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Primal Scream

2008-11-24T02:47:00.001-08:00

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

2008-11-05T02:57:00.000-08:00

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

2008-10-24T07:21:00.001-07:00

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

2008-10-15T05:51:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-07T08:08:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-03T15:09:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-02T06:08:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-21T05:58:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-27T16:11:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-03T12:31:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-03T12:11:00.000-07:00

“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

2008-06-02T10:06:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-20T11:59:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-20T11:58:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-17T11:01:00.001-07:00

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

2008-04-03T15:49:00.003-07:00

“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

2008-04-03T15:49:00.001-07:00

“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

2008-04-03T15:47:00.002-07:00

“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

2008-04-03T15:47:00.001-07:00

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

2008-03-15T09:56:00.000-07:00

“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

2008-03-14T08:14:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-06T10:40:00.000-08:00

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

2008-03-06T10:39:00.001-08:00

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

2008-03-03T11:45:00.000-08:00

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'

2008-02-27T07:40:00.000-08:00

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'

2008-02-11T09:01:00.000-08:00

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.

Jack L at The Opera House

2007-11-21T09:33:00.000-08:00

Saturday 10^th November, 8:00pm

The Opera House, Cork

Tommy Swarbrig presents

Jack L

(supported by Shane O'Fearghail)

Jack…Jack L…Mr Lukeman…excuse me whilst I stare off into the distance…

Where was I? Ah yes! Saturday night in The Opera House with Jack L et al, supported by Shane O’Fearghail of the band Caruso. Well, let’s start at the very beginning. It’s a very good place to start. (Note to self: there’s a song in that.)

The Opera House is packed to the rafters. The audience is aged anything from early-20s to early-retirement and there’s a buzz of general good humour in the air. Roadies wander on and off the stage adjusting things until one of them starts to tune a guitar, playing a few chords up near the front mic to check the sound or other … hang on … that’s not… is that a roadie? …nope, that’s a very nervous solo support act. Seriously nervous, voice-shakingly nervous, he’s holding a guitar riff until the crowd hushes one by one and starts by singing a Beatles song to open. It was like watching a tight-rope walker. Mercifully, he admits to the nerves after a couple of numbers and we all relax, Mr Fearghail included. He’s good. He’s funny. He has a husky voice and his own music. He puts his stamp on The Police’s ‘(Don’t stand so) close to me’ and despite his nerves, can grip and hold the audience. One man and his guitar. On a big, cluttered stage. Not easy. Kudos.

And now to the main act. I’m not going to pretend to know exactly what he sang or in what order, as I was not taking notes in the dark and was too busy enjoying the gig to try. Also, I was pretty close to the stage and far too interested in what was going on there than in trying to hide a notebook about my person. Then you’ve got the fact that I’ve been a huge fan for years, ever since I saw him dance around on stage in the Half Moon Club wrapped in a feather boa back in the days of “Georgie Boy” and “Ode to Ed Wood” and, you have been warned, it’s bias ahoy.

Let’s start with the cello. Not the most usual stage instrument you’ll see out there. And especially not one which is played side-saddle. I’m not sure why that was – is it her normal method of playing or was it simply because she was wearing a short skirt? (Wardrobe is ALWAYS a consideration for the public female cellist.) How and ever, it’s an inspired choice. The pitch and timbre of the cello match the pitch and timbre of Mr L’s voice and they resonate together. And speaking of The Voice, it’s better than ever. That man just throws his head back and this glorious sound soars out. I have no idea whether he’s given up cigarettes and is looking after it and himself more than before or is getting vocal training but he’s looking slimmer and fitter and appears more a master of his craft now than he ever has done in the past. This was best seen when the stage cleared and he came down the steps into the audience with nothing but his teeny, tiny accordion – no mic, no amplification - and sang a song about stardust, which reached to the rafters and held the audience spell bound.

He was in great good humour, chiding people who were coming in late or who had been to the bar, ricocheting banter & heckles back into the crowd and generally appearing to have a thoroughly good time up there. He also appeared to be very, very hot, but that will happen, Mr L, if you go onto a brightly-lit stage wearing a 3-piece suit with buttoned-up waistcoat and then start jumping around.

The set ranged from his earliest recordings (“Amsterdam”) right through to the most recent releases (e.g. “Lost in Limbo” & “Chololate Eyes”), and even a couple which hadn’t been recorded yet. It included the show-stoppingly gentle “Rooftop Lullaby” to the more robust (and still one of my favourites) “Bedsprings”. The newer stuff included lyrics such as “you’ll be tanning yourself in the fires of hell”. You’ve got to admire the man; he brings a level of carnivality (is that even a word?) to what can sometimes be a very serious business indeed.

And as the two-hour set (with encores, plural – you get value for money with this guy – quality AND quantity) progresses, the coat comes off and the crowd is putty in his hands – standing, singing, clapping, dancing, whatever he wants.

Look it…love him or loath him, curse him for singing Jacques Brel numbers (and singing them in English) or revere him for bringing them to a new audience, miss the days of the feather boa and the theatrics or be glad that they appear to be in the past, there is no denying the voice.

Long may it continue.

StetLab / 3XE / Spank

2007-11-09T09:19:00.000-08:00

Thursday 8^th November, doors 8:30pm

Upstairs at The Roundy

Cork Music Collective in conjunction with U.C.C. Music Department present

StetLab

3XE

Spank

StetLab is the brain-child of one Han-earl Park, from U.C.C. Music Department and one third of 3XE. Its intention is to be a performance platform for those interested in the high-rise trapeze sans net that is live improvisation. The first performers were the three members of 3XE – Han-earl Park on guitar, Bruce Coates (an established improvisational performer in his own right) on sax (tenor? alto?) and Sarah O’Halloran on ‘stuff’, as she put it, which turned out to be, for the most part, vocalisations. They did a couple of numbers to begin with, which started as sounding very disjointed and as if they were not connecting with eachother but improved with time so that the second number was sounding distinctly modern minimal and had enough inherent structure that it could have been mistaken as having been pre-rehearsed. At this point there was a call for any other musicians present to join. Andrea Bonino (of Hadasha) ventured out with his guitar. Naturally, with an increase in numbers, the sound started to fill out and what was originally rather stark, verging on thin, began to layer up and blend. This was the last we heard of Ms O’Halloran for a while (until 3XE took over again after a break) and this reviewer was not entirely sad, as she was finding the vocal work rather lacking in inventiveness – mainly long held notes. At times, she (Ms O’Halloran) could be seen to be contributing more rhythmically interesting material, which was good, you might say, excecpt that she could not be heard. And this was a disappointment. In fairness, though, her voice could be heard more towards the end and, I must admit, she was producing interesting sounds – animal growls, high yipping and shrieks – I’ll tell you, you cannot give in to feelings of self-consciousness and embarrassment if you want to do this; rather you must jump off that cliff and see what happens on the way down.

