Primal Scream

Primal Scream 18th November 2008 The Savoy, Cork Heineken Green Spheres Can I get my gripe out of the way first? What is the purpose in everyone in the audience being issued with not just a wrist band but also a thingy to hang around your neck with straps and clasps? What is wrong with the humble ink stamp? How much does it cost to put these things together and what do the trees have to say about it? The free beer on arrival was lovely, don’t get me wrong, but why were you left carting around all these gimmicks for the evening? Can you use them again later? And for what? It appears to be an almighty waste of resources to my mind. But onwards to the gig. 9pm sharp, a band of six walks out on to the stage. For the life of me, I have no idea what they’re called – I could find their name written nowhere and the (apparent) reverb on the mic meant that I couldn’t catch the name when it was said but I can tell you that they were from Newcastle and consisted of a drum kit, a keyboard, four guitars and one Ian Brown lookalike. (Nice of him to drop by.) This was a night of retro. As we waited for the gig to start, the background music was hippy-dippy ‘60s music (Mamas & Papas and their ilk), the screen at the break was showing the trailer for an alien horror film from the 1950s (over and over and over – the roadies were more interesting) and these guys were covering the ‘90s (with a slightly touchy-feely, slightly anthemic, edge of the psychedelic with the almost obligatory instrumentals which built and built and built only to wind down again) rock genre rather nicely. Like I said, no idea who they were at the time (according to Primal Scream’s myspace, they were Detriot Social Club) but I liked them. They rehashed what was milling around in the early ‘90s but they did it well and, as any cold-pizza-for-breakfast connoisseur knows, a revisit to something good isn’t a bad way to start the day, or a gig even. They were gone at 9:30 pm sharp and, after an entertaining half hour with the road crew, where I was very happy having found a heat source and was having my knees gently toasted while we waited, and the stage was stripped, dressed and made ready by some very efficient crew members, Primal Scream entered with the knock-kneed dervish that is Bobby Gillespie marionetting out last at precisely 10:00pm (you gotta love the punctuality). Dubbed ‘the oldest man in rock’, it’s obvious it’s purely a chronological description as he and the rest of the equally apparently aging band members put more energy into the performance than you might be used to seeing, what with Mr Gillespie spinning and his cohorts striding and jumping around the stage. By the bye, they’d evidently had a confab before they came out as they were themed – a red/black colour scheme with everyone in skinny jeans and pointy shoes. Hey, who cares, it worked. And the crowd loved them. As you must already know, “Screamadelica”, their third album put them firmly on the map in 1991 and they maintained their prominence for some time after that, dropping pretty much from the radar mid-90s, but they have been recording fairly steadily over the years and have a surprising nine studio albums to their record, the most recent being this year’s “Beautiful Future”. Their sound has changed over the years certainly but elements of it remain bedded in the past, as the pseudo-punkish leanings of the early part of the set indicate, while at the same time experimenting with what’s around them at any given time. Not that this would worry this young audience as it’s all new to them. For example, a rousing “Jailbird Wine” did not raise a cheer for the old and familiar from the crowd, possibly because they may not have heard it before? It’s good to see longevity in performers. For one thing, getting your parents to approve a career as a rock star becomes easier when the bands that they grew up with are still treading the boards. For another, it’s really good to see if/how a group matures and develops their sound. And, considering it’s more than 15 years since they played the City Hall, these guys have been knocking around a long, long time. Primal Scream: Bobby Gillespie, Andrew Innes, Mani, Martin Duffy, Darrin Mooney

Jackie-O Mutherfucker

Jackie-O Mutherfucker at Cyprus Avenue Sunday 2nd November Support: Valet & Inca Ore *** Valet & Jackie-O Motherfucker - the less said the better. Just know that that's €13.50 I'm not going to get back any time soon. Inca Ore was a little gem though. The spiritual second cousin to Bjork & Patti Smyth, she's a brave, talented, imaginative pixie of a girl and she single-handedly saved the evening.

Bell X1

Bell X1 21st October 2008 Live at the Pavilion, Cork Acoustic “We're most pleased to announce some intimate acoustic shows in Ireland in October and November.We'll be visiting places we've never been, or haven't been for a long time, and playing some new tunes along with all the hitz... We'd also welcome any requests you might have. Email us at bellyrequests@gmail.com, or reply here, and we'll see what we can do...” That’s an excerpt from their website and it pretty much says it all really. So I’ll stop now. Ha! Not a chance. But start as you mean to go on, you know, and this was how they were - by all appearances they were relaxed, comfortable and having fun…and definitely not taking themselves too seriously. Chatting, laughing and generally taking the mick with the crowd, there were only three of them on stage, with (I believe) David Geraghty on the left being all things to all men on the piano, guitar, harmonica, banjo & vocals, Dominic Philips in the middle on bass and vocals and Paul Noonan on the right on guitar, vocals and bizarre links. As soon as I saw Paul’s ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ t-shirt, I knew I was completely snukkered. Mixing the new with the old, they covered a songlist including “Bad Skin Day”, “Alphabet Soup”, the unexpectedly funny “One Stringed Harp”, the gorgeous “Next to You”, “Blow Ins” and an ode to the joys of being breast fed: “I was doing fine when I was being breast fed”. Well then! And joining all of these together were musings on the oddity that is the Latin mass (where the priest turns his back on you), the possibility of marketing a Bell X1 Breast Pump, the Marquee with Duke Special and things wot people did at Oxygen. This particular wandering around the Oxygen campsite conditions led on to a rather angry-sounding number called “I Am the Defector”. Hmm… “Bad Skin Day” was of particular interest to me as it is such a richly layered sound and there were so few of them on stage – to see how it’s all put together, especially acoustically, is an excellent experience. They made really good use of a loop in this track and also in the opening to the second half where they showed their vocal range (especially Dominic) with some high vocal work looped live. The vocal work is particularly impressive – both the tightness in their performance and the clever simplicity of the harmonies themselves – having the tune echoed an octave below in some of the tracks with more complex harmonies above thickened the sound nicely but it’s risky and does not always work. It did here though. “Shine” was always a kind of a ‘so-so’ for me in the whole rosemantic genre but, boy! was I rudely awakened on hearing it live! Lads, I had a moment. Oh my god, a more beautiful and touching love-song I have rarely heard. And it’s all in the telling. I have to admit, tears were felt brimming. Not a good look for a gig. Now, I had to go before the end of the gig as it was a school night and my internal Mary Poppins was whooshing me to bed so I have no idea whether they played “Flame” or whether they did an encore but they are, as they said, traditionalists so I have no doubt that they did all of that and maybe more, and I would say, whether you have already seen them or you are a total Bell X1 know-nothing, either way, get a ticket if you can. (I believe there are some left in Ballybofe.)

Silo - The Quad, Friday 10th October 2008

According to their myspace, “Silo are a badass, rocking, soulful, melodic, tuneful band from Cork”. According to www.thefreedictionary.com, Silo is either a) a tall cylindrical structure in which fodder is stored or b) an underground shelter for a missile, usually equipped to launch said missile. Bit of a choice there, I feel.

A little background for you … according to Shane O’Leary, Silo was started by Philip Murphy (vocals) & Eoin Ryan (drums), “when they were still in school, doing Nirvana and Pixies covers, but obviously the band didn't actually start doing anything remotely productive till I joined a few years later. At that point we going through a fairly questionable folk-rock phase, but that's all behind us now. It's only in the last year or so since Cian (guitar/bass) joined that we've found our sound really. We've written a completely new set over the past 10 or 12 months, so it's like a being in a brand new band.”

Brand new band, eh? Maybe I’m showing my age here but I was put in mind of Kerbdog, those Kilkenny badasses, a number of times during the gig. For all that, Silo are very good at what they do – it is loud, it is pumping and it is full, oh so full of angst.

“You think that you’re going to suffer.” “This is a joke, this is a story. As long as you have your fun and you’re happy.” ”You can tell me I’m stuck in my ways – there’s nothing wrong with me.” The general feeling of righteous jilted anger was broken by a relatively jaunty number (didn’t catch the name – sorry) suggesting that “if you could only get your hands on me, we could tear up the place”. (The lyrics were transcribed live during the gig so if there’s a word out of place, please excuse.)

