John Gorka @ Bi Urban, Dublin - April 16th 2019.

Tonight, saw a very special house concert, held in the beautiful setting of a new studio for social creativity in the heart of Stoneybatter, Dublin. The venue is softly lit and the intimate space is just perfect for the crowd that settles into a quietly compelling performance by Contemporary Folk legend John Gorka. 

John is finishing off a European tour and is in Dublin to visit his son, Joe, who is studying at Trinity College. This was a hastily arranged gig and the relatively short notice does not take away from the experience of getting up close and personal with an artist who has been producing music of a consistently high quality over the last 30 years.

Visiting his back catalogue with an easy grace, John plays 2 sets, taking requests and also featuring his latest release, True In Time, from which he plays 4 songs. His stage presence is very relaxed and his great sense of humour comes over very strongly during the between-song introductions and stories that surround many of the songs played.

With 14 records to your name you could be forgiven for not remembering every song in the back catalogue but John displays an impressive recall by visiting no less than 7 of his past releases over the evening. In fact, it is his debut, back in 1987, which is given most attention with 4 songs featured; Like My Watch, Love Is Our Cross To Bear, Branching Out and I Saw a Stranger With Your Hair.

Other highlights included Blue Chalk, Wisheries, Good Noise, Unblindfold the Referee, Land of the Bottom Line, and Writing in the Margins. An unrecorded song, Particle & Wave, is also very well received and we are treated to tales of his growing up in New Jersey, living in Pennsylvania and moving to Minnesota. There is a Prince cover, When Doves Cry, stripped down and slowed in tempo in order to bring out the essence of the arrangement and the words; the mark of a true craftsman.  Of the new material, Tattooed, Arroyo Seco, Nazarene Guitar and True In Time fit right in and sound like they are old friends already.

John asks his son Joe to play 2 numbers and we are introduced to a confident performer with a very interesting vocal gift, not unlike his father’s warm baritone. Joe sings a John Mayer song (Waiting For the World To Change) and a Passenger song (Let Her Go). 

John Gorka is a versatile writer with plenty of humour and insight running through his words and music. Lauded as one of the finest songwriters of the 1990’s he has not lost his gift to deliver serious content in a deceptively light hearted manner and his finely-honed communication skills make this a night to remember and also one of wishing he will return more often to our shores.

Review by Paul McGee Photograph by Kaethe Burt O’Dea

Amber Cross @ The Stables Mullingar 11th April 2019

‘’I just need to wait a minute until my heart stops racing before I start’’. The opening comment from a nervous Amber Cross before launching into Pack of Lies, the first track from her current album Savage On The Downhill and also her first song of the evening. Those nerves swiftly dissipate within a few minutes, calmed by the rousing response by the audience to the opening number of her stunning one- and three-quarter hour set. Cross had just spent over two days on planes, boats and trains on her journey from California before arriving in Mullingar for the first date of her tour. Seated on a low stool with her husband and musical partner James at her side, she continues to explain how a tour of Ireland has been a dream of hersfor many years. It’s not an idle throw away comment either, the sense of exuberance is evident in both her commentary and body language throughout the gig. 

Savage On The Downhill, her third album, was recorded and released in 2017. Cross was planning a tour to promote the album on its release, however, discovering unexpectedly that she was pregnant drew a halt to all that.  The prospect of touring with a baby was considered, but upon her sons birth the practicalities outweighed the somewhat naive intention. Fast forward two and a half years and she finally gets to tour the album with husband, son and mother in tow, the upshot being that we get to enjoy the opening night of the tour. Gifted with the ability not only to create wonderful songs, all from personal experience, Cross also possesses a quite unique and indeed striking vocal technique. It’s natural, beautifully accented and instantly recognisable, much in a similar vein to artists such as Iris DeMent and possibly Nanci Grittith.

Personal thoughts put to words and developed into songs, pretty well summarises her style in simple terms. The twelve tracks that play out on the current album were constructed by Cross in reaction to what most would consider every day occurrences. A simple phone call, a conversation with a companion, a remembered school friend, throwaway events for most. Much of the material from the album is performed this evening. What’s particularly enlightening is her introductions to each song, with the background and origin all explained prior to delivering the songs. We hear of her childhood friend and their innocent capering in the yard after church in Black - Eyed Susan. Mementos collected and stored containing lifelong memories are presented in Things I Saved. The bizarre episode of a ten-year-old boy driving a train unfolds in Tracey Joe. The first song she wrote Leaving Againalso features as does the moving Trinity Gold Mine. The latter, Cross explains, was written about a casual acquaintance, who told her his backstory as a young boy obliged by his parents to work with them in the mines gold digging, at the expense of a normal childhood.  

The equally emotionally delivered Echoes,was written following an encounter with friends who, unexpectedly to Cross, informed her that they were counting down the days until their son reaching eighteen, to divorce as soon as he came of age. Savage On The Downhill, we’re told, was the song she was building the album around. Producer Ray Bonneville encouraged her to re-write the title song and subsequently a darker edge emerged. ‘’One of my musical heroes Tim O’Brien played fiddle on the recording of the song Storms Of Scarcity’’ we’re told, by way of introduction to that song.

Notwithstanding the quality of the material and her vocal delivery, the depth of their playing is another standout. Both play acoustic guitar with James adding support vocals and switching to mandolin on Storms Of Scarcity andSelma. 

I’ve no doubt a shorter set was planned but with the encouragement of the crowd and a positively beaming Cross, additional songs were demanded and delivered, before she encored with Bare Patches On The Lawn, a song prompted by a telephone conversation with her mother, who starts every telephone conversation with a weather related comment. ‘She must be Irish’ is heckled from the audience to which Cross replies that she actually has Irish blood!

A worthy mention is also due for local support duo The Good Strangers. A male / female duo, both possessing exceptional vocal ability, they performed impressive material recently recorded by them. With two voices and one guitar, songs All I Want and Give Me A Reason - about to be released as a single - were hugely impressive. Certainly, a band to keep an eye on.

All in all, an exceptional evening’s entertainment in an equally atmospheric and splendid venue. Promoter Peter Doran has been putting gigs on at The Stables since November last. It’s heartening to see a young promoter bringing quality music to a live audience and all the more, getting people out on a Thursday night in great numbers to support the artists.

Final word about Amber Cross. In a somewhat over saturated market, it takes something exceptional to stand out among the crowd. She’s gifted with the capacity to bring personal stories to life, put them to music and deliver them with passionate self-assured vocals. Don’t miss the chance to see her on her current tour if you get the chance. Hopefully she’ll be back in Ireland in the near future to enchant us once again.

Review and photography by Declan Culliton

Kerry Fearon, Ags Connolly & Leo Rondeau @ DC Club, Dublin - 7th April 2019

The small turnout for these three under-the-radar but talented performers raised the question about whether there is an audience in Dublin for more hardline country. Or if it is simply a lack of awareness from a potential audience for such an evening. Is it a lack of promotion, the lack of radio support or simply a lack of an interested music supporter prepared to go out on a Sunday evening? All pertinent questions to the state of live roots/country music in the capital.

However, the small turnout didn’t seem to affect the commitment of the three artists taking the stage. The show opened with singer and radio/TV personality Kerry Fearon accompanied by Ags Connolly on guitar and occasional vocals. Her opening set featured a selection of songs that Fearon expressed a liking for and they included San Antone Rose, Today I Started Loving You Again, To Ramona, Chase Wild Horses (a song which she introduced by explaining that the Kim Richey song touched her with its lyrics which she was able to relate to her own family). Elizabeth Cook’s Mama’s Prayers was another song that had a personal significance. There was a duet on the traditional Red River Valley which both Fearon and Connolly had included on separate albums. Fearon thanked her tour mates for the opportunity to play these Irish dates together and despite obvious nerves she acquitted herself well. It will be interesting to see how she develops her singing career with original or less well known songs. 

Leo Rondeau was up next to play some songs from his latest album Right On Time. There was a wryness to his songs that look at his own family history and also to the nature of the relationships he has had over time. Rondeau grew up in North Dakota surrounded by country music. He is now based in Nashville having moved there from Austin, Texas. There was a certain amount of humour amid the tales of mishap and misadventure. He opened his segment with two songs from the album - the title track and If You Don’t Love Me. Other topics he discussed included driverless trucks, the tale of pool playing Dwayne Felkin and a song that listed the various inherent problems his family had in a song that laidout the limited possibilities he might face, concluding that “It doesn’t look good for me”. He said that he found the audiences here to be very polite as he was used to a lot of noise and seeing dancers in front of him when he plays with his honky tonk band in the States. He had started out being “all into lyrics and shit” but that it was more fun “to make people dance.” Now he tries to combine both. It would be fun to see Rondeau with a band but as solo performer he emphasised his more lyrical side with some great lines and a voice to match. 