Actually, as a side bar, the volume overall was too much, even over-powering. This is a small, intimate venue. I see little reason the be forced to shout a conversation as a result of the volume or feel pinned to the wall (on occasion) by the sheer weight of noise coming at you from the stage. A word to the wise to the sound engineer perhaps?

A change of musicians later to include Coates, Bonino, Niwel Tsumbu (drums), Jason Butler (vocals) and Kevin Terry (guitar) produced perhaps the highlight for me from the improv. section of the evening. Seriously – when improvisation gels, it rocks, and this gelled. Jason joined in in the middle with free verse (I think he was making it up as he went, I could be wrong), wandered into ‘Wade in the Water’ for the hell of it and ended on more free verse. Miraculously, all up there were connecting on some plane or other – or perhaps they were latched onto Jason’s vocals, as the music began to match the words. Whatever was going on up there, it was worth every second.

3XE closed the experimental section but I confess I missed this bit as I was outside having a couple of cigarettes. Bad girl.

Spank (aka Eoin O’Sullivan) took to the stage with his cap (Dingle’s finest) and guitar and with Cian O’Mahony on drums. I find it very difficult to describe Spank’s music. I don’t know why this is – he’s a guy with a guitar (and a cap) playing rock. Maybe it’ because of all the influences which swim around your head (mine anyway) when you listen to him – Tom Waits, Howlin’ Wolf, The Doors, Blues – which cloud the issue. Despite the influences though Spank has his own sound, his own style that is Spank, something unusual in one so young (compared to this reviewer at any rate). He has an old, mature sound, one which feels like it was years fermenting.

His set had a definite garage-band sound to start with but this gave way to deep guitar, deep growling vocals, deep lyrics (I am assuming – he mumbles). There is a definite Woodstock feel to this man live – not a bad thing in this air-brushed, uber-waxed age. Or as one lady-punter put it, ‘He’s definitely got balls!’ Hmm, yes, charming. Mind you, when you heard the last number - fast, driving rock – you would find yourself agreeing. Simply superb.

A last note on StetLab. Improvisation is not easy on the ear or the head. There is little to latch onto and little of anything of which your brain can make sense. Quite a lot of the time, it is an unholy cacophony. But for every minute of noise, there are a few seconds of sheer and unadulterated joy and that alone is worth all the furrowed-brow, ‘what now?’ confusion. For those of you interested in spreading your musical wings, the next StetLab is scheduled for December 13^th, same place, same time.

As for Spank? Well, you know, I am a good, convent-reared girl … so let me just raise my hem a few inches…OOH! That’s better.

E.S.T. (Esbjorn Svensson Trio)

2007-11-09T09:17:00.000-08:00

Friday 26^th October, 8:30pm

The Everyman Theatre

Cork Jazz Festival presents

Avishai Cohen Trio

E.S.T. (Esbjorn Svensson Trio)

It is a testament to both the reputations of E.S.T. and The Everyman that this gig was sold out (or very, very close to). More and more, a gig or show at The Everyman promises to be worth the ticket price and never more so than tonight.

The first half was given over entirely to the Avishai Cohen Trio, a Drum/Bass/Piano group led by Cohen on double bass. Settling in quickly, they opened with the bass on a relatively simple repeated ⁷₄ time signature theme. Joined by the piano, it was immediately apparent that these guys know their onions. You see, the piano was working to a slightly different tempo. This is often seen achieved unintentionally by less virtuousic groups who are not entirely sure of what they’re doing, but to manage it as a deliberate act? This is hellishly difficult. It was one hell of an opening and set the scene for the rest of the first half. Cohen is an exciting man to watch on stage – jumping and gesturing as he plays, attacking the bass in every way possible, you are never sure whether he wanted to slap it or take it to bed. All three musicians (what a drum solo!) were a match on stage (I did hear someone saying that they felt that the piano let the side down but I didn’t notice it).

A roaring, jump-up ovation was the result at half time. And, yes, half time is a more appropriate term than interval here, in what emerged as a contest between double-bass trios. The general feeling among the crowd was ‘How will E.S.T. match that?’

Well, E.S.T. took to the stage in an entirely more sombre setting. Led by Svensson on piano, physcally they were closer on stage, the bass was seated to play (I’ve never seen that before) and on average they are older men than those in the first half. It struck me as an archetypal setting of age versus youth. Youth is all bells and whistles, all excitement and Now! Now! Now! Age is calmer, more sedate, more ‘There’s time. Why rush? Relax and enjoy.’ And such was the case here tonight. There’s no doubting the huge talent on stage in all six musicians. Perhaps the balance of skill rested with E.S.T. due simply to the length of practice and experience. Musically they were neck and neck. And E.S.T. has a huge and justified reputation.

However, for my money, the gig of the night came from the Avishai Cohen Trio. The vibrancy and flamboyancy, the beauty and power of the music, compared with the controlled, studied performance of their seniors, left you feeling excited and alive, like an over-sugared child, wanting more, always more.

Annette Buckley - "The Ever-Changing Colours of the Sea"

2007-10-15T07:07:00.001-07:00

Annette Buckley

“The Ever-Changing Colours of the Sea”

Opening with a spare piano/harpsichord intro, like snow falling, “Her winter’s coat” tells a short tale of romance. Not romance in the sense of flowers and valentines, but in the gothic sense, in the sense of “Wuthering Heights”, in the sense of grand themes, futile loss and tragic loves. Following this with “If you follow”, a driving song filled with yearning, the tone for the whole album is set. Bar one.

The style of the songs varies somewhat, touching on Moloko in “So Free”, nodding in the direction of the sound produced by Bulgarian Women’s choirs (remember the Bulmer’s ads?) in ‘Miracle’ and, to the ears of this reviewer, having more than a passing resemblance to Laura Branigan’s “Self-Control” on the track “Into your arms”.