By the by, a quick note of the Muse cover (“Hysteria”) - Shane, oh Shane, I loved the bass.

Kerbdog, Linkin Park, Live, even Beastie Boys to a lesser extent – all these come to mind when listening (well, to me anyway). The heavy guitar, the powerful vocals from Philip and overall-bass-driven sound backed up by the drums give a very American sound. Note: As I’m finding more and more in the small Cork venues, the wall of sound at this live gig was almost impenetrable and vital details like harmonies and lyrics were lost a lot of the time but when you listen to their recordings, their popularity is more than justified. Roll on a larger venue.

So – they’re either a badass band, a fodder store or a missile launch. I’ll leave it up to you.

Their debut single “Unlucky for some” is out now, available currently at gigs, or from Plug’d Records on Washington Street, Cork from mid-October.

Silo: Philip Murphy – Vocals Eoin Ryan – Drums Shane O’Leary – Guitar/Bass Cian O’Leary Guitar/Bass

Photo: Stas Bernasinski

Brian Deady and Band

Brian Deady & Band City Limits/Sky Club, Cork Saturday 27th Sept. While his solo single “Any ‘Ol Ting” (album – “Interview” – originally due for release this autumn, now not out until beginning of next year) has been getting mixed reviews from the love to the hate, Brian Deady has spent the last few months building a live band. This does not mean to say that he’s leaving his solo, human-beatbox roots behind - far from it. In his own words, he’s a “solo artist who’s expanding”. “Right now I still see myself as a solo artist - who collaborates. I'm writing more material for the ever-developing live set and its great bouncing what ideas I have off the band and seeing how they interpret it.” This band is a mutating thing, it seems, as, after only three performances, the line-up is already on the move, with one of the backing singers already being removed. (Removed? Replaced? Why? Who knows?) When I caught them in City Limits on Saturday 27th last, there were seven on stage – Brian Deady on lead vocals with bass, guitar, drums, keyboard and backing vocals packed in around. The calibre of musician he’s gathering together is high – if I mention the name Niwel Tsumbu and you don’t know of whom I speak, you need to get out more. A personal word on the venue – when I first started going to City Limits/Sky Bar, it was a small-ish nightclub with a flashing floor à la ‘Billy Jean’. It has mutated and/or expanded so many times over the years that it’s hard to keep track, but I find it a strange venue (personally, mind) for this very reason as, every time I walk in the door, I am expecting the original layout and so it always seems alien, ephemeral and not quite real to me. (Hell, maybe I should get out more!) His influences are varied. “I've been listening groups like The Brothers Johnson and Heatwave and steely Dan - I love how strong they are vocally - The Cinematic Orchestra (as of this morning) and a hip hop artist named Jay Electronica. This stuff for me defies the timeline - it doesn’t matter if it’s old or new - if you connect with it then it’s the right music for you.” I suppose I should mention the gig itself at some point. Well, my first impression was ‘Wow! – my new favourite live band.’ Mind you, this was modified slightly as the gig wore on – mainly due to the slower numbers, which, frankly, dragged. But the faster, upbeat tracks rocked. It’s real dance music. Mr Deady sounds like Sam Sparrow crossed with Michael Franti (to my ears) with a lot of soul/funk thrown in. Seriously, guys – stick with the more up-tempo for the moment. Lose the slow numbers – especially if you’ve just berated (yes, berated, and by more than one of you) the audience for not dancing, why then have your very next song a slow number? Does that make sense to anyone? As a whole, though, the production was slick, tight and with up to four singers at any one time, the harmonies and backing were well-worked and very professional, which is all the more impressive when you consider that the line-up for this gig was still being put together up until very recently. The Brian Deady live experience has no definite name as yet – rumours of names such as “The International Takeover” as just that and “BD & Band” doesn’t quite cut it according to the man himself, and so it’s best for the moment to just keep your eyes peeled for ‘Brian Deady’ on the play list for festivals & gigs at home and abroad. A new single ‘Sun Up’ should be out in the next few weeks but, in the meantime, you can check out the video for “Any 'Ol Ting”, which was directed by Brian Connolly, and, incidentally, I am reliably informed, has been selected for 'Made in Cork 'section of the Cork Film Fest this year. www.myspace.com/briandeadyfutureretro

Tom Waits at the Ratcellar - Glitter & Doom

Oh! My! God! What a stomping gig! Tom Waits played the Ratcellar in the Phoenix Park on Thursday night (31st July). Just a bit of background: The Ratcellar, a.k.a. the Marquee (well, if not the actual one, for all intents and purposes), was set up in the Phoenix Park for the run of the trio of gigs ending the European leg of his Glitter and Doom tour. The gig was due to start at 8pm but the very relaxed crowd was still wandering in and around well after deadline. Hats (pork pies mostly – I think) were in proliferation among the men, as were suits. A very sartorially elegant bunch, high on the arty-barometer. Age ranged from in and around my age, mmphf, to sixties plus. The occasional young ones in their early twenties were being ferried mini bottles of wine by doting papas, cheerful staff were helping good-looking young men with their overloaded drinks order by fishing their tickets out of their back pockets and kindly replacing them after being checked, no messing or overt drunkenness was evident – people were even eating ice cream as they were waiting - and I’m pretty sure I spotted that pop pixie, Duke Special, heading for the front. Music which sounded like it came from a ‘40s ticket-a-dance hall was on in the background, lending a kind of sad and slightly sleazy air. By half eight, I figured that that was the perfect time to pop out to the loos – just about a minute later I heard a roar go up from inside the tent (the band arriving) followed by one even louder (the arrival of Mr Waits) but it did result in my having the wonderful sight of aged, sorry, distinguished men legging it from the portaloos to get back to their seats. You don’t see something like that every day. Have I mentioned that the staff were superb? Well, they were. I don’t know where the order came from – Mr Waits or the general gig management - but there was a hold on people just wandering in during a number and all were held back from entering the main arena of the tent while Mr Waits was performing. Brilliant! No-one minded and it kept the disruption down. They also gave every appearance of being in thoroughly good humour, especially when one punter tried to take a photograph while standing next to one of them. That was actually rather funny. By the time I did get back to my seat, Mr Waits was just finished the first number, which I’d seen from the sidelines. He was bathed in an orange/red light, standing on a raised podium, lit round the edge with coloured bulbs, covered in grit, which raised in great dusty clouds when he stomped his feet (which was a lot, by the way). Looking like a modern shaman, on a stage cluttered with equipment and instruments, decorated with a overgrown hat tree of tannoy speakers, wearing his dusty old three-piece black suit, black shirt and black bowler hat (yes, bowler, not trilby or pork pie), raising his hands in fists, grimacing at the music. Surrounded by the band, he belted out tracks like ‘the thing about human kind is there’s nothing kind about humans’ (I’m very bad with names) before moving to the piano for some quieter numbers. A note on the band – there was percussion, keyboard, upright bass, guitar, sax and clarinet. His sons, Casey and Sullivan Waits were on stage (I wonder what it’s like working with dear ol’ dad?), on percussion and clarinet. The whole lot of them were superb but the saxophonist, Vincent Henry, took the biscuit – every time you looked over, he was playing two saxes at once. Aagh! You can just picture the rehearsal where that was decided…”Hey, lads, look at this! I worked it out in the pub last night!” “Brilliant! Do it on stage!” “Oh, bloodyhell…” The section where he sat at the piano with the upright bass behind him was gorgeous. I don’t know whether it was the PMT in me but when the crowd sang along to ‘innocent when you dream’ like they were at the Grand Ol’ Opry, it brought tears to my eyes. In a good way. Yes, Mr Waits, I agree, it was beautiful. By the bye, Mr Waits is the King of Cheese. I had no idea. But he was forever telling us ‘one last thing’ – bits of trivia, nonsense and very, very bad jokes. He got more chatty as the night went on. He also appreciated our abilities as an audience, I must tell you. After the singing, came the clapping. Lads, we were brilliant. We were rhythmic, together, we sensed the way the music was going (mostly) and gave him dynamics, fade ins & outs and handled any complexity he threw at us (though there wasn’t much of that, now I think of it). I think he liked it. He certainly had us clapping a lot. Now his voice is not gravely. Not any more. He has gone beyond the gravely description, so far beyond it, it doesn’t do the roiling incoherency of it any justice. The closest geological description (to continue a theme) was as if he were singing from beneath a rubbly, muddy stream bed. Not the best description, I’ll grant you, but at least it’s not ‘gravely’. There was so much in this gig, I have pages of notes, but I’d be here all night and you’d be asleep. There was the sudden downpour, which made an unexpected entrance in the tent over the rows behind us, forcing several people to abandon ship for elsewhere in the tent. There was the over two hours of sheer and unparalleled woompf on stage from Mr Waits and his merry band before taking a break. There was the over five (five!) minutes (minutes!) he made us wait before he came back out for the encore. There was the astonishing and medicine man-like outpouring of ‘Hoist That Rag’ (and our best clapping moment) which resulted in a oh-so-totally-deserved standing ovation. The be-glittered ‘Make it rain’. The stomp-operated school-house bell. The multi-talented, multi-instrumented band. The strutting, posing joy that was Mr Waits. It’s a pity there’s only one of him. It must be fun, being Tom Waits.

