I've probably been to more gigs this year, than any year that has gone before. I've not really reviewed that many live gigs this year, largely due to the fact that I barely have time to get through the mountain of CDs that sit in a box beneath my desk, but also because I like to take time out at a gig, to completely lose myself in that very personal and intense experience that live music provides.
Live music started with quite a bang back in January, courtesy of a storming live set from
Bellowhead, at the Galeri venue in Caernarfon. Bellowhead are a formidable live act who physically filled the venue's small stage, and sonically filled the auditorium with their cacophony of sound! Bellowhead are an easy band to enjoy -- they don't just turn up and play, they give the audience a real performance. Their jovial banter and somewhat camp delivery belies a serious and knowledgeable reinterpretation of the English traditions with their inimitable vaudeville-folk fusion. You can read what I said at the time about this gig,
here!
As January drew to a close I headed up to Glasgow to dip into the phenomenal
Celtic Connections festival for its final few days. The gigs I saw ranged from a small, intimate set from renowned fiddler, Angus Grant, to a blistering live spectacle from Capercaillie in the Old Fruitmarket venue. My festival club experiences were in equal parts, bewildering, indifferent and awesome... and I'm actually looking forward to those late nights next year! The highlight for me was certainly that Capercaillie gig -- I'd waited almost fifteen years to see them live and I was so excited to have finally made it to one of their gigs! There is a full report of my few days at Celtic Connections over on
Green Man Review.
After having waited fifteen years to see
Capercaillie live, it was somewhat ironic that only a few weeks later, at the end of February, I would be seeing them again at Manchester's Bridgewater Hall. I was surprised by how different an experience this was to the Glasgow gig some weeks earlier -- Glasgow had been a very full-on, vibrant and pulsating gig, whereas tonight's audience witnessed a more relaxed and reserved Capercaillie. The Glasgow gig was almost like a hedonistic party for me, but Manchester allowed me the time and space to get under the skin of the music and listen to the contribution of each individual musician, in particular the unerring beauty of Karen Matheson's striking vocals. I also had great fun watching the band's stand-in percussionist, Signy Jacobsdottir, who was possibly the busiest musician on stage!
I had to wait over two months for my next gig in early May, and this was
Dòchas performing at the Bury Met, as part of the Big Whistle Weekend. As can be expected when some of the finest traditional musicians gather on one stage, tonight was a typically consummate performance from Dòchas. Julie Fowlis proved again why she is one of the finest Gaelic singers in the business, and Shetland fiddler, Jenna Reid, proceeded to make every other fiddle player seem quite ordinary by comparison. Martin O'Neill was as ever industrious on the bodhrán, and the mighty sound of the dual bagpipes that finished tonight's set treated the audience to a rousing finale!
Later on in May I was back in Caernarfon's Galeri to see Patrick Street. I'd decided to go to this gig at the last minute and it wasn't until I was sat in my seat looking over to the stage that it actually dawned on me, that tonight I was witnessing two of folk music's most legendary proponents:
Andy Irvine and
Kevin Burke. And I wasn't to be disappointed! There's a certain ease about going to see established musicians such as these -- they've nothing to prove. They just get on with what they do best... great music... amiable stage banter... it was all so relaxed.
On a complete impulse, I bought a ticket to see the
Tea Hodzic Trio, back in Caernarfon's Galeri. My reward for this blind faith was one of the most enlightening evenings of music in my whole year. A native of Sarajevo, Tea and her musical comrades -- Oli Wilson-Dickson on violin, and Luke Carver Goss on accordion -- illuminated the stage with their Balkan sounds and rhythms. I don't think I have ever witnessed such an intense vocal performance as that given by Tea tonight. Despite the fact that she was largely singing in a language that I didn't understand, she was emotionally teetering on the edge all night, with a palpable rawness that proved both edgy and immediate. The whole evening was both utterly moving and absolutely uplifting -- a real roller coaster of emotions. One of my most enjoyable accidental discoveries in music this year!
I have been listening to Irish singer-songwriter,
Eleanor McEvoy, since the release of her eponymous début solo album, back in 1993. So again, I was tonight seeing somebody live for the first time, after fifteen years of avidly following their career in music! Eleanor has a great insight in to contemporary relationships, and her songs age with you nicely, revisiting themes of unrequited love, taking a more cynical viewpoint as age and experience change her outlook. Eleanor is a rare one-woman band, with a collection that included guitars, fiddle and bodhrán, allowing for a formidable variety of textures and rhythms. Alexander's in Chester was the venue for tonight, probably one of the most intimate venues I would visit this year -- I was able to sit on my own at the back and quietly welcome the old friends that I consider many of Eleanor's songs to be.