Overall, however, and running throughout the tracks, the feel is that of one who has been wounded deeply and is veering between remembered pain, anger, resignation and yearning for the love once known. ‘Whirlwind’ especially has a poignancy, which can leave you staring into the middle distance (or possibly not – depending on your level of personal cynicism).

It is nigh on impossible to ignore the pain running though this work. In fact, especially after “Grey Love”, you may find yourself wondering just how much and/or often this woman has been through the mill, or alternately, has she overdosed on the works of Byron and Shelley? The lyrics are beautiful though – “Tangled” makes up for being a variation on a theme (“Her Winter’s Coat” - again, according to this reviewer) through the imagery used: “Tangled roses turned and twisted beneath my wings like lovers kissing”.

It closes with an acoustic repeat of “Miracle”, possibly to hammer home the overall feel of the work. A lyric including “The grass is greener on the other side. That’s what all the people say. But when you get there it’s only colder, the black and white of the day. So send me a miracle. Send me a miracle. Why don’t you send me a miracle to save me from this day?” accompanied by wailing female vocals can leave you in no doubt about the intended sense of desperation.

This is a dark and brooding album, with Ms Buckley striding above and below it with a voice, which is rich and powerful and perfectly suited to it. It warrants more than one listen. Better yet, try and catch her live.

I almost forgot to mention the one glimmer of sunlight among the emotional murk. Track 3, “Honeysuckle”, is a simply gorgeous, lilting number – just don’t listen to the lyrics too closely: "I come alive when you’re looking sad, I come alive when you’re feeling bad, I come alive with everything I have because you’re my honey love" might not necessarily warm the cockles of your intended’s heart.

A Feast for All the Senses

2007-10-05T09:20:00.000-07:00

Thursday 4th October 9pm Upstairs at the Roundy in association with the Cork Music Collective

The air is scented with incense, candles are on every surface, places of chocolate tiffin, strawberries and cream are on every table (as are sods of grass turf, pine cones and leaves), a Buddhist shrine is in one corner, rich & decorative tapestries and hangings are everywhere you look and, my personal favourite, a professional masseur is wandering around asking people if they would like a free head & shoulder massage. This was last nigh, upstairs at the Roundy, if you can believe it.

A Feast for all the Senses. Oh yes indeedy.

The music was provided by Francesca Baines, Alan O’Rourke and Annette Buckley. Francesca opened with a song about a dream she had, as she explained. ‘Tis as well she did as the lyric would have made no sense to me otherwise. Ms Baines sings interesting songs, even if this reviewer found the lyrics a bit convoluted and wordy. At one point, she broke into free verse, which was like a splash of cold water on a hot day – refreshing and welcome, even if you’re not quite sure what has just happened. She does have a lovely quality to her voice but, on a tiny negative, I would prefer to hear the songs sung by someone else in order to really hear them as I found that pitching was a little wavery, especially in the lower register. But that’s just me.

Alan O’Rourke followed shortly after spending the first part of the gig hooded and hidden, just him and his guitar and his friend on drums (never got the name – apologies). This was a sea change from the style, which went before, which was swirling, sweeping music. Mr O’Rourke was more aggressive, took risks with the vocals, played with the audience and seemed to be having a whale of a time up there. Simply put, he rocked. It was about this time that I had a massage so I have no more memories of Mr O’Rourke’s set other than mmmmmm….

Headlining the night was the wonderful Ms Buckley. Having seen her only once before when she joined Green monitor for a brief spell in a gig earlier in the summer, I had really no idea what to expect. Let me tell you, this girl is classy, and she can sing! She commanded that room from behind her piano with a voice … well, she did justice to an a capella cover of Björk’s State of Emergency … say no more. My personal favourite from the whole evening though was a little number, which, was more in the swing vein and called Honeysuckle – sweet, not too sweet, just like the tiffin.

There’s really nothing left to say. I mean; good music, chocolate and a massage from a gorgeous man: what more can a girl ask for on a Thursday night?

www.myspace.com/alanorourke www.annettebuckley.com

Dowdall/Lynch/Malir at the Curtis Auditorium

2007-09-22T03:03:00.000-07:00

Cork Orchestral Society, in association with CIT Cork School of Music, presents William Dowdall (flute) John Lynch (viola) Andreja Malir (harp) Thursday 20th September, 8:00pm Curtis Auditorium CIT Cork School of Music What a wonderful combination of instruments! Now, flute and harp, I think, we’re all familiar with, but adding the viola is a stroke of genius. Strong words indeed, I hear you murmur. But this reviewer stands by her words. I will admit a slight bias, being a viola-player myself, but I do find it to have the most beautiful of all the sounds of all the bowed, stringed instruments, with the harp being the most beautiful of all strings of any form. So we’re off to a good start at least. This evening, the gloom of the Curtis Auditorium was not helped by the fact that the lighting has been rigged to support the upper half of the stage with nothing being shone on the lower, which, unfortunately, was where this trio chose to sit. And so we listened to beautiful, romantic music, while having our gaze dragged up to the organ, which was lit up like a ferris-wheel. Opening with Bax’s Elegiac Trio, the harp created a swirling, liquid, ebb and flow setting for a wonderful piece, with the viola and flute creating a sylvan paradise which, if this is a view of death, does not seem quite so bad as it could be, to put it mildly. The concert was annotated by interesting snippets about the pieces delivered by the performers, such as the story of Syrinx, a piece which was originally entitled Pan and then nearly lost for all time after being played nightly for fifteen years as off-stage incidental music by the same musician. Personally, I think the original name suits it better, having much of the capricious nature of the ancient god. Another gem was Clair de Lune, a piece with which most of us would be familiar, but in its original guise as a piano solo. In fact, it might not be going too far to say that we may be over-familiar with it, and do not hear it any more. Listening to Ms Malir, it was like hearing a whole new piece and I could hear myself thinking “Debussy was amazing”. A number of these pieces were originally for other instruments as the repertoire for all three instruments can often be sparse at best. However, do not think that the music was less-than as a result. In fact, upon hearing his Sonatine (originally for piano) as arranged by Carlos Salzedo, Ravel is purported to have said “now, why didn’t I think of that myself?”, which is rather lovely, don’t you think? A. Bax (1883-1953) Elegiac Trio (1916) L. Boulanger (1893-1918) Nocturne (1911) for viola and harp: Assez lent A. Glazunov (1865-1936) Elegy, Op.44 (1893) for viola and harp: Allegretto M. Ravel (1875-1937) arr. Carlos Salzedo Sonatine (1903-05) Modéré; Mouvement de Meneut; Animé C. Saint-Saёns (1835-1921) Fantasie for flute and harp C. Debussy (1862-1918) Clair de Lune from Suite bergamasque, 1890) arr. for solo harp C. Debussy Syrinx (1913) for solo flute C. Debussy Sonata (1915): Pastorale; Interlude; Final http://www.corkorchestralsociety.ie/