Next up was possibly England’s finest country singer (certainly one of them) Ags Connolly who was playing for his second time in Dublin. He delivered some songs from his just recorded new album which would be out once he is able to sort out the complexities and practicalities of that. Hopefully it won’t take too long as these songs, in this raw state, sounded well up there with his best and again emphasising just how committed a singer Connolly is. Something that has little to do with his nationality and more to do with an innate love and understanding of traditional country music and writing song that fit that context. 

As well as the new material he included such favourites as I Saw James Hand, about whom he told us was a personal hero and a person Connolly had met and befriended in Austin, although he noted had met him in a drunken stupor one night that there was no recognition on Hand’s part. In contrast a few days later they met again and Hand, as he was sober, greeted him. Hand was on his way to a gig, having checking himself out of the hospital to do so! Connolly also spoke of the fact that he travels to Austin less these days after a romance there had broken down. Humorously remarking that that was often the lot of country singers. ”Brimming with positivity” he later joked about the content of his own songs before finishing his set with an appropriate example in I Hope You’re Unhappy. 

The evening concluded in fine style with Rondeau joining Connolly for a well matched duet on Wille Nelson’s, Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain. Earlier Rondeau had, with a female companion danced a Texas Two Step in front of the stage at Connolly’s behest. One hopes that both, or either, of these traveling troubadours will return - but with a more substantial audience to appreciate the respective talents, as did the small audience present tonight.

Review by Stephen Rapid Photography by Kaethe Burt O’Dea

The Brother Brothers @ Whelan’s, Dublin - 26th March 2019

The Brother Brothers,identical twins Adam and David Moss, played their debut Irish gigs in Donegal and in Dublin this week, as part of their current European tour. The Whelan’s show was an impressive debut played to a small but attentive audience. After thanking us for being there, they opened the show with Mary Ann,the first track from their new album Some People I Know and showed not only faultless sibling harmonies but also intuitive instrumental skills. David played a vintage archtop Epiphone electric guitar and cello and Adam played violin. Seated while playing cello, David also delivered subtle and mesmerising harmonies, while Adam played mainly violin and sang, while also adding guitar on a couple of the songs.

Their music is acoustic but compelling and complete. They also displayed a brotherly humour that covered quips about being Jewish, the excellence of Guinness in Ireland, football (the Ireland v Georgia match was on that night and might explain the smallish audience) and not least, the delight of being in Ireland. They had eaten Chinese food since arriving and told us that this was a step-up from the mac and cheese meal offered them in the UK and the complete lack of vegetables in that rudimentary fast food diet. 

The unwritten set list was drawn from their Tugboats EP together with the recently released album. The humorous Notary Publicand title song from the EP both stood out in particular. Red And Gold, In The Night Time, The Gambler and Banjo Song followed and coincidently, we were told the banjo that they recorded on the latter song was currently out of action, and was therefore played on guitar. They also performed some outside material including their friend Joanna Sternberg’s I Will Be With You and Peter Rowan’s Angel Island, both taken from the album. Also included was a Delmore Brothers song, explaining that they were not a bluegrass band but had been booked to play The Bluegrass Jamboree in Germany. The booking seemed to come about because they played fiddle and they subsequently had to learn a number of bluegrass tunes to fit into their set. They had, Adam added, played some bluegrass privately but not on stage so much. However, they acquitted themselves with aplomb and also displayed elements of old time in their music. Yet they still maintained a contemporary edge, with one particular song intriguingly veering into psychedelic territory!

Many of the songs touched on deeper issues such as the manner in which their neighbourhood in Brooklyn was being bought by rich investors, forcing out the people who made the area so special. They grew up in Illinois and explained how that State had once been wealthy as a water transport hub until the arrival of the railroads had forced many businesses into bankruptcy. That they weren’t fans of their president was also expressed in passing. However, the perennial theme of love wasn’t excluded, as they closed the show with a two-song encore, the final of which was a version of Dolly Parton’s I Will Always Love You. Their rendition did both the song and the brothers proud and showed that the intimacy of their music is capable of finding many new fans.

Review by Stephen Rapid Photographs by Kaethe Burt O’Dea

Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi @ The Sugar Club, Dublin - March 5th 2019.

It’s a rainy night in Dublin as the long queue on the street tries to shelter from a steady drizzle. By the time the doors are opened the cold and damp has settled into many and the respite of the warm interior turns into a scramble for seats and an optimum view. 

The Sugar Club has been a music venue since 1999 and was previously the Irish Film Theatre. With tiered seating and a stage that boasts plush red curtains as a backdrop, it is an intimate space and just perfect for tonight’s performance, given by a duo whose musical paths crossed 4 years ago, but who have only found time to collaborate properly in the recent past. 

There is an album due in May, There Is No Other, which has been partly inspired as a reaction to the present absence of fellowship in the Western ‘developed’ World and the urge to separate out people and nations as being ‘other’. By indulging this habit, the excuse to subjugate and wage war on these people is given free licence.

The concert is presented by the Music Network as part of the 2019 programme and the pairing of these two talents is something of a master stroke. The music spans many different genres and time periods, with the richness of the interplay between both artists a joy to witness. Their understanding of the song dynamic is just beautifully observed as they interpret and colour the arrangements and the song melodies. It’s an eclectic and giddy mix of music that draws from many cultures; African and Islamic rhythms sit with Mediterranean and Celtic tunes, played on an array of banjos and drum/percussion instruments.

Rhiannon Giddens is very well established and respected in international circles and her superb musicianship on banjo and fiddle is only matched by her peerless vocal delivery across a range of songs that touched on Blues, Folk, Gospel and deep influences from our collective history.

Indeed, there is a sense of Irish traditional rhythms and airs interwoven through the songs and one can just imagine the impact that mass emigration brought to America, going back the centuries, as all the indigenous music of different nations grew into what we hear today and what carries on the old ways, while honouring those who have gone before. 

Rhiannon sings historical music and the dark shroud of the slave trade is always going to resonate strongly and have a big influence on her muse. Her writing speaks to the ancestors who endured so much pain and torture in order to establish better opportunity for the generations that followed. She honours their struggle with impassioned vocals on songs like 10,000 and At The Purchaser's Option. Her recent project, ‘Songs of Our Native Daughters’ is a collaboration that brings together fellow roots musicians Allison Russell, Amythyst Kiah and Leyla McCalla who tell forgotten stories of the African diaspora in North America. 

Francesco Turrisi plays an impressive range of instruments, from the imperious Una Corda piano to piano accordion, the Oud and across a range of percussive tambourines, bodhran-like talking drums and more. He is innovative, intuitive and his improvisational skills produce delicate soundscapes which colour the songs with just the right palette. 

Francesco plays two instrumental piano pieces and his beautiful playing is reminiscent of the top contemporary artists who create ambient soundscapes. He also gives brief history lessons on the different percussive styles that are used on his seven frame drum instruments that range from all corners of the globe. There is also mention of Contra Dance music, the history of minstrelsy and black banjo music, Trance Dance rituals from Italy that assist in healing and old tunes from 1855 that are reinterpreted into compelling performance.

The traditional song, Wayfaring Stranger, is sung with such ache and longing and the pure resonance of the vocal performance is quite breath taking. Rhiannon has such a clear tone and powerful delivery and never more so than on Factory Girl, a traditional Irish song she adapted to reflect the horror of the 2013 Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh where over 1,000 people died with thousands more injured. 

Little Margaret, Spiritual, He Will See You Through and There Is No Other are all performed with great delivery and dexterity on a range of instruments, while Pretty Saro is sung acapella as part of an encore that also includes Molly Brannigan; highlighting some superb scat singing from Rhiannon as she weaves her way through the Irish refrain of  ‘Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ra’ sung at increasing speed,  then spun into a Gospel tinged peak, before returning to the ‘Too-ra-loo-ra-li’ ending that has the audience cheering wildly.