Nicole Maguire

Nicole Maguire Cyprus Avenue, Cork August 1st, 2008 Picture it, a floating mass of dark spiral curls, a girl and a guitar, centre stage with a small spare collection of the bare essentials – bass, electric guitar, percussion. The audience is small but appreciative. It is tough getting an audience in Cork sometimes – talking to those in the gigging business, there’s either too much on any one evening or it’s holiday season and everyone’s at the big summer festivals/gigs. Still, a small group of dedicated, interested fans makes for a better night all round than a large number of half-interested, half-chatting punters out for a drink and some background music (though I’m not sure that those who are relying on the bar take would agree). The personable Ms Maguire was relaxed and chatty, thanking the audience for coming along and wondering that they weren’t somewhere getting a tan instead of staying here in the rain. Dangerous question, really – you might get the audience agreeing. The sound produced by this small band was rich, layered and full and Ms Maguire’s vocals strong and clear. Well, it was as long as the band wasn’t full force around her. From where I was standing, back a bit and centre stage, whenever the band joined in in toto, the vocals were kind of to almost lost, which was disappointing. This doesn’t appear to be the case with her studio recordings so I can only put it down to the night in hand. However, the sound was good and, with the ever versatile Mr Chris Percival rocking out stage left, it left you with a very good taste in you mouth. Ms Maguire is a gentle girl with a powerful voice which did not get the outing it deserved last night. It is unforced and easy on the ear. According to Chris Percival (guitar), she has the voice to go with the songs and the songs to go with the voice. In other words, she’s a mean songwriter and one heck of a singer. And I have to admit, I agree. The sound overall brings to mind for me a more rocked up version of All About Eve. You may not agree. For aficionados of Ms Maguire, the well-stocked set list for the gig included ‘It’s a little strange’, ‘Lipstick Girl’, ‘I’m gonna be’ and ‘When the coast is clear’ (to which you can listen for yourself on her myspace (nicolemaguireireland) or .com sites.) She has also got dates lined up for the next two and a half months up and don the country so you can catch her live as and when. The Nicole Maguire Band: Nicole Maguire(vocals, electric & acoustic guitar)/Ciaran Manning (percussion)/Chris Percival (electric & acoustic guitar)/Jason Brown (Bass)

Samual James at the Crane Lane

Samuel James sings the blues. We don’t often get blues singers in this neck of the woods. It’s not really our metier. So, when one comes along the calibre of Mr James, we should be counting our blessings. Not yet out of his twenties, he’s making a name for himself Stateside, being compared favourably with blues artists like Keb’ Mo’ and legends such as Son House and Mississippi John Hurt. No mean feat. He recently completed a mini tour of Ireland, taking in a few gigs in Cork, Dublin & Clonakilty). The night I caught was a free midnight gig in the Crane Lane (Cork) on Wednesday 16th last, following Alabama3’s earlier session. He was, understandably, nervous; not least due to their (totally) justified reputation. But there is nothing to do in a situation like that but get up on that stage and start making some noise and, hopefully, an audience for yourself. When I arrived, the crowd was still milling around, buzzing from the Alabama 3, and only just beginning to focus on the new arrival (SJ), who was up on stage with just himself and a guitar and a whole lot of foot-stomping. By a couple of songs in, the crowd was being very much won over, helped by a couple of musos literally hauling people forward to the stage to bridge the gap between Mr James and his burgeoning audience. This helped no end, as he looked less isolated to the crowd at large and more and more were being hooked in all the time. As an audience, we were definitely more interested in the very fast and the very complicated, which was good as Mr James is very good at both. He is a superb guitarist. And he spears to get totally lost in what he’s doing, to the extent that at times you were not sure whether he had not forgotten the audience entirely, until he speeded up again and the crowd started whooping. [If you’re trying to get a picture of the sound/feel for what he was producing, my mind kept thinking Cohen Bros films, esp. their most recent. Does that help? Maybe not. You can check out his myspace anyway (see below).] At one point, there was a rather entertaining pass where a member of the crowd started doing what can only be described as interpretative line dancing, while Mr James slowly rotated the guitar upside-down and around, while not missing a beat (but making life a little difficult for his happy helper who had to spend some time hanging on the edge of the stage trying to make sure he was still mic’d up for the duration. Well, we know this much: he knows his instrument backwards! Boom Boom! OK, I apologise for that one. Bad me. Blues, at least the kind sung by Mr James, originated in the Baptist Church, as Mr James explained, before taking us on a roaring encore of Q&A called “John the Revelator”, with the audience hollering (only word for it) the responses to Mr James’ on-stage who was playing at prosletysing. Bloody good stuff! I found out later that apparently, after Mr James had finished his gig and left the stage, Harpo Strangelove, (the harmonica player from Alabama3) and himself returned to the stage to do a number together. And I missed it because I was being good and getting to bed before half one on a school night. Curses! P.S. Now as the Irish leg of his mini-tour this side of the Atlantic was organised by my flatmate, I met Mr James a number of times, like when he was getting over jet lag by having a doze on the couch or stopping off en route to a sound check. And, ladies, he is as lovely in person as he looks on stage. Just in case you’re curious. You may not be. But you might. (www.myspace/sugarsmallhouse)