Dorothy Murphy - Circleways

2007-09-19T09:43:00.000-07:00

Dorothy Murphy

Circleways

8:00pm, 19th September 2007, Triskel Arts Centre

The new seating layout in the Triskel is up to code and lovely but has a distinct disadvantage for those of us who have been inadvertently given the wrong start time, as we now have to walk right up to the stage to access the seating at all, resulting in small apologetic greetings to the performer as you try and scurry to the back row as quickly as possible. Once in the dark of the back of the hall, however, it is a lovely venue to come to as a member of the audience, and has a fine tradition of getting the good, the extraordinary, the weird and the wonderful to play there. I’m not entirely sure which of these we were listening to last night. (By the bye, does anyone else find it interesting, nay weird, that weird is the only word which breaks the ‘i before e, except after c’ rule? Just me then? Okay.)

Dorothy Murphy played last night to promote her new album, on which she has been working for the last couple of years. She was accompanied on stage by Claire Fitch on cello, Cormac O’Brien on double bass and trumpet, Phil McMullan on drums and Seán Óg on tenor sax and bass clarinet. Seán Óg was also a major collaborator with Ms Murphy in the creation of the album and the pieces on it.

Once settled in the dark and able to take in the scene, the band, an eclectic group, both in membership and its leaning heavily towards the bass-end of the pitch spectrum, is fronted by Ms Murphy, a bare-foot earth-mother, like a cross between Rachel Allen and Eve Ensler, with an occasional accordion. The accordion for me is always reminiscent of sex and sensuality. Don’t laugh. I’m not talking about the crashing sound produced by the larger versions at some traditional gatherings. This was rather the smaller version used for more agile work. It’s like the difference between the bagpipes and the uilleann pipes. If any of you have listened to Piazzola play tango, you’ll know what I mean. (Incidentally, it's not a bad idea to have some Astor Piazolla stashed away, specifically the Angel suite.) But back to la Murphy. She practices sound vocalisation (I believe it’s called), which explores the range of sounds which the voice is capable of producing without resorting to actual lyric. This is not to say that lyrics were abandoned completely. There were some interesting ones, such as Little Death, written by Seán Óg (taking the little death to mean fear, as opposed to the orgasm, which it also means), which opened with the lines “In the silent yesterday place, crackleglazed spiders weave homes, from the silent places little death creeps”. Rather evocative, no?

This kind of music is definitely an acquired taste and is equally definitely not the mainstream. It is dissonant, atonal, rhythmically obtuse and it can be difficult for the audience to find a handle. It can also have moments of sublime beauty (as in the early parts of Ko'an). I am by no means an expert in this type of music but I felt at times that the vocalisations were fluffed, syllable-wise, and that the free improvisation attempted would have been better as a ‘let’s not and say we did’ moment. The five musicians were gamefully ploughing on through this section but there seemed to be no link between any of them and all that resulted was a series of random sounds and rhythms which bore little connection to what went either before or after or, indeed, at the same time.

This avant garde art often needs more than one listen and for that reason it may be better, for a newcomer, on the CD than live. Ms Murphy’s voice certainly has a beautiful quality, mellifluous, and, should she chat in between the pieces as she did on stage, that could be worth the listen alone.

Fiona Shaw & Carducci Festival Ensemble

2007-09-17T09:48:00.001-07:00

Cork Orchestral Society, in conjunction with CIT Cork School of Music & Music Network, presents:

Fiona Shaw & Carducci Festival Ensemble

6:00pm, Curtis Auditorium

Saint-Saëns Carnival of the Animals, with words by Ogden Nash

This early-evening, pre-dinner quickie was part of a group of concerts, the Carducci Quartet Festival, which were organised, I believe, to celebrate the opening of the new and improved CIT Cork School of Music building. This one was designed to please young and old alike, and the audience reflected this with ages ranging from a few months right through to ‘it would be impolite to ask’. Just a few words on the new school. The foyer to the Curtis Auditorium is modern – clean lines, smooth stone and tile and lots of glass and open space. The auditorium is spacious and comfortable – far more so than the old hall – and for some reason painted entirely in matt, dark purple. There is an imposing organ looming behind the stage which, ironically, cuts through the décor to provide some light relief. I think you can guess that I’m less than sure about the colour. It reminds me of the old CSM hall, which was old, varnished wood panels and dark red upholstery, not unlike being inside a home-made womb.

Anyway – the performance! This was the Carducci Quartet plus friends, with Dr Geoffrey Spratt (head of the School of Music) conducting, Fiona Shaw narrating. Overall, it was a pretty rousing performance, with Ms Shaw fairly pinning us to our seats with her opening words, and was very well-received by the almost-full house. The performers also appeared to be enjoying themselves immensely, which was lovely to see and all too rare in the oft rarified atmosphere of the world of classical music.

However, I have to say that, despite the physically vigorous performances and the oomph with which the music came across, it is important to note that this is a set of pieces which fairly perform themselves. Also, a number of them would be familiar to the audience at large, such as Aviary, The swan and Fossils. So, in order for the performers and the performance to stand out from the general mill, something new or extra must be brought by the performers. They must be fearless. While I enjoyed the overall show, I felt throughout that there was a sense of reticence or restraint about the playing, as if they were running to the edge of the cliff but pulling back just before they had to commit. The second violin, Ms Fleming, came closest to breaking this in People with long ears, being unafraid to make a nasty sound on her instrument in order to represent animal braying. The same cannot be said for the first violin, Mr Denton, who seemed to want to get there but still make a nice sound. This is just one example of something, which I felt to be across the board. However, they are a young group and true courage often only comes with experience.

And speaking of Ms Shaw, she was simply superb, as always.