Rhiannon speaks of everything repeating itself and how it all comes round again; nothing is really new. The emigration of the Irish in past times is like a mirror to the present Global shift of people from troubled lands that are suffering terrible hardship. We could all use a little grace and tenderness in these dark times and tonight we are given a wealth of musical treasures to cherish. The creative art of music is a healing balm when it is performed with this much honesty, passion and skill. 

Review by Paul McGee Photography by Ronnie Norton

Colter Wall @Whelan’s, Dublin - Tuesday 12th March 2019

This was a sell-out concert which had a quite diverse audience in terms of both age and gender and made one wonder why this concert had that level of appeal when other equally worthwhile Americana/Country artists (who often appear in the smaller upstairs venue) can only garner a handful of fans. Something to ponder for the future I feel.

Whatever the reason this was a highly entertaining evening which was opened by fellow Saskatchewan country artist Belle Paine. She had recorded a duet with Wall on the song Caroline fromhis Imaginary Appalachia album and indeed joined him during his set to do the same again. Paine is a storyteller and each song was prefaced byits background and the genesis of the lyrics. Often, they were songs that related to her own family like Laila Sady Johnson Wasn’t Beaten By No Train, which detailed the night her Grandmother’s truck was hit by a train (she survived without a scratch) and songs that recountedrelationship turmoil like Rock Bottom. These were delivered in a strong clear voice that held the room. Accompanied only by her acoustic guitar she most certainly made some new friends. 

She was joined, later in the set, by her husband and fellow singer/songwriter Blake Berglund for a couple of numbers,including their take on Alan Jackson’s Mercury Blues. The songs were mainly from her most recent album Malice, Mercy, Grief and Wrath but also included a captivating version of Long Black Veil, a classic love/murder balled written by Marijohn Wilkin and Danny Dill.

ColterWall took to the stage solo and the folk singer side of his music was apparent with his deep baritone voice and Martin guitar. He evoked a time and place that for many in the audience exists only in films, books, photographs and songs. He is tapping into a legacy that runs back to such strong storytellers as Ian Tyson, Don Edwards and more recent performers like fellow Canadian Corb Lund and Montana’s Wylie and the Wild West. A musical linage that runs back to artists like Wilf Carter and Marty Robbins and beyond,as these songs were often adaptions of much older tunes. 

He opened with one such ballad titled Old Paint.Credited in some sources to Woody Guthrie, the song actually has older antecedents.This was followed by “a song about change” The Trains Are GoneandJohn Beyers (Camaro Song),one of several taken from his most recent album SongsOf The Plains. Any notion thatthe lyrics and theme on the album were something of a passing phase were dismissed, as the new songs that he played were about Sam Colt and Fred Remington and practising throwing Houlihan’s(a cowboy roping method) with similar Western/Rodeo content. 

His long time band, all of whom were nuanced players, were Patrick Lyons on Dobro and pedal steel - standing out by largely taking the lead instrument role. The rhythm section of Jason Simpson on bass and Solly Levine on drums were subtle and in sync with the tempo and mood of each song. This was topped off by Jake Groves’ contribution on harmonica, an instrument which added a definite flavour and campfire feel to the proceedings. 

Along with his own songs he also covered a Ramblin’ Jack Elliott song and Hoyle Nix’s Big Balls In Cowtown. All of these went down well with the audience who were attentive throughout as Wall gave some detail to some of the songs they played. He seemed a little shy at times and limitedthe chat in favour of playingmore songs. At the end of the show rather than leave the stage for an encore and then after a while coming back, they played the penultimate song and then the encore, Ray Wylie Hubbard’s Up Against the Wall Redneck Mother with Belle Plaine and Blake Berglund joining in for the rousing chorus. Then they were gone leaving the audience wanting more and the feeling that Colter Wall will be back before too long to evoke a time and place that still exists and is lauded in song.

Review by Stephen Rapid Photography by Kaethe Burt O’Dea

C2C Festival @3 Arena, Dublin - Saturday 9th March 2019

The C2C Festival has always engendered a certain amount of controversy in certain quarters. The CMA (Country Music Association) has to be applauded for offering the audiences in Ireland and the UK the opportunity to see a wide variety of acts currently trading under “Country Music” umbrella. It has given the more traditionally minded amongst us the opportunity to see such artists as Emmylou Harris, Dwight Yoakam and Marty Stuart.

It is debatable that this mixed billing is totally successful though, the line-up each night strives for some cohesion. In that light ,the only night of interest to Lonesome Highway was the Saturday night bill of Chris Stapleton, Lyle Lovett, Ashley McBryde and Drake White.

The timing of the event meant that White and his band had finished their set when this writer arrived at the venue. Ashley McBryde opened her set with her three-piece band, before performing a set of songs solo. She plays a lot of dates as an opening act in the US as a solo artist and she held the audience well given the size and nature of the venue. She formed a bond with the female section of the audience especially. Not one for the glitz and glamour of the party frock, McBryde in jeans and t-shirt, showed herself to be a real and sassy singer with a powerful voice and a set of songs to match. Once her band returned to the stage she brought the show to a close with songs from her recent album Girl Going Nowhere. After telling us tales of the ironic nature of the title and how her album was the biggest selling debut album last year, she made a sizeable impact on the audience and received substantial applause that bodes well for a return.

After a break the next act was the undeniable classy Lyle Lovett and His Quasi Cowboy Band. These were a skilled group of 8 musicians with a long association playing with Lovett. He thanked the CMA for bringing them over for these show as it would be difficult for many promoters to accommodate bringing so many musicians as a part of one act to Europe in normal circumstances, as well the fact the Lovett has not released a new album for some time.

These craftsmen included Victor Krauss on upright bass, Russ Kunkel (drums), Jim Cox (piano), Keith Sewell (mandolin and acoustic guitar), Luka Bulla (fiddle), Dean Parks (pedal steel), Ray Herndon (guitar) and the wonderful Francine Reed (vocals). The latter making a big impact with the audience when Lovett left the stage allowing Reed to sing an old Ida Cox song Wild Women Don’t Have The Blues.

Other songs included in the set were That’s Right (You’re Not From Texas), My Baby Don’t Tolerate, Pants Is Overrated, If I Had A Boat, Church, Here I Am which has that wonderful lyrical questioning that is indicative of Lovett’s interesting lyrical themes: “Given that true intellectual and emotional compatibility are at the very least difficult, if not impossible to come by, we could always opt for the more temporal gratification of sheer physical attraction.”

However, this may not have been an ideal venue for Lovett given the amount of audience talking that was to be heard during his set. None the less, for many, his set was the highlight of the evening proving again that his blend of country, jazz, gospel and more is very special indeed. The final song, by “one of his songwriting heroes,” was a uptempo version of Townes van Zandt’s White Freight Liner Blues which had various members of band singing a verse. It was a perfect closing number of what was an undoubted highlight of the C2C events to date.

Headliner Chris Stapleton was greeted by wild applause and the range of age and gender of his fans was telling. Around us were several women singing every word of his songs. They were having a good time. However, this reviewer found the sound somewhat muddy and overloud overall. The bass drum was dominating the sound of the first few numbers making it difficult to hear the guitar or vocals clearly. More effective was a set of songs played on his acoustic guitar. Stapleton’s opening slot at a previous C2C event was in some ways more effective. Here, with a longer set length, the songs began to blend into each other as the tempo and sound was very similar. Stapleton’s heavily pregnant wife Morgane joined the trio at several times in the set to add harmony vocals though they were also, at times, hard to discern in the mix.

The material was drawn largely from his threealbums and including Parachute which is built around a memorable stand -out guitar riff, Tennessee Whiskey and Traveller all taken from his million selling album of that name. I have enjoyed all Stapleton albums but, in truth, found this live experience less effective. The live trio of Stapleton, bassist J.T. Cure and drummer Derek Mixon (his usual live band who also play on the albums) have an obvious rapport but it lacked a little light and shade that might have been helped by the addition of a couple more players. However,this mattered little to his many fans in the 3 Arena this night who loved every minute of Stapleton’s distinctive vocals and fluent guitar playing.

The evening did little to change the conundrum of trying to be all things to all people and trying to define the contradictions of the traditional and the contemporary. However hopefully everybody who attended went away having found something they sought from the event.

Review by Stephen Rapid All photography by Ronnie Norton.

Hayseed Dixie @The Empire, Belfast - Sat 2nd March 2019

When the Hayseed Dixie caravan rolled back into Belfast for their gig in the The Empire on Saturday March 2nd, Lonesome Highway had the pleasure of hanging out with them for a few hours. Despite their public image of mayhem and madness, they are actually a bunch of serious multiinstrumentalists with backgrounds in country, bluegrass and rock music. 

