run into the next automatically, with the changing backdrop images and pre-programmed soundscapes, I must assume that AA Bondy played the entire album in this order - however he may well have changed things around to suit his own vision of how the work should be presented. 

While I strongly believe that music should be challenging, I also think that it needs to be able to communicate and to connect with the audience that receives it. There is no doubting the lush melody lines and rich choral effects that were created on the night but without some real context it was hard to be fully engaged. The fact that AA Bondy left it until very late in the set to actually speak, did not help the atmosphere and the sense of simply being present at a cleverly constructed slide presentation of floating images above an ambient soundtrack. 

Once actual conversation took place, then at least some of the personality of AA Bondy could be seen; he spoke of this being the first anniversary of his house burning down in California and how he had lost everything in the fire. “California burned my house down” was his comment and he also spoke of random things like a passed-out drunk in the street with what looked like a vomit-created word bubble at his head – not the nicest image to contemplate but AA Bondy sought meaning from this as the perfect comment on the state of the world right now. 

He also said “Thanks for coming and putting up with whatever this is” and the room was sufficiently encouraged by the experience to invite him back for an encore – a version of Smile by Nat King Cole that was both oddly strange and strangely beautiful at the same time. He left the stage with I Want You by Marvin Gaye playing on his laptop via the sound system and everyone looked all of bemused, confused, enthused and inspired. AA Bondy has taken a 360 degree turn and I can only applaud his vision, even if we cannot all see the final destination yet. 

Review and photo by Paul McGee

Mary Gauthier @ Whelan’s, Dublin - 3rd November 2019

It was gratifying to see that Gauthier’s return to Whelan’s was to play to a full house on a wet Sunday night. The show was opened by Jaimee Harris on her first visit to the renowned venue. Harris released her debut album, RED RESCUE, last year and performed some songs from that album. She told us it was aan honour to be playing a venue she’d heard a lot about. She also shared that she suffered from depression and was inclined to stay on her couch watching true crime programmes. A brave but important reveal. Another anecdote concerned a tour companion who told her about his first wife. Someone that Harris wasn’t aware of at that time. The person her friend had married lived in a house were everything was red. This inspired the title song of her album. It was also the final song of her five song set. She brought Mary Gauthier onto the stage to sing it with her as indeed she had also previously been joined by Michele Gazich on violin - a player of much skill and dexterity who also had the an engaging visual presence, which added to the overall show. 

This was a seamless introduction, as with no break between acts, Mary Gauthier then played her full set accompanied by both players. She dipped into her extensive back catalogue with such numbers as Our Lady Of The Shooting Stars, Another Train, When A Woman Goes Cold, Oh Soul andThank God For You. She finished the show with her well known song Mercy Now. There were also a couple of cover songs in Fred Eaglesmith’s Cigarette Machine and Woody Guthrie’s This Land Is Your Land. The latter as an encore which had the whole audience joining in for the rousing chorus.

However, the centrepiece of the show was a selection of shows songs from her most recent RIFLES & ROSARY BEADS album. Gauthier had been working for five years with SongwritingWith: Soldiers a project where she worked collaborated with veterans or with their wives as a method of helping with the healing process. One that she found rewarding in so many ways. She eloquently explained the process and the individual stories behind the songs she sang  and included tonight which were The War After The War, Soldiering On, Stronger Together (a song that considered the lives that the wives of members of the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team have to endure and It’s Her Love; something that a veteran told her was what kept him going, even though he couldn’t express that to his wife. 

This writing process was real and necessary,but likely only dealt with a fraction of the overall problem that veterans worldwide face on a daily basis. That 22 soldiers a day, she revealed, are dying by suicide in the USA is a statistic you don’t hear trumpeted and  you also don’t often get hear their stories. That these songs were not glorifying the reasons that the soldiers were in the military was a point she stressed, rather that they should be seen as prayers for peace.

There was a passion to Gauthier in her singing, which was the best I have ever heard from her. She is a terrific songwriter and her lyrics are up there with the best. Throughout, as mentioned, she had the sweet harmonies of Harris and the sensitive and empathic playing of Gazich to give these songs an added depth and range. There were times when the enraptured audience listened in complete silence to Gauthier - something that is not always possible in a venue like Whelan’s. The evening was special for all involved and we all look forward to Gauthier’s next album and return visit.

Review by Stephen Rapid Photography by Kaethe Burt-O’Dea