Saint-Saëns Carnival of the Animals

Introduction et marche royale du lion / Introduction and royale march of the lion
Poules et coqs / Hens and cocks
Hémiones / Wild asses
Tortues / Tortoises
L’eléphant / The elephant
Kangourous / Kangaroos
Aquarium / Aquarium
Personnages à longues oreilles / People with long ears
Le coucou au fond des bois / The cuckoo at the bottom of the wood
Volière / Aviary
Pianistes / Piano players
Fossiles / Fossils
Le cynge / The swan
Final / Finale

Carducci Festival Ensemble

Carducci Quartet:

Matthew Denton, violin Michelle Fleming, violin Eoin Schmidt-Martin, viola Emma Denton, cello

Louisa Dennehy (flute)

Vincent Condon (clarinet)

Stephen Kelly (percussion)

Rory Dempsey (double bass)

Rebecca & Kirsten Čápova (pianos)

Iarla Ó Lionaird at St. Fin Barre's Cathedral

2007-09-02T13:33:00.000-07:00

The 28th Beamish Cork Folk Festival Saturday, September 1st, St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral, 8pm Iarla Ó Lionaird & Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral is a fabulous venue. It is at one and the same time vaulted, cloistered, stark, opulent, and it was the perfect setting for tonight’s concert. Alone on the stage, in the darkened church, lit only by a blue light, Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh whispered a greeting and opened. It opened softly and, in my mind’s eye, painted images of a lone fiddler calling the workers in from the bog. That sounded much better in my head. Moving from a dance to a haunting and back to a dance, he played two such in his, alas, short set. Can I say something about the venue again? The darkness of the church, the odd blue light, the shadows dancing on the walls as Mr Ó Raghallaigh played only served to enhance the whole experience. The organisers of this festival should be praised for realising that the performance is not just the performer in isolation but, in fact, begins as soon as the audience sets foot inside the door. But back to Mr Ó Raghallaigh. I loved the tone he achieved. As a classically trained musician, I am used to a particular range of timbres from the string section. Therefore it was wonderful to hear a traditional fiddle played with such virtuosity, to really appreciate the beauty of the sound. It’s hard to describe but the words hollow and wood came to mind (not wooden, let’s be clear). If you’re ever heard both a concert flute and an Irish flute played, you’ll know what I’m talking about. It has a haunting quality. The second half opened with a rather diffident Iarla Ó Lionaird approaching the mic and starting to sing. It was like a prayer. Let’s not beat about the bush here. I’ve heard this man sing before and, frankly, he could sing the alphabet and I’d be happy. Listening to his voice is like having really good, freshly brewed coffee. I could go on but we’d miss the gig. He opened solo, then welcomed Graham Henderson to the stage to accompany him on key board (later guitar) and, after that, brought up Niall Mac Coll on guitar. It was a very relaxed performance. It was a very relaxed audience. Despite the grandeur of the setting, it was more like an audience with friends. The second piece in the set, just voice and piano, after some pitching issues, was one which settled into his lower range and was mesmerising, heart-stopping. The set moved from the very traditional opening through diverse styles – a hint of the Smokie Mountains in one, French Arthouse in another, a touch of U2 in another still – with the bulk of it remaining in the folk-field. While I personally was not entirely sure about the choice of keyboard sound/style used to accompany some of the songs, Mr Ó Lionaird has the voice and skill to carry any tune above and beyond. The variety of music on offer tonight and the somewhat unusual choices in arrangement are also testament to an interest in the more experimental form, as shown previously with the Afro-Celt Sound System. It closed, as it opened, with a slow Irish air. Perfect. Now, I won’t pretend to know my jigs from my reels. I was not raised in a home steeped in Irish traditional music. But, to be glib, I know what I like and I liked this. But possibly bring a cushion next time? http://www.corkfolkfestival.com

Apollo at Cyprus Avenue, 22nd August 2007

2007-08-28T05:56:00.000-07:00

A quick note on Apollo

Cyprus Avenue

Part of 3-band line-up:

Tidal Suns

Apollo

Innuendo

Wednesday 22^nd, 9pm

Before we start, I must preface this with two notes. Firstly, I turned up late and left early and, secondly, this was because I was there to see one band and this was because the drummer is a buddy of mine. Suffice to say, if I did not think they were any good, I wouldn’t be writing this at all. So, now, we all know where we stand!

This was Apollo’s debut. Apollo. It’s always so difficult to name a band. Unless you’re going with the So&so and the Somethings, nearly every name is going to sound a bit ‘huh?’ until you’re well known and well loved. So, Apollo it is then.

Names aside, I liked them. Well, we already established that, didn’t we? The lead singer took at least two songs to get over his nerves, which is understandable for a debut performance. Heck, even seasoned performers routinely throw up before going on-stage. The two guitarists were like Mutt & Jeff, Beavis & Butthead (very entertaining) while the drummer appeared calm as sky blue sea, but that is the point of drummers, isn’t it?

Sound-wise, they’re pretty tight although I would have liked to hear the occasional bit of backing voice a bit better – perhaps that was the balance on the desk, perhaps the boys need to sing up, perhaps that’s exactly as they want it – just my preference. Also, sound-wise, they’re doing something a bit new for these here parts – a very American sound, reminded me of that band Live from a few years back – had a single, I alone – anyone?

My personal favourite is the lead – he has this little hand-dance which got more and more pronounced the more relaxed he became. I’ve never seen it before – wandering into the realm of the hypnotic.

What can I say? They have promise. They are so far steering clear of the routine & hum-drum. And their rendition of Whole lot of Rosie rocked.

By the by, is it Cyprus Avenue or Cypress Avenue? Different signs, different spellings.

Rebecca Collins - At Sea (E.P.)

2007-08-27T04:11:00.000-07:00

When I last (and first) saw Rebecca Collins, she was playing support at a mid-week city-centre gig. Just her and her guitar. I confess, I though she could take Nashville. Still do. However, that was before I hear her E.P., At Sea.

Now I can see her playing anywhere.

At Sea is a beautifully presented work, from the graphics and design-work to the production on the tracks and, definitely not least, the music itself. Containing just four tracks, this is something for the collection. (I know, I know, by definition an E.P. will generally not contain more than four but when it ends, you want more.)

It helps that the production, to this reviewer’s ear, is good. It helps that Ms Collins herself was involved directly in the production so that nothing is lost in the translation. It helps that she appears to work with some of the best musicians in the country – certainly, cellists like Kate Ellis aren’t exactly ten’a’penny! But all of this is just icing when you listen to the songs themselves.