John Wheeler (aka Barley Scotch) is the mastermind behind the whole concept - one he devised 19 years ago with several other Nashville based musicians, and he has since been rightly credited with creating a new genre called ‘RockGrass’. Although they are best known for their breakneck bluegrass covers of AC/DC and other classic rock bands, John has also written original songs for their 15 studio albums. He ‘tries not to stand on a soap box politically’, but scratch the surface and you find he’s a deep thinker, intelligent, politically and socially aware - hence our interview ranged well beyond music to the state of the world (including of course the dreaded topic of Brexit). Although initially the band did well in the US, they tend to concentrate their touring these days in Europe, because it is more financially viable on the club circuit which they inhabit. As a prolific songwriter, John has another album’s worth of material ready to record but this time he’s road testing a few of them so that they can evolve naturally, until the band can organise some studio time. Always ready for a new challenge, John recorded a whole album of songs in Norwegian, just for the heck of it!

Jake Byers (aka Bakesnake) on acoustic bass is the next longest standing member of the band. He moved from his native Florida to Nashville in the 90s where he toured with several country bands and played many sessions. He has now found his niche with this band, and takes full part in his stage persona, hamming it up with the best of them. He credits their sound engineer with getting the huge sound out of the bass, which Jake plays with skill and complete abandon.

Surprisingly, Hippy Joe Hymas hails from Essex, where he’s been immersed in music “since the cot”. He started off playing guitar in metals bands as a teenager, but then he got turned on to bluegrass when he heard the Dillards, and never looked back. He is a monster on the mandolin, but also plays guitar, banjo and bass. When he’s not touring with Hayseed Dixie, he’s home in Essex teaching music. Well known to Irish audiences, Tim Carter has been the band’s resident banjo player for the last five years. Tim and brother Danny are NC natives but they now live in Nashville where Tim runs his TreeHouse studio. As well as their Carter Brothers Band, which is a musical fusion of their love of both rock and bluegrass, Tim has played banjo with well known artists like Alison Brown and  Hank Williams III. He’s hoping to bring his band on the road soon and Ireland is one of his favourite places to play. Keep and eye on Lonesome Highway for news of that tour and for a review of Tim’s latest solo album, Wishes.

The sold out audience in the Empire (a lovely historic venue which started life as a Victorian theatre, was then used as a church in the 50s, until it was restored to its former glory in the 90s) left one in no doubt as to the continuing popularity of Hayseed Dixie. The loyal fans covered a wide age spectrum - from their 20’s to at least their 60’s - and all were up for the good natured fun which was emanating from the stage. The performance was full on, with no holds barred. The band demonstrated tremendous physical energy with hardly a gap between songs for the almost 2 hour set. The only breaks were for some testifying call and responses from John to the audience, who duly responded enthusiastically en masse - they knew the score. The AC/DC and Motörhead covers were greeted with the most enthusiasm, as also was the exhilarating version of Bohemian Rhapsody, complete with Hippy John Hymas’s unbelievable mandolin breaks and Tim Carter’s falsetto. Also particularly welcomed were the original songs Corn Liquor andPoop In A Jar, as well as Toto’s Eye Of The Tiger. And off the caravan rolled to continue their punishing six week tour of Ireland, England and mainland Europe. Never fear, they’ll be back in your area soon.

Review and photograph by Eilís Boland

Americana Fest UK @ Hackney, London - 29th/30th January 2019

Americana Fest UK was staged over three days in Hackney, London. Kicking off on Tuesday 29thJanuary, the festival included two nights of live showcases from a range of acts both local and international and closed with the Awards Show at The Hackney Empire on the final night.

Lonesome Highway descended on a cold, wintery Hackney via Stansted Airport mid-morning Tuesday and spent two action packed days, meeting old and new friends and listening to some quality music courtesy of quite a range of acts, all wedged into that increasingly populated Americana pigeon hole. As has been the case in The States, the Americana brand in the U.K. has given many artists, previously difficult to categorise, a musical community and an outlet to have their music exposed to a wider audience. The various sets at this year’s festival were staged across five venues, all within walking distance and presenting six acts each evening, all allocated thirty-five-minute slots.

Our first port of call was Night Tales to collect wrist bands and catch some live music. The venue is located beneath railway arches and describes itself as a Bohemia Palace, which is fairly spot on. It’s a mixture of an outdoor garden area, with covered and uncovered sections and a comfortable music room. With the air temperature barely above freezing in the outdoor area and indeed also in the music room, the most impressive Rachel Baiman and her two-piece band warmed the crowd up with a set mostly taken from her excellent 2017 album Shame. Rachel had performed a memorable set at Kilkenny Roots last year when she was touring with Molly Tuttle and it was a pleasure to catch up again with the bubbly and engaging young Chicago born multi-instrumentalist. Her show had not originally been listed in the programme, nor had Grammy Winner and former Old Crow Medicine Show dignitary Chance McCoy, who took the stage next. We had intended moving venues at that time but McCoy had us rooted to the spot with his rootsy mix of folk and indie. He’s scheduled to release his debut solo album later this year which will be very much on the Lonesome Highway radar. 

With two overseas acts under our belts it was time for a change of scenery and an artist from closer to home. Well, Glasgow to be exact, where Martha L. Healy hails from. She has turned quite a lot of heads with her current release Keep The Flame Alight, with comparisons to Gretchen Peters and Nanci Griffith. Recorded in Nashville the album continues to garner very positive reviews and her set at Paper Dress Vintage was well attended. A really quirky and interesting venue, the shop doubles as a vintage clothing boutique during the day and bar/music venue in the evening. Forty-five minutes later after a quick dash through the driving rain and sleet and we were back at Night Tales for the appearance of Caroline Spence. Another young artist that has impressed us in recent years she performed with an accompanying guitarist and played a particularly impressive set, despite the distraction of the many "talkers" in the room, an annoying feature that in fairness, rarely raised its head at other showcases we attended over the few days.

Previous winners of The Glastonbury Festival Emerging Talent Competition,London band TheTreetop Flyers, were the attraction across the road at Oslo, another impressive venue on the circuit. Their self-titled third album hit the Lonesome Highway spot last year and their set certainly did it justice. Kicking in somewhere between folk and indie the material sounds as impressive from stage as it does on album from a razor-sharp live band. One of the most eagerly anticipated artists playing in Hackney was Carson McHone. The young lady from Austin Texas has been signed by the Loose label and had the European release of her brilliant album Carousel a few weeks previously. The album had been out in The States since the autumn and featured highly in our Best of 2018 listings. Playing solo and to a large crowd, the diminutive McHone silenced the crowd at Oslo to pin drop levels one song into her set and proceeded to complete one of the festival performance highlights with standout tracks from the album,including Sad, Drugs and Maybe They’re Just Really Good Friends. Quick dash back to Night Tales to catch another of our favourites, Birds of Chicago, for the second half of their set. Performing as a three-piece Alison and J.T. are joined on stage by their partner in crime, the multi-instrumentalist Steve Dawson and bring the house down with their signature mix of roots and gospel delights. Such is the party atmosphere at Night Tales that plans to venture to some of the other venues dissipate and the decision is made to stay put for the final two acts scheduled. First up for the ten thirty slot are fiddle driven and, in your face, Noble Jacks, who have been building up a head of steam in recent years with their energetic shows. Tonight’s no exception and if the temperature was at zero a few hours previously, it’s risen noticeably by the energy and feet shuffling that they manage to generate. Often outspoken about many of the sub genres muscling in under the ‘country’ heading, it was more out of curiosity than burning desire that had me up front for the final act of the evening, Gangstagrass. A bluegrass and hip-hop fusion who claim to aim for the lovers of both Ralph Stanley and Jay- Z, they certainly know how to throw a party with bursts of raging fiddle followed by frontman Producer Ranch’s machine gun vocals. They don’t manage to win me over entirely but to their credit they are electric in the live setting.