Morrissey at the Marquee

The first time I came across the New York Dolls was a few years ago as a mention in a biography of Vivienne Westwood. The next time was on Thursday afternoon as the Boy was hyperventilating down the phone on being told that I’d gotten late tickets to the Morrissey gig in the Marquee with the NYD playing support. (He got very excited about the New York Dolls.) Now, this is probably nothing you don’t know already but Morrissey quite possibly had the same reaction when the NYD (actually…am I allowed abbreviate? Oh, damn it all to heck – I live on the edge!) agreed to reform at his behest for a one-off gig at the Meltdown Festival in 2004. I have to say that I’m tickled pink by the idea of someone of the stature of Morrissey being a die-hard fan - it’s kind of like trying to picture him in short trousers. Mind you, he probably had the same hair-do… Ok, so what has all this got to do with the gig in the Marquee on Thursday? Well, for the ones down the back, it’s because the Dolls played support to Morrissey in the Marquee on Thursday. Do try and keep up. Kudos to Aiken Promotions! OK – so the New York Dolls! Generally thought of as the fathers of punk, one-time clients of Malcolm Maclaren, starting in 1971, stoping in 1977, reforming in 2004 and now playing in little old Cork in a tent. I think you’ll have guessed by now that I’m a Dolls virgin so I am not going to upset dyed-in-the-wool fans by commenting on or even trying to name any of the songs. Having said that, I do remember one in specific – the easy-to-remember, easy-to-pronounce-and-sing-along-to “Pills”. The Boy did liken them physically to the Village People – don’t shout – it’s more that they’re five very different-looking people on stage (there was a definite ACDC vibe going on with Sylvain Sylvain’s wardrobe) but they put me more in mind of the Stones, not least because of the striking similarities in looks and swagger between Johansen and Jagger. But I suspect that Johansen may not take himself as seriously as Jagger (working on the assumption that Jagger does, mind you). Speaking of wardrobes, when are men going to realise that the wearing of pink, stretch, spangly tops will actually enhance their level of attractiveness? Make-up, dresses, pink spangly – try it out! It worked for that dude out of Babylon Zoo, it works for Eddie Izzard and it worked for David Johansen on Thursday. Look it – women have been cross-dressing for decades – trouser suits, short hair – why not men? I miss the New Romantics… Sorry – wandered - back to the gig! It seemed to me that the crowd took a little while to warm up to the Dolls and really get into it but by the time Mr Johansen was introducing us to the local boy on stage we were happy, happy people. I love their stuff – it’s original, unpretentious, good old rock’n’roll punk and, most importantly, great fun. I would love to see them again, hint hint. A total change of scene and mood, Morrissey took to the stage after a LOT of flashing strobes, as a picture of sartorial elegance. Immaculate hair. We were asked for our compliments/comments. The grey really does make a man look distinguished. Opening with “All you need is me” (wonderful lyrics) and following with “Ask” (my personal favourite – it should be printed on cards and handed out in schools and health centres), he made efforts to gel with his audience and show his fluffy side by speaking Irish at us (phonetically from a card, but how many of us can do much better?) and even tried a bit of a Cork (sorry, Cark) accent. It was quite sweet, really. I wandered out for a bit in the middle, when he wandered into his more modern, solo stuff. There was a feeling of detachment around, which I thought was me disengaging from the music but have heard it since from others so perhaps it was emanating from the stage, or perhaps I happened to talk to the only people in the place who felt it, who knows? In any case, I was back inside just in time to miss his cover of the Buzzcocks’ “You say you don’t love me” (apparently superb) but in very good time for “How soon is now?” and the totally excellent encore “Irish Blood, English Heart”. And let me tell you, you haven’t heard that song until you’ve heard it being bellowed by a tent full of Morrissey fans – sends shivers down the spine, especially the bit about Cromwell. Now I want to know about those pictures used as the backdrop. I’ve been wandering around the web to see if anyone has info on them, but no joy. Now the one on the left was a face-on mugshot, taken on the 26th June 1940 and just before he launched into “How Soon is Now?”, his keyboard played a slow and strange rendition of “Happy Birthday”. Hmm…bit of a mystery. Any enlightenment? Is it a really obvious connection? (Aside from the dates coinciding, of course.) It was a definite themed set – what with the mugshot triptych and the smaller image on the front with a snippet of accompanying information, which was saying basically that the guy in the picture was arrested for stealing a watch but claimed that the owner had given it to him. Both were drunk, apparently. Hmm…yes…and the mystery thickens. P.S. Apologies to the first support band as I did not hear them and cannot find where I wrote their name and arrived at the gig with only just enough time to have a quick beer before the Dolls … em … well … anyway … I’m only human!

The Brigadier - The Rise and Fall of Responsibility

And if the formatting goes on this entry too, I will be very put out. The Brigadier “The Rise and Fall of Responsibility” All songs written, performed & produced by Matt Williams · Growing up is hard to do (part 1) · When will I be with you? · The language of love · Envy · Une Soiree · Under the influenza · Hot Toddy · The melancholy days · This, is why… · What can’t be fixed · The box in the back of my mind · Growing up is hard to do (part 2) · Façade What can I say? I love this album. It’s odd, feel-good, has hints (only hints, mind you) of burlesque, Julian Lennon ( know, I know, but work with me here), The Feeling…but none of it is overwhelming. He’s pretty damn unique in my hearing. And now I have to wax lyrical about it for 300 words. Oh hell, sod that, just go buy it and go for a drive. In the sun.

Celeste Lear

“Looking up from underwater” Björk, Moloko, Goldfrapp…they all spring to mind with the opening bars of Ms Lear’s CD, “Looking Up From Underwater”. In fact, a lot of things spring to mind as the cd wears on. For example: · Track 2 – weak lyrics · Track 3 – early-90s drum&bass feel summer · Tracks 4 & 5 – more early 90s reminiscence · Track 6 - moving on – feels like the sound track to Romeo & Juliet. · Track 7 - Siobhán Donaghy soundalike · Track 8 – All About Eve · Track 9 – celtic Moloko · More 90s, more Björk derivation… And so on and so on. Ms Lear has a grand strong voice and can write a tune but my problem with this album is that it all seems to sound like someone/something else. There appears to be a great effort at originality here but it ends up being someone else’s sound. Pity.

Heliopause

Heliopause EP Recorded & Mixed at Soggy Cabin Studios, Cork · paprapo · who ate the cabin boy · middle distance · maybe later · caught rotten It’s a brave band that goes purely instrumental. Charlie Don’t Surf are one Cork crowd who pretty well know what they’re doing and can pull it off with just the music alone. It remains to be seen whether Heliopause can get to the same point, without requiring the ‘lively antics of their bass player’ on stage. According to their press release, they’ve been together since 2005, meeting as students. In other words, they’re young and inexperienced. They’re learning. The laid back “maybe later” shows promise. It shows restrain and control which is not so evident in the earlier tracks. And “caught rotten” has depth to it that is refreshing. The opener “pamrapo” could do with an overhaul of the drum line as this could be a show piece for some tight, rhythmic percussion, which unfortunately at the moment is merely filler behind some not-that-interesting guitars. What’s needed here, I think, is some intensive study on behalf of the band in rhythmic and tonal intricacy. If you are dropping the lyric entirely, then the rest simply has to be wholly engaging. And, I’m sorry to say, aside from sparks in the last two tracks and the very beginning (and I mean VERY beginning) of “who ate the cabin boy”, this wasn’t. Having a great live show is good and is a rather excellent start but, unless you plan on selling solely on the basis of live DVDS, then the music has to carry without the visuals. There is promise here but Heliopause have chosen a difficult road. Music sans lyrics is a difficult market to corner as the audiences tend to be more demanding and the instruments must do so much more work. All I can suggest is that you get hold of some modern minimalist (e.g. Steve Reich) or African music (e.g. our own Niwel Tsumbu), and listen to the swirling kaleidoscope of sound and rhythm which is possible, listen to the glorious complexity of it all and, well, listen good. Heliopause: Brian Dunlea (Bass) Sean Daly (Guitar/Synth) Damien O’Leary (Guitar) Jamie O’Donoghue (Drums) www.myspace.com/heliopausecork

GAMAK

Giveamanakick

Friday 19^th April 2008

Cyprus Avenue, Cork

What do you get if you take two angry accountants (well, that’s what they looked like – either accountants or IT specialists – take your pick) and put them in a room with two drum kits, four guitars (one teeny-weeny one), a cowbell, a whistle and a scary-ass facemask? Giveamanakick, that’s what.

No one could claim no warning when you consider that the stage had been set up by men in nuclear boiler suits. The presence of a coat stand on stage should not have set any ingénue’s mind at rest. These two guys mean business and they mean it to be a loud and as fast as possible. And as incoherent. Ok, ok, audible melody does rear its head every so often and even the pace and freneticism calm occasionally, but we’re talking overall impression here.

They opened with the kick-ass “Spring Break” (not that I could make out the name or the lyric from what went on on-stage – this I gleaned from peering over the sound desk at the set list), which also opens the new album, “Welcome to the Cusp”. Playing in Cork for the first time since the last time, or so Steveamanakick said, they also claimed to be nervous. Really? It didn’t show, lads. Tracks like “Horses for Courses”, “Brittle Bones” and “I Dream of Shavings” showcase the pair’s tight timing and sheer professionalism. The whole set was loud, fast, pumping, alive and you found yourself moving without realising you were doing it. I defy anyone to go to one of their gigs and sit or stand still through it.