Let’s not beat about the bush here. Ms Collins can write. She is a poet. She is a songwright. And she can arrange music. The lyrics are beautiful, the harmonies intelligent. This all sounds rather bland in the reading so I urge you to get your hands on the cd and make up your own mind. This is more moody than mood music with the common denominator running through the four different tracks being her affinity with the minor 7^th. This last tendency lends an ethereal air to the sound which works best on the very evocative Stella Maris.

Ms Collins is following in the tradition of singer/songwriters like Fiona Apple & Suzanne Vega. Her songs have a poignancy & strength – so very feminine, so very good.

At Sea

Can’t be tough
Marseille, Marseille
I bit a tear
Stella Maris

www.rebeccacollins.net

João Vasco and Eduardo Jordão at the Crawford

2007-08-19T07:33:00.000-07:00

Cork Orchestral Society presents… João Vasco (piano) and Eduardo Jordão (piano) 1:10pm August 16th 2007 Crawford Municipal Art Gallery, Cork There was a teensy mix-up with the programme and the first piece was left off so we were all under the impression that the concert opened with the Military Marche and were all clapping in between movements. This is all a preamble to say that if the notes here seem a bit confused, they are no more so than I was when my programme ended and the concert continued. It did help that I knew a couple of the pieces beforehand but that left me with a whole lot of untangling of the pieces which went before and, frankly, it was beyond me until some light was shed by the COS. I will therefore not be what you might call detailed in my feelings on the interpretation of the individual pieces. Instead this will be more an overall impression. At a piano gig or recital, you generally find yourself either able to see the hands or see the face(s). There are pros and cons to both views. This time I could see their faces and, believe you me, I felt a little bit sorry, throughout the performance, for those who could not. They were entertainment alone. I mean, forget the gorgeously expressed and controlled playing. There was a fabulous rapport between these two young men and there were lovely comedic touches, especially in Satie’s La Belle Excentrique (I’m pretty sure). They were fun to watch and pretty damn near flawless in their performance. I do hope these two come back for a repeat in the not too distant future. Programme: Mozart , W. A. Sonata in D Major K.381 Schubert, F. Military Marche op. 51 no1 & Characteristic March op. 121 no1 Satie, E. Trois Morceaux en Forme de Poire & Parade & La Belle Excentrique Can Can Grande Mondain Benjamin, A. Jamaican Rumba “Zez” Confrey Dizzy Fingers Joplin, S. Stoptime Rag Lamb, J. Champagne Rag Encore - Oh Danny Boy

Pete Courtney (with Rebecca Collins)

2007-08-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

Cork Music Collective presents Pete Courtney (Rebecca Collins – support) Upstairs at The Roundy Thursday, 16th August, 9:30pm A quick note on Ms Collins – she is a little gem. A real song crafter and what a voice! Husky and soaring, singing songs of love, loss and temptation, I could see her making a killing in Nashville, making cowboys cry into their beers. And now to Mr Courtney. It is a pity that the gig wasn’t better attended. One, it’s always good to see a large appreciative audience, rather than a smaller one, and, two, because the smaller the audience, the more likely it is to be filled with friends & family. This does not really allow for an accurate gauging of the gig as this kind of crowd is going to be more pre-disposed to showing appreciation for what’s going on on-stage than an other audience. In addition, a small crowd of general well-wishers can result in a gig which is more of a cosy in-joke than anything else. It is to this that I am putting down the 3 minutes during which Mr Courtney stood on stage doing nothing more than tuning a hand-held radio in and out of stations. Maybe this is his thing and I missed the joke. Maybe. Overall, I found the sound to be too dense and layered. There was one moment where he left the stage and, sitting on a bar stool, did a cover of a John Martyn song and it was beautiful. Simple, clear, lovely. Then it was back to the stage and the layering and the noise over which his voice was sometimes hard to hear. I don’t think I got a good view of Mr Courtney – he has a good voice and certainly can play. Why was it then that I could not get the image out of my head of him playing to crowds outside Covent Garden as part of street theatre? The Nashville comment wasn’t a joke, by the way. Seriously! You’re young, pretty, have a good, good voice and can write one hell of a love song – Nashville Ho!

Hadasha live at The Roundy

2007-08-19T04:07:00.000-07:00

Cork Music Collective presents: Hadasha 9pm, 26th July, Upstairs at The Roundy Tonight’s CMC Presents gig in the Roundy was Hadasha, playing from John Zorn’s work, Masada. Hadasha are a relatively new group, having played together only once before this. However, that must have been some gig as half the crowd here tonight was made up of audience members from that earlier gig. Two gigs and already they have groupies – not bad! The start was simple enough – a 3-note bass riff under wandering guitar, which changed imperceptibly to be a simple guitar riff under the bass. It took a little time for it to ripple through the crowd that the gig had started but by the time the kaleidoscope of sound, which was the second number, took off, so did the gig and the crowd was hooked. And a liquid sax solo leads into rocking kosher funk. Masada or The Masada Book is a group of over 200 songs, which started as a group written for the soundtrack of the film Thieve’s Quartet. To quote Zorn himself, and to give you some sort of handle on what was being played here tonight, “The idea with Masada is to produce a sort of radical Jewish music, a new Jewish music which is not the traditional one in a different arrangement, but music for the Jews of today.” The result is what this reviewer can only describe as a snake charmer at a Jewish wedding. Work with me here. It’s swirling, hypnotic, throbbing, languid… These are snake charmers with rhythm, with a backbeat you can dance to, albeit a swirling, swaying dance, but you will applaud at the end. Hell, if you’re anything like last night’s crowd, you’ll be a’whoopin’ and a’hollerin’ too. Like any good wedding, this gig starts off sedate and gets noisier and stroppier as it progresses but unlike a good wedding, it retains a structure and coherency. It’s different, I’ll grant them that. It’s also good. Really good. They will be playing the Tiki Lounge and the Jazz Festival in the not too dim and distant future. Check these guys out! Hadasha: Gary Baus (saxaphone) Andrea Bonino (guitar) Matteo Salafrica (bass) Tomas Gall (drums)