An interview with Carson McHone commenced day two’s musical adventures. Facilitated by Tom Bridgewater of the Loose Record Label, thirty minutes passed in a flash chatting to the engaging and articulate McHone, hearing of her career to date and her ambitions and hopes for the future. Her enthusiasm was admirable and I’ve no doubt she has the skillset to firmly establish herself as a leading light in Americana music going forward. A pit stop for food meant missing The Blue Highways set but feedback on them was very positive. With so much music on offer hard choices had to be made and it was decided to hang out for the rest of the evening at Oslo and take in the five acts programmed for the night. Michaela Anne, an artist well known to Lonesome Highway, was the first of the night. We have been well impressed by her appearances at Americana Fest in Nashville over the years and also seeing her play guitar and backing vocals with both Sam Outlaw and J.P. Harris. On this occasion, she played with a pick-up band and included material from her debut album, together with a recent co-write with Sam Outlaw. After a few sound problems at first, she got firmly into her stride doing what she does best, belting out traditional country. Sam Morrow has been making a lot of waves over the past six months and he’s currently on a U.K. tour with his band. His first two albums had him earmarked as a potential breakthrough Americana artist but his more recent album, Concrete And Mud, and his performance in Hackney gave the vibe of an artist heading down a more southern rock sideroad, with a lot of thumbs up to 70’s bands Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Marshall Tucker Band. Looking and sounding the part, it was good, old fashioned rock and roll. 

Ethan Johns is rightly hailed as musical royalty in the U.K. given his production work with everyone from Ryan Adams to Paul Mc Cartney, but he’s also an exceptionally good musician, writer and gatherer of crack musicians to share a stage with him. His band The Black-Eyed Dogs varies in personnel, dependant on peoples work commitments. I had not seen him perform live before and his thirty-five minutes on stage was the highlight of the festival for me. More a jam session than a structured set, the final twelve minutes was a blistering Crazy Horse like rendition of Gillian Welch’s Revelator, with John’s and Chris Hillman’s guitar onslaughts and Jeremy’s Stacey’s drumming a joy to behold!

Ethan Johns has produced the new William The Conqueror album, Bleeding On The Track, to be released later in the month, so it was fitting that the three piece should follow Johns’ set with a triumphant one of their own. The band, fronted by Ruarri Joseph, often find shelter under the Americana umbrella but their sound travels far beyond such a simple description. Blues, traditional rock and 70’s New York punk sounds all combined to create another festival highlight. They play Kilkenny Roots in May, another opportunity to see a band that improve every time I see them play. With only one set left before the shutters came down at Oslo, who better to bring the curtain down but Bennett Wilson Poole. What started as weekend jams for these gents last year has elevated them to one of the most enjoyed live acts on the U.K. and Ireland circuit and their debut album was far from shabby too! Sweet harmonies, jangling guitars, thumping drums and pulsing bass guitar, but most of all the biggest smiling faces treated us to another celebration of what we all love about live music. Ask Me Anything, Wilson’s General Store, That Thing Called Love etc, etc never sounded better and a spectacular end to a couple of fun filled days that reallybrought the house down.

There were so many other acts that we would have loved to catch in addition to the Awards Show the following evening, which we missed. Such a pleasure to meet with so many of our festival-going friends from U.K., Germany, Spain, Ireland and The States together with the many musicians, PR folk, record label and radio people and indeed musicians,which continue to make this musical merry go round such an endless and thrilling journey. A great introduction to an exceptionally well organised festival that most certainly will be in our diary for next year and hopefully many years to follow.

Review and photos by Declan Culiton

TradFest 2019 Final Concert @ Dublin Castle - 27th January 2019

The final concert of this year’s TradFest featured three acoustic acts all of whom were all on form. The opening act was Laura Cortese & The Dance Cards who are essentially a string quartet playing roots and Americana music. The line up of two fiddles, upright bass and cello was used effectively to play such diverse directions as cajun and Appalachian tunes that were all delivered with a sense of fun alongside the obvious instrumental skills. All four also featured on vocals as the song required. One song was, we were informed, about procreation and prophylactics. They also mentioned that things were little weird in their country right now! But that was balanced with a query as to what the members of the audience felt was their most romantic album choice. They wanted to discuss this at the merchandising table after their performance and it seems that there were may who wanted to express their choices and talk to the band.

Next up was Teddy Thompson. He was appearing solo and in that capacity showed himself to be a fine guitarist as well, as a powerful singer and off the cuff raconteur. Choosing a selection of songs from albums that were prefaced with some humorous comment he noted that he was not exactly a traditional artist but he was, none-the-less, glad to be appearing in “this antiseptic ballroom.” A lot of the songs seemed from his pointed comments to deal with failed relationships. Songs about “not getting the one you want” or of attempts to “stick it” to the one you did have at one point. He has a new album ready for release later in the year and features a new song from that. His final song was “as upbeat as my beat gets” he joked before leaving the stage to much applause.

Headliner Jerry Douglas came stage full of upbeat anecdotes but was cut short by some technical problems with his Dobro. That was sorted relatively quickly and he told us that his last visit to Dublin was with Alison Krauss and that was “amazing” and he hoped this would be too. He opened with a song from the man who inspired him, namely Josh Graves, before moving on to some of his other favourite bluegrass players. Such as Jimi Hendrix’s version of Hey Joe which Douglas sang in a voice suited to the song. This was followed by a medley of tunes that he noted had been, in part, inspired by the likes of Davy Spillane and Moving Hearts. Other writers who he performed versions of their songs were Paul Simon and Chick Corea. He related again that he had always loved being in Ireland. He finished his set with an uptempo instrumental before being called back for an encore and deciding that a slow song would be best as he didn’t want anyone driving home too fast after an uptempo song, so he played his version of Both Sides Now. He then suggested that we could turn to our significant other and say “wasn’t that a nice concert.”

Review by Stephen Rapid  Photography by Kaethe Burt O'Dea

The Remedy Club @ The Hot Spot, Greystones - Sun 27th Jan 2019

The Remedy Club have been local favourites on the Irish music scene for a number of years now. Over this time, both Aileen Mythen and KJ McEvoy have achieved quite a reputation for their music, which was enhanced with the release of the critically acclaimed Lovers, Legends & Lost Causes album in 2017. 

Their live performances have always drawn plenty of interest and their stage presence is fused with an energy and musicality that delivers real quality. This gig at the Hot Spot in Greystones was further evidence of their combined talents and was also a fundraiser for an upcoming trip to Nashville where they are due to record their follow up album.

The full room at the venue was very encouraging, given that the gig was an early one with a 5.00pm start, and the age spread among the audience is proof that their terrific music reaches all ears and all ages. Focusing mainly on their debut release, the duo performs nine of the songs that appeared on the album with I Miss You, Big Ol’ Fancy, When Tom Waits Up and Bottom Of The Hill receiving a warm reaction.

There are always a few cover versions included in their set list and this evening we are treated to Heartbreak Hotel and I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry. Taking on both Elvis and Hank Williams could lead to self-sabotage but not when Aileen and KJ are at the controls. Both deliver performances that are completely convincing and vibrant; whether its Aileen impressing on vocals and percussion or KJ thrilling with his superb mastery of the guitar and his inventive soloing on top of the rhythms created.

A rendition of the old blues standard, It Hurts Me Too, is a stand out and the encore includes a song with support act Conor O’Donnell (guitar) & Robin Kelly (upright bass), followed by a great performance from Aileen on This Is Love, an appropriate sentiment on which to end the show.

Conor O’Donnell opened the evening and included a number of songs from his debut release, Come On In. The album was recorded with producers Garvan Gallagher and Gavin Glass at Orphan Records. Conor is a very assured singer and his Roots/Americana sound is very appealing with plenty of interesting songs, performed with a quiet confidence throughout his set.

The Hot Spot continues to be a very important venue and their motto of ‘keeping live music alive’ is one that deserves full support in order to keep giving local acts the opportunity to bring their music to an audience. Congratulations to Ailbhe on all her hard work and promotion of live music in the Greystones area. It is only a short journey on the Dart from Dublin city centre and deserves all the support you can give it.

And, to finish on support, it is not too late to assist The Remedy Club in their efforts to crowdfund the next album. There are plenty of interesting offers/options to attract your support and full details are available at https://fundit.ie/project/the-remedy-club---new-album.

Review and photograph by Paul McGee

Dori Freeman St Michans Church, Dublin 24th Jan 2019 / TradFest

This was Dori Freeman’s first time to play in Ireland and as her grandmother’s name was Dooley that connection made this trip to Ireland special for her. The impressive setting of St Michan’s may have been slightly nerve wracking at first but she soon settled in and played an 18 song set full of recorded tracks from her two albums and a selection of those which seemed right for the moment. She was ably accompanied by her husband Nick Falk on a small but versatile drum kind as well as banjo and excellent harmony vocals. She was wearing the white Manuel-style jacket she wore on the cover of her last album Letters Never Read. She started the set with that album’s opening song If I Could Make You My Own before playing some new songs from her upcoming third album. In this setting of acoustic guitar, percussion and vocals the immediate impression was of a slightly more country sounding direction than previously. 