A hot June day was the perfect weather for a summer festival, and it was exciting to arrive at the bustling Cheshire town of Middlewich to catch up with harp player,
Rachel Hair, accompanied by guitarist, Paul Tracey. This was an afternoon gig at the
Middlewich Folk and Boat Festival, and proved the perfect opportunity for my then six-month-old daughter, Holly, to attend her first gig! Holly was very well behaved and even had a tune dedicated to her! Rachel performed in the appropriately serene surroundings of St. Michael & All Angels Church, providing beautifully resonant acoustics as the harp and guitar filled the building. It was a typically impassioned performance from Rachel, who never fails to amaze me with a playing technique that embraces both stillness and fervour.
In August I hopped on a ferry from Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire to catch a gig by Éamon Doorley, Julie Fowlis, Ross Martin and Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, showcasing music from their album,
Dual. The set was opened by the talented multi-instrumentalist, Michelle Mulcahy, who enchanted the audience with her adeptness on the harp, fiddle and accordion. The main act was a real showcase of Gaelic singing, with Muireann and Julie's voices perfectly complementing each other, ably supported by the rhythmic intricacies of Éamon's bouzouki and Ross' guitar. Tonight was a relaxed evening of beautiful songs and enticing tunes.
It was then quite a wait until October for the next gig:
Tom Russell at Galeri in Caernarfon. A genuine troubadour of a music, Tom easily deserves to be considered amongst the same company as Van Zandt or Cash, his songs possessed of a gritty warmth and candour that can only be the result of a hard-living, hard-loving life. Tonight's performance found Tom in particular ebullient spirits, despite having to deal with a local heckler, combining brooding tenderness with an ardent brawn as the songs required. Michael Martin provided well-ornamented accompaniment on guitar and mandolin, adding texture and cadence.
One week later, back in Galeri, I was enjoying the Québécois trio,
Genticorum. The sound is always excellent quality in Galeri, and tonight, it seemed particularly good. The rich and resonant three-part harmonies flooded the auditorium with the most wonderfully replete sounds. Genticorum are a trio with an impressive energy on stage -- Pascal Gemme's driving and dynamic foot stamping gives them a formidable heartbeat. There is something totally unconstrained about Genticorum; their music flows so freely. Tonight was one of the most enjoyable nights of music for me.
A trip back to the Bury Met was well worthwhile to catch a sublime
Karen Matheson gig. The little stage at The Met was packed with instruments for a gig that saw double bass player, Ewan Vernal, return from paternity leave. The combination of Donald Shaw's piano and Karen's bewitching voice provided some of the most elegant music I've heard this year, whilst the guitars and earthy harmonies of James Grant added extra potency.
As October turned to November, I was up in Yorkshire for
Wetherby Festival's Folk In The Fall. This was an intimate festival, run by people who are passionate about the arts, and this was very much evident in the quality of the line-up. The presentation was similarly excellent -- you really couldn't have wished for better sound quality all weekend. The weekend was particularly enjoyable, not just for the music, but for the company, as I was fortunate enough to spend my time in Wetherby with some very good friends. There is a full report on Folk In The Fall over on
folking.com.
My final gig of the year was the closing night of
Julie Fowlis' UK tour. This was my first visit to the cavernous Haden Freeman Concert Hall at Manchester's Royal Northern College of Music, and I found it to be a very comfortable, spacious venue that really let the sound travel well, without letting the amplification reach overwhelming proportions. The opening act was
Emily Smith, accompanied by her husband, Jamie McClennan on guitar. Emily sang with a beguiling clarity, her sprightly fingers dancing along the keys of her accordion , showcasing some truly beautiful self-penned songs from her latest album. Julie and the band were on great form, and were tonight joined by the ubiquitous Martin O'Neill and his bodhrán. Julie's singing was of course every bit as classy as the rather grand venue, and we were treated to her Gaelic interpretation of The Beatles' "Blackbird," that was at the time benefiting from frequent radio airplay across the country. The star songs were of course Julie's native Gaelic renditions, songs that by now sound like old friends to me. I didn't intend that this would be my final gig of 2008, but I couldn't have wished for a better way to finish the year.
I'd like to thank all the friends, old and new, who have accompanied me to gigs this year or met up with me at a gig -- it's great to share these magical, musical moments in such good company.