Gregory Walker - COS & CMC Presents

2007-08-17T04:41:00.000-07:00

OK – this is a bit of a cheat. I’m covering two gigs in one piece here. Yes, yes, I know, I have no professional scruples. Of course, that would only be of relevance if I were being paid and, even then, it may be viewed as highly efficient – who knows?!? Anyway – onwards! This week’s gig(s) is(are) – I’m confusing myself here. Cork Orchestral Society presents… Gregory Walker: The Jazzical Violin (Thursday 2nd August 1:10pm) and Cork Music Collective session with Gregory Walker (Thursday 2nd August 9:30pm) – so good she saw him twice, yeah? Firstly, the lunchtime gig.I’m delighted to note that this series of gigs is gathering popularity and this one was nearly a full house. The demographic is also shifting so there is no excuse for not checking them out. You might learn something. Even if it’s just more to add to the list of what you don’t like. (I’m all for the 'why not? what’s the worst that could happen?' school of thought.) Gregory Walker is a tall, gangly, Hasidic-looking gentleman (and I mean that sincerely). Incidentally, I just looked up Hasidic and it comes from a word originally meaning ‘lovingkindness’ – it suits him rather well. I think you can guess by now that I was rather taken with Mr Walker. This tall, smiley man followed his wife and accompanist (Lori Walker) out onto the stage and just started into one of his own compositions, Blues, an unaccompanied number which built from a simple beginning to a full bluesy end. The Jazzical Violin, he explained, is a project started to explore music, specifically for violin and piano, written by classically-trained composers who admired and emulated the world of Jazz. Composers like George Gershwin, Miles Davis (where Mrs Walker got to shine – lovely sound and light hand on the keys) and Maurice Ravel were included. I’m not going to say much about this particular gig for one simple reason – I loved it. He is a man totally at home with his instrument. (Stop giggling down the back.) Seriously – if you want to be free in what you’re doing, then you’ve got to know what you’re doing and how to do it. Three chords and the truth is all very well but what if you want to sing a different song? In anything – singing, recording, playing – the more au fait you are with your particular medium, the better and more versatile the product. Mr Walker is an excellent proponent of this. He played fearlessly. Just one other note on this gig – Igor Frolov. Not a name, or nationality (Russian), you would normally associate with jazz but Frolov’s Piece in Blues Style was my personal highlight. It just goes to show. Now the evening performance. I was not the only member of the lunchtime audience drawn across town for his second outing. There were a number of the COS crowd sitting among the regulars in the Roundy for the gig. Well, it was less of a gig and more of a trial by fire. Invited along for a jam session by a CMC member who is also a COS member (it’s a small city), this was not a scheduled gig for him but more something to do in the evening. Brave man. The set-up was that he opened the gig (on someone else’s 5-string electric violin, having left his elsewhere – does his courage know no bounds?) solo and then willing members of the Collective would join him on stage and see what happened. What can I say? Well, looking back over my notes, scribbled comments include ‘f***ing bizarre’, ‘sounds like a sub-marine conference of hippos’ and ‘more of that, please’. Depending on who or what combination of musicians were up there, the music was free-form experimental (Han – guitar) to more coherent, traditional-sounding results (Andrea Bonino – guitar, Dave – upright bass, Lucas – drum, Derek – electric bass). When there was a gel, the place rocked. When there wasn’t (which, in fairness, was rare), the audience were riveted to see what would happen next. The only downside for me were two ladies who arrived upstairs in the last 10-15 minutes of the session and, seemingly failing to notice that a) there was a gig on and b) everyone else in the room was listening closely to what was happening on stage, proceeded to have a rather vocal conversation which was, for me, audible no matter where I stood. Why? How did they not notice? It is not a big place. Also, everyone was looking in one direction and, this is important, not talking (!). Very annoying. The highlight, for me, was when, just before they took a break, the trumpet player from Poles Apart joined him with others and there was a superb one-up-man-ship between the fiddle and the horn. According to Mr Walker, he has never participated in anything like that before and found the concept rather nerve-wracking but was now intending on ‘inflicting’ it on his ‘victims’ back home. Tee hee! Gregory Walker is concertmaster of the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra, has collaborated with people such as Yo Yo Ma, Itshak Perlman and James Galway and is a pioneer of experimental styles, such as his rap symphony ‘Dream N. the Hood’. Lunchtime Programme Walker, G.T.S. Blues Gershwin, G. Prelude No. 2 & It ain’t necessarily so Ravel, M. Sonata, “Blues” Frolov, I. Piece in Blues Style Davis, M. So What? Bonfa, L. A day in the life of a fool Jobim, A.C. The Girl from Ipanema Walker, G. Fantasy on Óró sé do bheatha bhaile Evening Line-up Poles Apart – various members – drums, percussion, trumpet, electric bass Han – guitar Andrea Bonino (Hadasha) – guitar Niwel Tsumbu (Sumu, Clear Sky Ensemble) – guitar Dave – upright bass Chris Percival – guitar (For those contributing whose name I did not get fully, I apologise.)

Cork Orchestral Society Presents...Pavlos Kanellakis

2007-08-17T04:34:00.000-07:00

Cork Orchestral Society presents Pavlos Kanellakis (Greece) Guitarist Lunchtime recital, 19th July, 2007 Crawford Municipal Art Gallery, Cork. Sitting in the middle of the stage with nothing but an instrument cloth, a foot rest and a guitar, Kanellakis makes passes through the air, stretching muscles, centring himself, centring us, before starting the concert with music by one of his countrymen, the lovely Love Theme & Variation IV from Excursion by Mamangakis. There is more than a nod to traditional Greek music in this piece, which was an inspired choice as an opener for this lunchtime concert. Following on to the Bach, Kanellakis changes moods to the more formal, and older, music. This is a demanding piece for both performer and audience. Bach can be hypnotic, and not necessarily for the right reasons, and requires skilled interpretation. We were in safe hands. Kanellakis stretched and pulled the music, wrapping it around himself like a cloak, resulting in applause breaking through even before he arrived at the very zippy allegro. Possibly a little too zippy, but that is something for the performer to judge at the moment of performance and reflect on afterwards. Moving on to Grigoreas' On the wind, it appeared to this reviewer that, although a skilled performer of the early works, he is far more in tune and at home with the modern composer. He seems physically more relaxed and lends the pieces a bravado and panache which was not evident in the Early music. Invocation et danse was another wonderful choice, really showing off his lyrical and technical ability. The piece itself is beautifully poised between a prayer and a spell (occasionally bringing to mind scenes from Macbeth). The final piece reviewed (the Fuoko is not reviewed here as the concert ran over and the reviewer ran off), Elegy, a piece dedicated to Kanellakis by the composer, is a sea change in mood from the concert up to this point, being altogether darker in mood, almost black. However, again, Kanellakis brings a lyricism to even the most dissonant of chords, beauty to the musical aggression. Considering the standard and quality of the overall performance, it is a pity that the time-keeping wasn't up to scratch as I would have loved to hear the whole rather than the part. That being said, the C.O.S. is to be congratulated on what promises to be a wonderful series of summer concerts. And for future reference: Pavlos Kanellakis - remember the name. Programme: Love Theme & Variation IV from Excursion - N. Mamangakis Prelude, Fugue & Allegro (Prelude pour la luth o cembal) - J.S. Bach On the wind - C. Grigoreas Invocation et Danse - J. Rodrigo Elegy (dedicated to Pavlos Kanellakis) - G. Kontogiorgos Fuoko from Libra sonatine - R. Dyens