The audience (what a sedate word), aka their fans, loved them – that goes without saying. I’d never heard them before and I loved them. They should be playing to bigger crowds, if there’s any justice in the world, in bigger venues with even glitzier drum kits (loved the drums!)!

I’m not going to go on and on or try and describe their music; that would take from it, I believe. But it’s very simple. They are a superb live band so, guys, if you want a good night, go and see GAMAK – catch them if you can and try to keep up! (You might want ear plugs…just a thought.)

GAMAK

Steveamanakick – vocals/guitars

Giveamanakeith – drums/vocals

Ian Whitty & The Exchange

Ian Whitty & The Exchange

With guests Supermodel Twins

The Roundy Rooms, Cork

April 17^th 9:00pm

Opening the gig, Limerick-based, US-influenced band, the Supermodel Twins, were tight and very rehearsed, but the aftertaste left was that they were derivative and unimaginative, being something akin to American Pie meets the Feeling. However it was nice seeing Samwise Gamgee on lead guitar and backing vocals.

This left the floor for Ian Whitty and the Exchange. Ian Whitty is long established as a solo artist and this set-up is a new departure for him. Nevertheless, he was appeared relaxed and comfortable on stage. The Exchange comprises a mix-um-gather-um of local musicians, lured from other groups, such as Stanley Super 800, for the project. The group consists of guitar, bass, drums, violin & cello and it is a very talented group that Mr Whitty pulled together for the gig in The Roundy Rooms tonight.

It is rare to see an artist perform as well solo as he does with a group. In fact, it is more often the case that the change from going solo to fronting a group results in the loss of something, a flattening almost of the whatever quality which separates them from the pack. Ian Whitty does not suffer from this. Not at all. Actually, it is more like comparing apples and oranges and we got a taste of both this evening.

It was a long enough set with the five musicians squashed into the small stage area and the bass completely hidden in the background (which might be looked into for future gigs in this venue, purely on an aesthetic level mind…ahem). Mr Whitty chatted amiably before each track, giving a potted history of its origin, including tales about a kidnapped pit bull and ill-advised romantic encounters, all of which added to the seriously feel-good factor of the night.

“Houndstooth Shirt”, the first single for the group, is released on April 18^th. If you want to get a handle on exactly what this group are about, have a listen. It’s esoteric, quirky (I am not a fan of that word but sometimes needs must) and suits them down to the ground. Actually, there were no weak tracks in the set, but my personal highlight was a simply magic moment when he launched into a solo number, “Knocks me out”, and the background noise from the crowd dispersed like the red sea parting.

Bass: Paddy, not Flor

Drums & vocals: Anto Noonan

Violin & xylophone: Larrissa O Grady

Cello: Grace Mc Carthy

Guitar & vocals:Ian Whitty

The Smith Quartet

Music Network Presents:

The SMITH Quartet

With GERARD McCHRYSTAL saxophone

Thursday 10^th April, Curtis Auditorium, CIT Cork School of Music, 8pm

The Smith Quartet, referred to variously as Britain’s answer to the Kronos Quartet and Britain’s premiere contemporary string quartet, performed last night in the company of Gerard McChrystal on the second date of a ten-date tour which sees them play both north and south of the border, culminating on Saturday night in Portstewart, Coleraine. The programme chosen is one, which profiles some the leading contemporary composers working in Ireland and the UK today, including Mícheál Ó Súilleabháinn, one-time head of our own UCC Department of Music.

To quote their own notes and to give you a flavour for the group itself, “For almost twenty years, the Smith Quartet has been a leading light of the contemporary music scene: over one hundred new works have been written for the ensemble by a veritable who’s who of composers including Kevin Volans, Django Bates, Michael Nyman and Stephen Montague. The quartet has worked closely with Steve Reich, most notably on his work Different Trains …”. Heavyweight names indeed!

But enough background and on to the concert itself. It opened, after a bit of a chat from Mr McChrystal to set the scene, with five of jazz pianist Chick Corea’s Children’s Songs. Those chosen moved from the gentle fairytale to the realms reminiscent of 1,001 Arabian Nights and Pan’s Labyrinth. It was (possibly) coincidental that as the last piece opened with a startling robustness a young girl in a row ahead of me had a nosebleed. Definitely a coincidence.

Changing style completely, the Debussy and the Ravel were run together. I confess, Syrinx is one of my personal favourites and I’m always partial to a spot of Ravel. And this particular Ravel, with which I was unfamiliar, is a little gem. Perhaps, that is why, for me, the concert peaked early and was on a gentle slope downwards from then one, with the one high point in the second half being Farrell’s The Pilgrim’s Return. Hunting/Gathering & Stamp are both technically difficult, both to play and on the ear and Óiche Nollag didn’t settle until the it moved into a jazz interpretation towards the end of the piece. The final pieces, If & Why, by Michael Nyman, originally written to texts by a Roger Pulvers and included in the 1995 Japanese animated feature film “The Diary of Anne Frank” were saccharine in the extreme. A glance at the included lyrics only confirmed that feeling.

However, programming aside, the Smith Quartet are ruthlessly good at what they do and Mr McChrystal produced a sound that was so smooth and warm that it was only short of a cat stretched out in front of him, purring. Theirs is an (apparently) effortless grace and dexterity with none of the showboating, which can be prevalent in the classical world. They were a joy to see and hear.

The Smith Quartet (http://www.smithquartet.com/)

Gerard McChrystal (http://www.saxsaxsax.com/)

The Smith Quartet:

Ian Humphries – Violin

Darragh Morgan – Violin

Nic Pendlebury – Viola

Deirdre Cooper – Cello

Programme:

Children’s Songs - Chick Corea

Syrinx – Claude Debussy

Piece en forme de Habanera – Joseph-Maurice Ravel

Hunting Gathering – Kevin Volans

INTERVAL

Óiche Nollag – Mícheál Ó Súilleabháinn

The Pilgrim’s Return – Ciarán Farrell

STAMP (to avoid erotic thoughts) – Donnacha Dennehy

If & Why – Michael Nyman

Ham SandwicH

“Carry the Meek”

• St. Christopher
• Keepsake
• Click…click…BOOM!!!
• Never Talk
• Words
• Broken Glass
• Sad Songs
• Sleep
• Ashes
• Thru the Grass

Having reviewed their live show only a couple of weeks ago, I feel like I’m eighteen again, sitting the Matric. (ask your parents) and thinking to myself “Haven’t I just done this exam?” Well, in the second instalment of the continuing saga, I am pleased to say that they come off a lot better on vinyl (again, ask your parents) than they did in Cyprus Avenue, at least vocally. I have to admit though, and I know I am probably going to be in a very small minority here, but I don’t know where I am with Ham SandwicH. While I am reluctant to box things off or label extravagantly, they are neither here nor there for me. I love what they do harmonically and melodically. The double octave work between Ms Farrell & Mr McNamee is wonderful – powerful, attention-grabbing, distinctive. And the counter-melodies used are clever, relatively intricate and unusual for the modern band. But I find, once you get over the vocals, Ham SandwicH as a whole is washing over me without having much impact. Like I said, I’m probably not making myself popular here.

Carry the Meek is an excellent exponent of what it is to be Ham SandwicH and will doubtless delight fans everywhere. Click…click…BOOM!!! has a catching and clever hook. Their sound is driving, insistent, pounding and the lyrics are clever, intelligent. I don’t doubt that this will sell well and be a treasured part of many collections for some time to come…just not part of this reviewer’s. Mind you, I do really like Sad Songs…

Ham SandwicH:

Niamh Farrell

Podge McNamee

Johnny Moore

Ollie Murphy

Darcy

The Coronas

“Heroes or Ghosts”

• Grace Don’t Wait
• Make a Change
• San Diego Song
• Heroes or Ghosts
• The Talk
• The Great Divide
• I Choose Love
• Decision Time
• Filtho
• Real World
• The Joker
• Temporary Release

The Coronas manage to have their own sound in the densely populated world of the guitar-driven rock/pop band, which is in a large part due to their vocals, which is an odd blend of a stong voice that sobs the sentiment at you. Their sound overall puts me in mind of Live, but without the menace. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as it allows you to listen to it far more often. On first listening, the CD sounds like a lovely bunch of very happy-go-lucky tracks but, on loser inspection, the upbeat feel is masking an undercurrent of melancholy in the lyrics. Tracks like The Talk or the title track Heroes or Ghosts are simply beautiful. If I have any quibble with this at all, it is that the songs all appear to be in and around the same note range, even in the same key, which lends a same-sameness, which travels from one track to the next. I don’t know if this is due to the vocal range of the lead singer or whether it is simply an act of chance but changing this could lead to a more interesting work next time around. But this could be just a step on a long journey. In short, I love their sound and love this album.