Falk noted that they didn’t play bluegrass but were partial to some old time and gospel songs. A number of which they included in the performance. Which also included a Doc Watson song You Must Come In At The Door, another cover was the song Pretty Little Martha as well as their take on the Louvin Brother’s song Today. They had, she explained, something of a penchant for sad songs in their set. However, that said, it was still a warm and uplifting evening even if the hard back pews were a little uncomfortable on the rear and back.

You Say from her debut self-titled album was she told us was her most played song on Spotify (over 2 million plays) with all the attendant lack of royalties that come from streaming services. Freeman has a clear and engaging voice that was well suited the venue acoustics and the sound was good through the evening. She had recorded a song on the second album that was written by her grandfather Willard Greyheart titled Erin & Zorry’s Sneakin Bitin’ Dog which was a tale of an inhospitable mutt. He was hale and hearty and she had just recorded an album with him that she noted had titled out “real well.” It was due out shortly and sound like one to watch out for. As does her third album also due out later this year. Another old song included in the set and on her last album was Yonder Comes A Sucker an early Jim Reeves song that is not without a sense of tongue-in-cheekness. She also played Merle Haggard’s The Worst Is Yet To Come. The encore was a Baptist tune “one that you can dance to” titled Heavenly Sunlight. That seems an appropriate ending to the evening of music in a church. Even if as Falk noted that it was the fist one he’d been in where they were giving a free beer at the door on your way in! 

The evening opened with a short set from noted musician, broadcaster and compere Niall Toner with a his current four piece band. That included upright bass, dobro, mandolin, banjo and guitar. They played a number of Toner’s compositions including Lock & Key, Railroad Dreams and William Smith Monroe. Toner gave the fine band their head with a couple of fiery instrumentals. Toner has been at the forefront of homegrown bluegrass in Ireland for many a year and shows no signs of slowing down as he continues to spread the word.

NB: Both artists can also be seen playing at this years Kilkenny Roots Festival over the May Bank Holiday weekend.

Review by Stephen Rapid   Photography by Kaethe Burt O'Dea

The Delines @ Liberty Hall, Dublin - 25th January 2019

‘I can’t wait to be like I used to be, Oh let’s be us again’ Amy Boone sings on the closing encore this evening. Written from a different context on the song Let’s Be Us Again from The Delines recently released album The Imperial, the lyrics also sum up the torturous road Boone has travelled in recent years and – against all the odds – her remarkable recovery. 

Willy Vlautin has become a household name as an accomplished novelist of late, with his tales of the marginalised and real-life characters down on their luck, trying to survive, often with little hope. Amy Boone, the frontperson in The Delines, could be a character plucked from a Vlautin novel, given her extraordinary past four years. Originally a member of The Damnations, where she played piano, bass, wurlitzer together with lead vocals, Vlautin was so impressed by her vocals that he invited her to accompany Richmond Fontaine on tour promoting their 2011 album The High Country.

In the process of disbanding Richmond Fontaine, Vlautin was convinced that Boone’s emotive vocals were the ideal vehicle to continue bringing his stories to life, and duly formed The Delines, also bringing long-time RF drummer Sean Oldham along for the ride.  Their debut album Colfax was released in 2014, a departure from RF’s core sound, it ventured more in the direction of country soul and was particularly well received by the music press. A European tour followed together with the release of a limited addition CD Scenic Sessions, only available for purchase at their gigs at that time. The band began working on their next album in 2016 but were abruptly halted when Boone was involved in an horrific accident, when struck by a car while walking in a car park, resulting in two severely fractured legs and leaving her in an incapacitated state for over two years. The completion of the album was put on hold while she dealt with multiple procedures, in an effort to restore her mobility. In the final stages of her recovery the finishing touches to the album, The Imperial, were completed and a tour of Ireland and the U.K. was arranged on the album’s release.

Liberty Hall in Dublin was the fourth show of the tour and was, to say the least, a resounding success. Despite Boone’s traumatic past few years which has resulted in mobility difficulties, her performance was outstanding, displaying a confidence in both her vocals and stage presence so far removed from her previous appearance in Dublin, where by her own admission, she was as nervous as a kitten on stage! The completion of the album and the subsequent positive reaction from audiences on the tour appears to have liberated and energised Boone and her vocal performance from the opener and album title track The Imperial, to the final encore and appropriately named Let’s Be Us Again, are simply breath-taking.

Inevitable – and in many ways unfair – comparisons are made between Richmond Fontaine and The Delines. In reality they could hardly be further apart, the only common denominator being Vlautin’s prodigious writing.  Boone’s vocal capability this evening recalls the classic chanteuse Dusty Springfield and indeed Bobby Gentry. Big statement perhaps, but her delivery of the aforementioned The Imperial, Oil Rigs At Night and He Don’t Burn For Me, to name check only three songs, are simply gorgeous. Credit also to the sound engineer, with each instrument and vocal crystal clear throughout the set, whether it be Boone’s vocals, Freddie Trujillo’s bass, Vlautin’s guitar, Sean Oldham’s drums and in particular, Cory Gray on keyboards and trumpet. The added bonus for the show was the addition of our own David Murphy, guesting on pedal steel, as he often does  when Willy Vlautin is in town.  

Colfax may have been a hard act to follow but their presentations of That Old Haunted Place, Cheer Up Charley, Holly The Hustle and Where Are You Sonny reinforce just how worthy a successor the current album is. Straying somewhat more deeply into country soul, its raises the band to altogether loftier heights than previously, not only in their delivery but also the quality of the song writing. Favourites from Colfax are also included, I Won’t Slip Up, The Oil Rigs At Night and the title track, together with Gold Dreaming from Scenic Sessions. 

The Delines were, understandably, considered to be Willy Vlautin’s band and it’s noticeable and commendable how he – and the other band members - have deliberately taken  a background role as simply  band members,  allowing and encouraging Boone to take centre stage and Vlautin’s satisfaction is all too obvious during the performance, a beaming smile across his face at the audiences reaction from the onset. Vlautin’s writing and characters seldom have happy endings. Fortunately, Amy Boone’s horror tale is in many ways the reverse. It’s a triumph in the wake of extreme misfortune and it was a pleasure to join her and the band in a celebration of that this evening. It’s not often you leave a show with memories that linger for days and leave you yearning for more. Fortunately, The Delines return for two more dates at Kilkenny Roots in May. I’m reminded of the beaming grin across Vlautin’s face at the end of the show and expect most punters attending the show left with a similar expression.

Review by Declan Culliton  Photographs by Kaethe Burt O'Dea

Kathy Mattea @ St Patrick’s Cathedral, Tradfest - 25th January 2019

It has been quite some time since renowned Country artist Kathy Mattea played a concert in Ireland. She has been a celebrated and established singer since the 1980’s when the first of her, now fifteen, releases arrived on the music scene. This Tradfest venue is something that she enjoyed fully, revealing that her inner voice kept reminding her “you’re playing in an 800 - year old Church”.  It is indeed a regal setting where you can feel the ghosts of centuries past in the cold air and dancing in the muted lighting that washes across the magnificent ceiling and walls...

Bill Cooley has been Kathy’s musical companion for 29 years now and his understated and dextrous playing  on acoustic guitars tonight is quite a treat to witness live. He is the most fluent of players and has a creativity that enhances each song with harmony lines and solo runs that never repeat across the 16-song set that lasts for 90 minutes. He plays with an economy that always serves the song and Kathy also plays guitar across much of the set. She shows that she is no slouch when it comes to rhythmic accompaniment and her strong playing allows Bill to take flight into his creative colouring of the song arrangements. The sound is excellent, given that the instrumentation is quite sparse and it says a lot that the numbers do not suffer greatly from the lack of a band to add more texture to the arrangements.

It has been 6 years since the last album release but the arrival of Pretty Bird in late 2018 signals a welcome return and Kathy performs 6 tracks from the album. Of these, the sublime guitar playing of Bill Cooley is really highlighted on the traditional Irish Folk song, She Moved Through The Fair. The song title has been turned into ‘He’ for dramatic effect, in what was a haunting and poignant performance from both musicians. The other songs from the latest release were; Ode to Billie Joe (Bobbie Gentry), Chocolate On My Tongue (Oliver Wood), This Love Will Carry (Dougie MacLean), Holy Now (Peter Mayer) and Mercy Now (Mary Gauthier). It is the performance of the latter song that really captures the spirit of the night and her superb delivery is a call to focus on the kindness of our natures in such troubled times. A song for these days of fear and uncertainty indeed.