Cork Orchestral Society Presents...Slovak Festival Ensemble

2007-08-17T04:33:00.001-07:00

Cork Orchestral Society presents Slovak Festival Ensemble 1:10pm, 26th July, Crawford Gallery, Cork OK – let’s get the negative stuff out of the way first. Wrists, boys, wrists. Namely, your right wrists. Specifically, loosen them! There was a lot of elbow-work going on and, occasionally, the left hand appeared to be running ahead of the right. I suppose I should explain things at this point. This lunchtime, the COS presented the Slovak Festival Ensemble (also does weddings, we were told) with a programme of crowd-pleasers, such as Pachelbel’s Canon in D and Stauss’ Blue Danube Waltz. The ensemble consists of the conductor/founder/soloist, Vladimir Jablokov, on violin, his sister on piano, his brother on second violin (I didn’t catch their names, apologies), Steve on viola and Aron on double bass. We’ll get back to the wrists later. Aside from Vladimir’s chitchat, with which even this reviewer can put up in small doses, the music came hard and fast, not a phrase you normally associate with a lunchtime classical concert, I’ll bet. Moving from a slightly jazzed-up version of Pachelbel’s Canon (first time I’ve ever heard slap bass being used in this piece) to Mozart’s Divertimento no. 1 and onto de Sarasate’s Gypsy Airs, we heard the full range on offer from this quintet today. Let me say this – when they play gently and softly, when they let their instruments sing and the music sound, these are a great bunch to listen to. However, the leaning here, more and more, was faster & louder equals more impressive. Now, considering the smattering of a standing ovation received at the end, I may well be alone with my opinion but, seeing as I’m the one writing this, let’s push on. The musicians themselves were a little stiff to begin with, which could be put down to nerves. By the time we reached the Gypsy Airs (their speciality, according to Vladimir – I feel we’re on first name terms now after all the chat), they were loosened up – almost. The wrists, the wrists! My kingdom for a waggledly wrist! Their left hands (finger hands) are loose and versatile, easily commanding the most difficult of passages. Their right hands, however, lagged behind – literally so in some instances. This is down to a lack of flexibility in the wrists – it is very, very difficult to play semi-/demi-/hemi-quavers with speed and/or lightness when you are trying to use your whole arm. Even just using the arm from the elbow can be awkward and clunky. It can sound heavy and, to this reviewer, is stiff and laboured to look at. The Bach was a welcome rest from the (occasionally frenetic) intensity of the gypsy music. Around this time, I was hoping to hear more from Jablokov the younger, as he seemed to have promise and several times looked like he was about to break out. He did. With Czardas. Let me say that I love Czardas – it’s one of my favourites of all the popular violin pieces. I don’t think it deserved a jazz overhaul (for one section) or Hollywood treatment (for another). Nor did it require being taken at such a speed for it to be exciting. The concert ended with three Strauss numbers – two from the son and one from the father. The polka was played with verve and brio, just what was needed. The Radetsky got the crowd clapping along. But the Blue Danube was in full and roaring flood. This is a group of talented and promising musicians, budding performers, who are currently making a living as jobbing musicians (hence the weddings, get their contact details from the COS), playing crowd-pleasers to beat the band. It is my suspicion (and I could be wrong) that they are bored senseless with the music, hence the constant additions of variations, trills and ornamentation, and the harder, faster, louder style of playing. (Although having a double bass in place of a cello is interesting and surprisingly versatile.) They can do this music standing on their heads and it pays the bills. I think they can do more. The ability is there, the interest in music in there. The question is, will they expand into more challenging music? Will they attempt the really difficult stuff, like playing something simple so beautifully and simply that it brings tears to the eyes? Or will they keep churning out more of the same? Programme Pachelbel, J. Canon in D Mozart, W.A. Divertimento no.1 (Allegro, Andante, Presto) De Sarasate, P. Gypsy Airs Bach, J.S. Air Monti, V. Czardas Strauss, J. Tratch-Tratsch Polka Strauss, J. Blue Danube Strauss, J. Radetzky March

Cork Music Collective Presents...Green Monitor

2007-08-17T04:23:00.000-07:00

Upstairs at The Roundy Cork Music Collective presents Green Monitor Thursday, 12th July, 9:30pm If Hogwarts had a music department, Green Monitor would be the result. Need I say any more? OK then ……… they are a tightly-meshed trio who are, to my eyes, one of the more pragmatic bands I have seen of late. Apparently unaware of the presence of an audience, they move through their set almost as if they are in their rehearsal room, unrushed, unfussed. Their first track had a definite hint of Air about it but don’t let this fool you. Their style is varied and their sound is tight, highly rehearsed and very professional, while at the same time managing to give the impression that they are experimenting on the hoof. The influences evident are diverse, both in style and geography, and samples include random sounds, vocals and instrumental riffs (and even, it is rumoured, an Elmo toy). It says a lot that, while they successfully headlined on Saturday night at the Electric Picnic last year, they were mesmeric in the relatively cloistered confines of Upstairs at the Roundy. Bringing in the vocalist, Annette Buckley, later in the evening, the sound changed to a more conventionally structured format and took more of a back seat, allowing Ms Buckley’s rich, strong vocals to be the focal point. Especially good was the second number, which was entirely ad-lib. If I have one criticism, it is that occasionally a track would not so much end as stop, leaving the audience wondering what was happening. However, this is a minor quibble. While their influences are, to say the least, eclectic (trance, dance, funk, reggae, far east), the end result is a sound which is at one and the same time both universal and unique. These are three musicians playing at the top of their game. Long may they continue. Green Monitor Aron Bennett – Guitars/Flute/Keyboards Loz Fitzgibbon – Bass/Harmonium/Vintage FX/Keyboards Clive Gash – Drums/World Percussion http://www.corkmusiccollective.com