The boys are lined up for gigs all over the country over the next couple of months so, if you can catch them, do. They’re even better live.

The Coronas:

Danny O’Reilly

Graham Knox

Conor Egan

Dave McPhillips

Primrose

“What you want to believe”

1. stranger come around

2. so alive

3. the best in you

4. pretty girl

5. insane

6. ambitious girl

7. rude

8. take on me

9. sad song

10. say’s enough

On first listen, it sounds American, on second listen, it sounds like nothing in particular, on third, it starts to grow and by the fourth, there are tracks on repeat. (Interestingly, the main, indeed only, image in the sleeve notes is from the U.S.A. moon landing.) This is the new album from Denmark-based, self-proclaimed Irish band, Primrose, “What you want to believe”. Having said that, however, there are only a few tracks that I find worth repeating. This would make a superb four-track EP, using just tracks #1,3,8 & 10. Stranger Come Around is an epic opener, with almost-OTT strings & vocals swirling, The Best In You & Take On Me are songs for a summer road-trip, with Say’s Enough a sparsely-arranged soundtrack closer. Frankly, I grew to immediately love this collection but almost as quickly found myself irked by most of it. The definitions of a primrose path (included inside the sleeve notes) using terms like ‘irresponsible hedonism’ and ‘tempting but hazardous’ didn’t help. (It put me in mind of someone who tells everyone that he’s ‘like, Crazy, man!’ in the hope that he will be thought more interesting than he actually is.) On a more serious note, lyrically, the work could be stronger and a number of the songs morphed into background noise within a few bars. Frontman Adrian Sullivan’s voice is wonderfully distinctive though and it adds a certain something to even the more wandering tracks (e.g. Pretty Girl). It is also no surprise that one of the more interesting tracks (#3) had input from Brother Bob, who has worked wth Madonna, Britney Spears and the Pet Shop Boys. However, at the end of all this, I am put in mind of the old saying “A good start is half the work” so I’m looking forward to their next offering.

One question though: what the heck does “It say’s enough for me” supposed to mean? Why the apostrophe?

Primrose:

Adrian Sullivan

Ulrck Aagaard

Kasper Olsen

Kasper Foss

Redtrack

Inside/Pretty Boy EP

·Inside

· Pretty Boy

·On The Razz

·Inside (radio edit-clean)

For my money, opening with Pretty Boy would have been a better plan than with Inside. Pretty Boy is a rocking track and the addition of one Eliza Nicholas as guest vocalist just works so well with her slightly hard-edged girlish tones set against the Essex-laden bovver boy of Redtrack frontman Billy Wright. However, I suspect that, due to the presence of a radio edit, Inside is to be the public face of this young trio. (Mini-rant: Why is it thought that blanking out the ‘uc’ leaving ‘f**k’ is going to hide the word? It sounds as obvious as the original, if not more so.) Looking at the CD in general, the whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts here and the end result belies their relatively tender years. The lyrics are current, intelligent and, listening to them thumping out of the headphones, you find yourself chair-dancing in the office. Pretty Boy & On The Razz are catchy and infectious and seem to be far more representative of their sound than Inside, which appears to have a far more commercial leaning than the other two. I’m not convinced that this commerciality is quite in their comfort zone though and feel a much better vibe from the middle of the CD. Check out their myspace account (myspace.com/redtracktheband) for a broader view of their sound.

I think these guys would be much better live. It’s hard to catch the raw energy jumping out of this E.P. on a recording to the same extent that it would be felt up the front at a heaving gig. And I, for one, would like to see them play here some time in the not too dim and distant.

Redtrack:

Lead vocals/guitar – Billy Wright

Bass – Phil Blake

Drums – Andrew Perry

Additional vocals on Pretty Boy – Eliza Nicholas

Ham SandwicH

“Carry the Meek” tour (support by Queen Kong & The Kinetics) 13th March 2008 Cyprus Avenue, Cork Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the 1980s. The gig opened with Siouxsie…sorry, Queen Kong, who were followed by The Kinetics (Echo & The Bunnymen, The Teardrop Explodes, The Jesus and Mary Chain – take your pick), all of which led up to the headliners, Ham SandwicH, a band which is the love child of The Sisters of Mercy and Belle and Sebastian. Ham SandwicH are the Meteor Hope for 2008, an award for which the nominees are chosen by record companies and RTÉ 2FM and the winners voted for by 2FM listeners. So, essentially, it appears to be an award which focuses on the commercial saleability of an act, with the more vested interests (e.g. record companies and a predominantly chart-based music station) heavily involved in the choice of who can get the award. (Incidentally, The Kinetics were also nominees.) To quote their own blurb on the 2FM website, “their unique sound is built around the dovetail vocals of Niamh & Podge flying against a cloudy sky with catchy yet intricate guitars”. Yes, well, OK then. Cloudy is definitely a word I would have chosen. I am sorry to say that the “dovetail vocals” were for the most part lost in the melange of sound coming off the stage. Unless the pitch was in their upper registers and literally thrown over and above the drums and guitars and bass, the words & vocal blending were fairly indecipherable. Which is a huge pity as, listening to their recordings later, their harmonies are intricate, Ms Farrell’s voice rich, strong, expressive and sometimes fearless, and perfectly matched by Mr McNamee singing in a register which starts somewhere in the region of his boots, most of which detail was lost in the live performance. And speaking of performance, having a chat and a laugh with your buddy on stage as you sing the climax of a sorrowful love song (e.g. when Ms Farrell is breathing the ultimate break-up lines in “Sad Songs”) does not actually enhance the telling of the story. Just a thought. If I am sounding rather critical, well, I suppose I am. Yes, this is a visually impressive band – they’ve got the moves, the quirky clothes sense, the excellent hair – and technically they are tight and good at what they do. But, musically-speaking, I just do not feel that they are pushing back any boundaries here. To me this is well-produced, safe rock music with a slightly risqué edge (a female lead singer) and it is a product which will appeal to the masses. Hence the award. I can see them playing stadia. (Certainly, I felt that the venue in which I saw them play was too small for them and that they would come across better on a larger stage.) Frankly, as a result of this, and barring unforeseen circumstances, I fully expect to see them going strong in years to come. Niamh Farrell – Vocals Podge McNamee – Vocals/Guitar/Piano Johnny – Bass Guitar Darcy – Guitar/Piano Ollie Murphy - Drums

Waxing Lyrical

A short note on Wax Lyrical by Ladydoll.

I’m listening to Ladydoll’s E.P. Wax Lyrical and it’s turning out to be a little gem of a CD. It’s a grower. The opener, Charm Alarm, is an attention grabber. On the other hand, the rest takes a bit of listening to but it’s addictive stuff. Man, I’m turning into a bit of a groupie here. (A groupie? At my age? Bah and Humbug!) First the gig, then the CD … what next?

There is some wobbly intonation in the backing vocals towards the end of Preacher Man, which also sounds a bit thin (the backing vocals, not the track) and probably could have been smoothed out and fattened up a bit by an engineer (but what do I know? I studied geology in college…and I don’t remember much of that anymore). So this was more than likely deliberate. (Again – geology.)

Look it, this is a sexy little window into Ladydoll and you will find yourself putting it on repeat. And repeat. Don’t say you haven’t been warned. The tracks included are: Charm Alarm Button Preacher Man Wax Lyrical (not that you'd know it from the sleeve notes or anything...)