The set list tonight also included Evenin’ (Mitchell Parish, Harry White), 455 Rocket (Gillian Welch, David Rawlings) and some old hits such as Ready For The Storm (Dougie MacLean), Goin' Gone (Pat Alger, Bill Dale, Fred Koller), Love At The Five And Dime (Nanci Griffith), Untold Stories (Tim O'Brien), Eighteen Wheels And A Dozen Roses (Gene Nelson, Paul Nelson) and Come From the Heart (Don Williams. 

Mattea provides an eclectic mix of styles with a little folk, bluegrass and gospel influences mixed with her interest in Celtic ballads. Having just played at Celtic Connections in Scotland, she speaks of her previous appearance on the original Transatlantic Sessions from 1995. Her stage presence is very confident and assured, showing an easy conversational style between songs with lots of stories about her career and the specific songs she chooses to record. She speaks about being a steward of these songs and says that one of the benefits is being able to bring new songs to people who have never heard them before.

She also reflects on growing up in the music business at a time when you didn’t have a studio in your phone; when a record deal was everything as you needed lots of money to go into a studio. She also speaks about the voice problems she experienced in recent years and the need to attend a vocal coach to help her find her new voice and be able to sing again. If she is singing a register lower than before, then what of it; the skill in song selection at any age is always the key and Kathy remains one of the best interpretive singers of her generation with an intimacy in her delivery which convinces the listener at every turn. 

Indeed, she speaks of her process and technique and of sometimes “having to find your way into a song” and how sometimes this can happen when she is not trying too hard to carry this off. 

Her husband, songwriter Jon Vezner, co-wrote with Don Henry what is considered by many, including Kathy herself, to be her signature tune; Where Have You Been? This is performed with subtle tones by Bill Cooley on guitar, perfectly capturing the moving sentiment of the song. Another number, Mary Did You Know? (Green, Lowry) is sung as a Christmas song but it feels just perfect in this setting.

It proved to be a warm night of song, with some great highlights and the audience were very enthusiastic in their appreciation of this superb artist and her richly talented sideman.

Review by Paul McGee   Photograph by Vincent Lennon

Seamus Fogarty @ The Harbour Bar, Bray - 23rd January 2019

On his first visit to Bray, Seamus Fogarty accompanied by Emma Smith on violin, kick started The Harbour Bar Annual Banjo & Bovril Festival in fine style. Admitting that ‘he was too tight’ to bring his banjo across from London together with his guitar and Emma’s violin’, he carried on regardless, entertaining the enthusiastic audience for the next eighty minutes. Followers of Fogarty will be quite aware that no two shows from the Mayo man are ever alike, even if much of the setlist is similar. Performing as a duo with Emma Smith on violin, the set features the customary chat, delightful deliveries both vocally and instrumentally, audience participation and just to add a bit of spice, some broken strings. You may be forgiven for assuming that musicians travel with spare strings in their first aid kit, in a similar manner that motorist seldom leave home without a spare tyre. Not always the case, as Smith explains at the onset, panic stations were setting in when she broke a string during sound check, only to be rescued by a local who was dispatched to an outlet nearby to procure a replacement and save the day. Not to be outdone, Fogarty manages to suffer a similar fate closing the set and gallantly performs the evenings encore minus a string.

Drawing in the main from his critically acclaimed 2017 release, The Curious Hand, we hear of an unspectacular ‘phone in’ interview on the Joe Duffy Show – his highlight of 2018 we’re told, tongue in cheek – where the presenter was more interested in Fogarty’s research of 250 year old giant Irishman Charles Byrne than he was of his song Short Ballad For A Long Man, inspired by Fogarty’s visit to The Hunterian Museum in London and his opening song in tonight’s show.

A resident in London nowadays, his worldly travels feature in much of his song writing, none more than Mexico, performed this evening with Fogarty explaining the songs origin. While working for an unappreciative building contractor in Boston while living in The States, he finally threw his shovel out of the pram when promised bonuses failed to materialise, telling his boss he was jacking in the job and fecking off to Mexico. The intended journey only reached San Francisco, where rather than continue his travels, he wrote the song instead! The tale is typical of the evenings light hearted banter, combined with some beautiful ballads, elegantly delivered both vocally and musically by Fogarty and Smith. Carlow Town has become his party piece and his yarn of waking up during mass at Carlow Cathedral after a night out on the town is hilarious, regardless of how often you’ve heard it. It’s also invariably accompanied by a dance routine which Fogarty consistently manages to mistime, tonight is no exception, with Smith’s immaculate rendition at least five seconds ahead of her less than co-ordinated partner. 

A further tale follows of a spectacular night in Kerry, trading songs with John Martyn, only for a worst for wear Martyn having no recollection of the encounter the following day!  Fogarty seeks assistance from the audience to perform ‘the talking part’ on his albums title song The Curious Hand. An attendee named Dominic, duly obliges, recounting his tale of a Carlow evening stopover to add the required atmosphere to the song. Included in the set also are Tommy The Cat, Heels Over Head, Van Gogh’s Ear and a new song introduced as ‘new, because we were to lazy to rehearse it!’.

A Seamus Fogarty show guarantees a smile from ear to ear from start to finish, together with stellar tales delivered by an artist quite unique in the alternative folk world.  I’m reminded of the old adage that ‘there’s no show like a (Joe) Dolan show’, which in the modern folk music world should read ‘there’s no show like a Foggy Show!

Review and photograph by Declan Culliton

I Draw Slow @ The Grand Social - Dublin, Fri 21st Dec 2018

It was 2010 when a debut release arrived on the local scene, spawned by a fledgling group of Irish musicians who wanted to find a place at the table in the music industry. Interesting that in the 8 years that have passed, this ensemble has gone from strength to strength, built a very strong fan base, not only around Ireland, but also in America where much of their current activity takes them on a regular basis. The original members are all still present and the definition of musical family could not be more apt when experiencing the obvious bond that these 5 musicians have on stage together. It also results in the impressively tight playing evident throughout and the craft that is brought to each song by such talented players.

When we first heard that debut release, the hope was that this band could endure and be able to support themselves in the stormy seas of the ever- changing music business. So, it is not only to celebrate their success story that everyone gathers tonight for their annual Christmas concert, but also to show ongoing support for their journey that has taken them forward as one of Ireland’s premier acts on the international stage. 

That debut release is also revisited tonight with the tracks, Little Switzerland, Lighthouse Daughter and That Boy’s Not Fair giving every indication that the passing of the years has not dampened down the vibrancy and celebratory tone of their performance and delivery. Much loved favourites, Goldmine and Valentine, are given full vent as the capacity crowd become more and more energised by the onstage performance. 

However, it is the latest release, Turn Your Face To The Sun, that rightly gets most focus with seven songs featured and each one a winner… Apocalypso kicked off the set and renditions of Maria, Alveregna, Same Old Dress Will Do, Twin Sisters and the excellent My Portion are all played with enthusiasm and gusto. New songs are also tried out, Grand Canyon and Queen Of The Wasteland, both received well, as are the tunes Pig Pen and Don’t Kiss In My Kitchen. 

Dave and Louise Holden have always been at the core of the band’s creative centre with their song writing skills and focus on maintaining a performance quality that continues to improve and match expectations. Dave is a very fine guitar player and his vocals blend seamlessly with sister Louise who continues to provide the focal point and energy of their impressive live performances. She dances with a gay abandon that seems to spur the players to even greater heights of interplay and her vocal delivery is very strong and nuanced. With Konrad Liddy providing the fine rhythmic anchor on upright bass, the sparkling runs of Adrian Hart on fiddle are given full flight with Colin Derham on banjo a willing accomplice as the music builds to the joyful tempos that many of the songs contain.

Special mention was made by Louise of the recent death of our beloved Sandy Harsch. Sandy played a part in helping I Draw Slow achieve media recognition early in their career and the generous applause that greeted Louise’s words was both heart-warming and poignant.

The set finishes with Goldmine with the band returning for an encore that includes Garage Flowers and two superb fiddle tunes that bring the night to a satisfying and thrilling conclusion among the many cheering fans that have turned up to witness what was a special evening of music.