Bach: St. John Passion

I am not going to say anything about the St. John Passion - there are reams written about it already by better brains than mine. All I will say is that yesterday evening (March 5th) in the City Hall, the Irish Chamber Orchestra, the National Chamber Choir of Ireland and soloists put on a sublime performance with an edge of theatricality. Superb musicians, superb music...it was glorious, simply glorious. Irish Chamber Orchestra & National Chamber Choir of Ireland with guests, Sylvia O'Brian (Soprano), Robin Tritschler (Tenor) - Evangelist, Mark Wilde (Tenor), Benjamin Bevan (Baritone), Grant Doyle - Christus & James Laing (Counter Tenor). Conductor, Stephen Layton.

Tchaikovsky & The Armed Man

Cork School of Music Symphony Orchestra & Cork School of Music Fleischmann Choir Saturday 1st March 8pm & Sunday 2nd March 3:30pm City Hall, Cork Tchaikovsky's Symphony no.5 in e minor Karl Jenkin's 'The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace' As part of an unusually busy weekend, I found myself going to the City Hall on Sunday afternoon to see old comrades sing the Cork premiere of Karl Jenkin’s ‘The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace’ and, wonderfully, there was a very good turn-out for the concert, especially when you think that this was its second performance over the weekend. No mean feat for the marketing department. Settling in to the back of the balcony as the performance is about to begin, there is the usual level of shuffling, coughing, doors banging open & shut, chatting and general foostering, which is so much part of going to a concert in the City Hall these days. Well into the first movement of the Tchaikovsky, when the whole mood of the piece is being set up by the string section, we are assaulted by doors thumping, people climbing up and down the stairs and sidling past those who were there on time, with highly audible whispers of apology. And then there is the final act of removing outdoor garments which for some reason simply cannot be done in the corridor or lobby outside the hall and always must be accompanied by yet more whispering. This is entirely facilitated by the those on the doors coming into the hall to watch the performance and, as a result, are not stationed outside to ask people to wait for a break in performance before clattering into their seats. It is hugely disrespectful for those both on stage and off it who have made it there with time to spare. Whether you are permanently late, or have been genuinely and unavoidably delayed, I’m sorry for your trouble but it makes no odds to those inside – it is an unnecessary and unfair disruption and should be knocked on the head immediately. If you are late, then it is basic good manners to wait outside the hall until the end of the first movement (generally 5-7 minutes, which if you are late will result in a considerably shorter wait time) and then make your way quickly and quietly to your seat. And someone should be outside the door to ensure this happens and not be lounging around or worse, walking around, the back of the hall, having a bit of a listen. You can tell, I’m sure, that this is a bit of a bugbear for me. Despite this, the mood settles and a hush descends over us all and focus is finally placed fully on the stage. Tchaikovsky’s 5th Symphony paints a very clear picture for me. It is redolent with the images of men walking to war; the heavy trudge of their footsteps and inevitability of the carnage to come, followed through the other three movements by the bloody mists rising from the battlefield after the battle, the officers wining and dining far from the scenes of horror and finally the rose-tinted recollection of battles won by those same officers receiving medals over the bodies of their dead soldiers. Mmmm…lovely stuff. Perhaps all that came to mind because of the piece which was to follow. Who knows? It was technicolour-vivid at the time. A quick word on the orchestra…when you are listening to them, it is hard to keep in mind that they are students, for the most part second-level students. The level of professionalism (in the good sense, not the union-membership, work-to-rule sense) brought to this and other performances by this group is immense and must not be forgot. I have had the pleasure of both listening to and working with this bunch before and it is always a joy. These kids may never play as well again in their lives (as I know) once they stop studying music but that is a high standard at which to stop. Let us not forget that they are fitting in weekly an evening of orchestra rehearsal, possibly a theory class and equally possibly a chamber music rehearsal, on top of being expected to practise an hour every day (ha ha) and this is on top of school and sports and social life and study. No mean feat. And yet they do it and do it with enthusiasm.. I know, because I was one of those students. Quite simply, I loved this performance and I loved the Tchaikovsky. It is a piece into which they could really sink their teeth (a.k.a. difficult) but they mastered and performed it and held the audience. Some tiny criticisms would be a slight fluffing in one of the trumpet fanfares and in the string section it seemed to be a bit beyond them to shush and let the wind through with a tune in the last movement (yes, strings, occasionally you are the accompaniment, not the tune – amazing isn’t it?), but overall it was an involving and mastered performance. The second half was a different kettle of fish. This was the Cork Premier of Karl Jenkin’s work “The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace”. Opening with “L’homme armé”, a 15thC French song, and closing with “Better is Peace” (quoting Alfred Lord Tennyson), it is “the result of a special millennial commission from the Royal Armouries…” (programme notes). Mr Jenkins has had a wide and varied musical career, covering classical, jazz and other genres. “It’s difficult to think of another composer who could successfully place a muezzin’s call to prayer within a Mass setting and follow it with a Kyrie that quotes both Palestrina and Brazilian drum rhythms. That Karl Jenkins does so with such ease and to such powerful effect is a tribute to his remarkable skill and musical sensitivity” (programme notes). Couldn’t have said it better myself. Funnily enough, and I am ashamed to admit this, but I had never heard of Karl Jenkins before last Sunday, which is hard to credit when you realise that he appears to have gotten everywhere musically speaking – from experimental jazz to classical, from pop commercials to ethnic ecclesiastic, he has composed it all, it seems. But enough about the supremely multi-talented Jenkins – suffice to say, the work is at one and the same time stirring and calming, brutal and utterly sweet, makes you feel hope and despair (but leaves you with hope, which is nice). If you can get a copy, have a listen – it’s worth it. The Fleischmann Choir also had a good night – looked well, sang well, need I say more? I don’t think I will – I’m running out of steam – so I’ll stop. But, just so as you have some idea of what we were listening to, here is the lyric to one of the parts of the Mass: "Torches" (part of the whole work)"The animals scattered in all directions, screaming terrible screams. Many were burning, others were burnt. All were shattered and scattered mindlessly, their eyes bulging. Some hugged their sons, others their fathers and mothers, unable to let them go, and so they died. Others leapt up in their thousands, faces disfigured and were consumed by the fire. Everywhere were bodies squirming on the ground, wings, eyes and paws all burning. They breathed their last as living torches." Oh by the bye, and back to reviewing the audience, may I add one final thing? Absolutely, and under no circumstances, should it be necessary to be eating something which comes in a crinkly wrapper. Ever. Even if you’re diabetic. Quiet foods can be brought instead. And, just so you know, opening a boiled sweet slowly does not make it quieter, it merely prolongs the misery.

The Coronas, live at Cyprus Avenue

The Coronas Cyprus Avenue, Cork Saturday 1st March 2008 Support: Caccade This is the happiest band in the world. Or, at least, they have the happiest lead singer. (My mind kept thinking of Gidgit films, I’m not sure why.) The Meteor Music Best Irish Pop Act Award nominees, the Coronas, arrived on stage to a very appreciative audience, made up predominantly of females, it must be said. At least near the stage. Very well-presented females too. Variously described as Pop or Rock-Indie-Alternative (Wikipedia), I’ll add my own: Anthemic Guitar Pop. This is feel-good music sung by a happy man who loves being on stage with his guitar, or piano, depending, and it is aimed fair and square at the college market. If you are in any doubt about this, just read the lyrics to the chorus of their recent single ‘San Diego Song’: “We sleep all day and drink all night. We are not wasting our time. We refuse to hide. We’re going out tonight.” If that isn’t something with which pretty much every 3rd-level student in the country can identify, I don’t know what is. It was certainly making me feel nostalgic. This was their first gig on an 11-date nationwide tour, culminating in an Olympia Theatre gig in Dublin on April 6th, which, with their recent single “San Diego Song”, the new single “Grace, don’t wait” and last year’s album “Heroes or Ghosts”, will only serve to jack their popularity ever skyward. Their music is infectious and their delivery energy-fuelled. These are guys who seem to love what they do and it shows. Mid-way through the gig, a guest-musician was brought on and vanished into the shadows to play keyboard. In fact, this reviewer, although she heard that someone new was coming on stage, missed the actual entrance and spent the rest of the gig vaguely wondering exactly where the piano sound was coming from. Is it a loop? Is it a pre-recording? No, it’s a hidden artiste! She didn’t even know there was a second keyboard on stage. Lads, the lighting in Cyprus Avenue could be looked at. The singer was occasionally almost completely invisible, with the spot being kept firmly centre-stage, regardless of who was where doing what. The crowd was in good form from the word go, giving the support act a very warm reception (mind you, they did deserve it) and carrying this right through the wonderfully bouncy set from the Coronas, even to the point of forcing another chorus from the famèd San Diego Song, singing on after the band had stopped – always a take-home moment in any gig. So, Westlife won their 8th consecutive Meteor Music Award for Best Irish Pop Act… The Coronas Danny O’Reilly Conor Egan Graham Knox Dave McPhillips

Ladydoll - E.P. Launch - 'Wax Lyrical'

Ladydoll

EP launch – ‘Wax Lyrical’

Crúiscín Lán, Douglas Street

9pm, Tuesday 26^th February 2008

Support: Sea Area Forecast

Holy mother of mercy – if you want to know how to grab an audience, grab a stage, watch and learn, children, watch and learn. Ladydoll have it down. Bass and drum hunched over the drum kit and singer with his own drum at the front of the stage beating the living daylights out of them (rhythmically, naturally, but still…) – it made us stand up and take notice, believe you me.

Opening with ‘Good Times’ and moving through a set including new and old material, the development of the group from white noise to intelligent, constructed rock was apparent.

The current line-up (Ms King is Bass no.2) has been together just over a year and originated in CSN – long live the School of Rock. Their name, the roll-it-around-your-tongue-simply-because-it-feels-nice ‘Ladydoll’ came about because Mr Sedas liked the way the letters looked next to eachother. Seriously.

Talking of Mr Sedas, he is an interesting front man, speaking like Marlon Brando, singing like Placebo and wearing a tailcoat on-stage. He is the start-point of the band and is the lyrical brain. He also appeared to be having least fun on stage. Not being able to see the drummer as he was lurking in shadow throughout, I can’t comment on him but Ms King & Mr Shaw seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves. The whole mood, however, lightened visibly during the encore with the pressure of impressing the audience having passed and now it was play-time.

There were some real gems poking through the clutter last night – ‘Charm Alarm’, ‘Punchbag’, ‘Roulette’, Genetics’ and the encore ‘ Give it up’ were all crafted, individual, memorable – some of it headbanging (‘Charm Alarm’), some of it in a more hurdy-gurdy vein (‘Genetics’).

It is very bass-driven music, and not just the bass guitar but the whole range is leaning towards the blood, vibrating through your bones. Despite the heavy influence of early-90s American alternative, their sound, with Mr Sedas’ vocals cutting through like an angle-grinder, is shaping up to be their own.

If I have any complaint about this gig (and that’s a big ‘if’), it’s that the support act was not booted off the stage much earlier. Not having the main band on stage until quarter to eleven (on a schoolnight too – no late bar) is too long of a opening set. And, boys, a word to the wise – there is an unwritten rule that the second time you introduce yourself to the audience means you are wrapping up the set – it does not mean that you go on for another 3 or 4 numbers. That could be called false advertising.

One last point, and back to Ladydoll, the vocal harmonies were good, blended, pinpoint – just not very audible. Pity. Other than that, and I hate to be clichèd about it but, they’re one to watch and if you can catch them live, just go – even if it’s just to see the bit with the drums…. What an opening!

Finn(barr) Sedas – Vocals, guitar, keyboard, drum Nora King – Bass guitar, drum Dave Shaw – Lead guitar Eoin Ryan – Drums

Michael Franti & Spearhead - 'Yell Fire'

So, just picture it. Saturday at the Electric Picnic 2006, it’s a beautiful day (in between the showers), you and your friend are feeling peckish so you get some Mexican food and look around for somewhere not damp to sit and right in front of you is a picnic table with one person at it who just happens to be a tall, be-dreaded, chocolate-skinned beauty who is quite happy to share his table and chat for a while. And, as you’re walking away with your friend, you are beginning to think, “You know…I don’t think he’s just Michael from San Francisco” and your friend is thinking the same, so when you get home after the weekend, you do a web search and lo! and behold! you had lunch with Michael Franti, world-renowned musician and human rights activist, winner at the Sundance Film Festival. Flippin’ heck! No wonder he laughed when you asked him whether he filmed weddings.

Anyway, such was my introduction to Mr Franti and Spearhead. Well, reintroduction really, as who could forget the fantastic, albeit brief, Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy? Well, after another quick web search, I am now the proud owner of his film ‘I know I’m not alone’ and the associated CD ‘Yell Fire’ and bloody good they are too. I am also a veteran of his live presence, having gone to see him shortly after Stradbally (not having known who he was AT the Picnic, I hardly managed to catch his act then, now, did I?) when he played Dublin that autumn. Boy, can he hold a stage! And he is unfazed by the weird and wonderful, such as when two guys jumped on stage and started dancing around and singing along (which was actually hilarious, not least Mr Franti’s baffled but very bemused indulgence).

Right now, I’m listening to ‘Yell Fire’. This goes hand-in-hand with the film ‘I know…’, which he made during a trip to Iraq to meet the ordinary, everyday Joe Soaps, the civilians caught in the middle, and show what their lives are like now and the conditions in which they are forced to live as a result of the fighting. It’s a lovely, natural film, following him as he meets and greets though busking on the street, having music sessions in people’s homes – it’s a real eye-opener. The album expresses that same mix of joie-de-vivre and righteous fury. Remember – this is a man who has eschewed the wearing shoes since 2000 as an anti-poverty protest. (He was trying to empathise, as opposed to sympathise, with those who cannot afford shoes.)

The base of Spearhead’s sound is reggae and this filters through they whole album, especially on tracks such as ‘Time to go home’, ‘Hello Bonjour’ and the eponymous ‘Yell Fire’. There are also occasionally slightly funky and rocky elements (such as ‘Everybody ona move’) incorporated, which results musically in an album which works equally as well as background noise as it does on very close inspection, which really works for me as I am not a big reggae fan as a rule.

The abhorrence of war and human rights violations pervades all though – even gentle love songs aren’t excused:

“Tell me that the rain won’t fall today, Tell me that the taxman lost his way, Tell me that the hurting pain don’t hurt no more, Tell me that somebody stopped the war, Tell me lies, lies, lies, sweet little lies, when I cannot bear the truth, Tell me lies, lies, lies, help me make them all come true.”

from: Sweet Little Lies

He pursues a simple and ruthless logic in his lyrics, arguing points that are hard to argue due to that very simplicity. He appears to have a black and white viewpoint when it comes to the idea that people should live and be allowed to live in peace with themselves and eachother – it appears to be very much a ‘just get on with it’ attitude towards governments and other bodies that come up with excuses for the continuing existences of war and poverty.

“You say you’re a Christian ‘coz God made you? You say you’re a Muslim ‘coz God made you? You say you’re a Hindu and the next man Jew and we all kill eachother because God told us too? No!”

from: Hello Bonjour

It closes with two tracks ‘Tolerance’ and ‘Is Love Enough?’, which emerge as pleas for clemency and love for your fellow man after a storm of a CD where anger and frustration and exuberance are traded for quiet, gentle-yet-firm hope. ‘Tolerance’ in particular is quite a sea change from what has gone before, opening as it does with just voice, cello and piano, and a slow build up to full strings, percussion et al. ‘Is Love Enough?’ gets back to the reggae feel but retains the gentle urgency of the previous track.

No matter what the music or style, this is a coherent and cohesive work, with the overriding connecting thread being the gorgeous, husky, mellow power that is Mr Franti’s voice.