Review by Paul McGee. Photograph by Declan Culliton

Dar Williams @ The Workman’s Club - November 22nd 2018.

When it comes to matters of the heart or wry observation on life’s daily struggle, there are few musical artists as cultured and erudite as Dar Williams. Her career, that spans twenty-five years, has brought many accolades for her perceptive writing and musicianship, her collaborations with many seasoned and successful fellow-artists and her penchant for activism and causes in the name of equality and dignity for all.

Folk music has always held a special place in the psyche of the Irish people. It is a music that captures the spirit of the times and is a reflection of the forces within society that drive people to endure. As a mirror held up to assist us in self-reflection Contemporary Folk music is no less diluted as the challenges of these times weigh heavily upon so many of us. Where lies the light?

Dar Williams has always been searching for that light, a path to show the way forward and a solace to those in need of restitution and renewal. Tonight, she plays from her impressive body of work across a set that lasts 80 minutes and covers many of the 9 releases she has to her name.

Her ruminations and tales between the songs are very engaging and somehow, as important as the actual performances on solo guitar. Dar can spin and weave her words into witty and pithy songs of brittle humanity in all its frailty and understated nobility. You cannot help but be enthralled by her craft and communication.

Included in the set tonight are songs from her last release, Emerald. The title track is a look back on a life lived, seen through the memories that are sparked on a car journey. The superb New York Is A Harbour comes later in the set and is filled with imagery of the expectations and broken dreams that are intertwined in the great symbol for hope and the American Dream.

There are also two new songs, Time To Be My Friend and Let The Wind Blow, that sound right at home already and could have been plucked from any period of her discography to date. Old favourites are included such as The Christians & The Pagans, The Babysitter’s Here, The Beauty Of The Rain and the timeless insight of When I Was A Boy.

February and The One Who Knows are wistful ballads and go straight to the heart while the more up-tempo Iowa has the audience joining in on the chorus. Calling The Moon and I Am the One Who Will Remember Everything are also included and the encore, We Learned The Sea, brings everything to a very pleasing end. Always welcome to these shores, Dar Williams has lost none of her ability to engage and inspire in equal measure.

Review and photograph by Paul McGee

JP Harris @ Celtic Music Radio & Nice 'N' Sleazy Glasgow 13th Nov '18

Considering he only plays a handful of shows annually in his adopted hometown of Nashville and does not tour regularly, it was a pleasure to have the opportunity to see Lonesome Highway favourite JP Harris & The Tough Choices for the fifth time in three months, when he performed a blistering set at Nice 'N' Sleazy on Glasgow’s Sauchiehall Street, preceded by an acoustic set earlier that afternoon at Celtic Music Radio Station at Admiral Street. The previous occasions to witness Harris live were at Americana Fest in Nashville, where he played at 3rd & Lindsley, Robert's Western World and Sunday Coming Down at Gallatin Avenue, East Nashville. The latter was an all-day event organised by JP, featuring a number a artists, a spectacular and fitting end to the festival.

The personnel in The Tough Choices is very much a moving target and his touring band on this current trip around Europe are entirely different, but no less talented, than the musicians he had backing him in Nashville. The afternoon acoustic set was a pre-recorded interview and performance for Mike Ritchie’s weekly Sunday afternoon radio show on Celtic Music Radio. The set found Harris joined by his touring guitarist and they performed three songs (J.P.’s Florida Blues #1, Long Ways Back and When I Quit Drinking), all from his recently released album Sometimes Dogs Bark at Nothing.

Mike Ritchie’s interview with the engaging and extremely articulate Harris, included him revisiting his teenage years, his life experience since relocating in Nashville, his continuing support for female artists in the industry – he consistently includes female artists in his band, on this tour Nashville neighbour Miss Tess plays bass in his band together with preforming as an opening act - and an in-depth insight into the recording of his latest album. Harris explained that the album was produced by Old Crow Medicine Show’s Morgan Jahnig and the production was quite unorthodox by Nashville standards. The selected musicians to perform on the album came into the studio, having been given the skeleton of the tracks to consider a few days previously, with the instruction not to confer or discuss them with each other before recording. It's fair to say that the methods adopted were a qualified success and the six songs selected from the album to perform later that evening at Nice 'N' Sleazy sounded splendid in the live setting.

With a five-piece band of pedal steel (and occasional keys), bass, drums and guitars, Harris and his buddies took advantage of the excellent sound, lighting and indeed smoke machine at Nice N Sleazy, to deliver a killer seventeen song set. Kicking off and closing with the only two covers on the set list - the opener was David Allan Coe’s California Turnarounds and the encore a rousing version of Jerry Reed’s Freeborn Man– Harris and his cohorts raced through a free-flowing catalogue of songs that never lost steam. Sparks flew for up-tempo numbers Two For The Road, Gear Jammin’ Daddy, JP’s Florida Blues #1 and Hard Road, complimented by some equally impressive country ballads such as Maria, I Only Drink Alone, Lady In The Spotlight and Sometimes Dogs Bark at Nothing, the slower numbers all performed to pin drop silence. The road tight band were a joy to behold, with note perfect bass, drums and lead guitar, together with cracking pedal steel, supporting JP’s luxurious lead baritone vocals. 

In a market overflowing with plastic and industry manufactured acts masquerading as country artists, it’s a thrill to witness a genuine artist playing real country music with such a talented bunch of musicians and noticeably enjoying himself on stage as much as we were offstage. Make no mistake, Harris is the real deal and if you get the opportunity to catch him and his Tough Choices on the road, don’t pass it up. 

Thumbs up also to support act Miss Tess who, together with her band mate and co-producer Thomas Bryan Eaton, played a storming opening set featuring material from her album Baby, We All Know, before they both reappeared on stage as members of The Tough Choices.

Review and photographs by Declan Culliton

The Mulligan Brothers @ Naas Presbyterian Church - November 12th 2018.

This band is a breath of fresh air and seeing them play live again after a few years is such a joyful experience on a cold Monday night at a relatively new venue in Naas. 

The Presbyterian Church is a very intimate and small space, with the audience taking up the seating in the pews for an evening of highly entertaining music and song from this 3-piece who hail from Mobile, Alabama. This is their third tour of Ireland and the original touring 4-piece has now been reduced for the current dates and includes a female influence for the first time in the engaging presence of Melody Duncan on fiddle and vocals. 

Existing members, Ben Leininger on upright bass and lead singer/songwriter Ross Newell bring a warmth and finely crafted talent to the experience and the superb vocal tone of Newell is without doubt one of the finest live voices I have heard in some time.

Together the three-part harmony vocals are a complete pleasure throughout their generous set that touched on all three of their releases to date. The songs are based on personal observations in many cases but are also rooted in story songs that unfurl a narrative as they weave around the sweet melodies that are crafted from the tight playing on display.

Songs included Cecelia, Thrift Store Suitcase, Oh Susanna, Lay Here and the live favourite, Mama Gets My Soul. The new release, Songs For The Living And Otherwise, is given a good exposure with songs like Roseanne, a nicely crafted story that contains a clever twist, Possession In Gm, I Know That Man, and Great Grandaddy’s War, a song that reflects on the enduring divisions that were caused in the civil war and still resonate in the southern states of America. An evening of uplifting, infectious melodies and vocal harmonies that see this trio really hit the mark. 

The Mulligan Brothers may well have to consider a name change as they are well beyond ‘second chances’ at this point in their career and when you have heavy hitters such as Steve Berlin and Trina Shoemaker producing your records, then you know that you are already headed in the right direction!  

The support act was a local artist, Sina Theil, originally from Germany and now living here. She has a confident presence and a fine vocal that carries her strong set with conviction. Her backing band of three musicians all play a role with fiddle, lead guitar and bass joining together to fill out the guitar and voice of Sina. 

Definitely one to watch out for on the local circuit and already making inroads into the listening public with her debut album Under Cover charting at Number 1 in the Irish Country Download Charts and Number 5 in the Overall Irish Download Album Charts. Her version of Travelin’ Soldier (Bruce Robison), blended with the traditional Irish song, The Minstrel Boy, was a highlight of her set.

Review and photograph by Paul McGee

Deertick @ Whelan’s - 10th November 2018

Minus the Keyboards and Saxophone of Rob Crowell, Deertick have embarked on their current European tour and this stop in Dublin with the 4-piece comprising of John McCauley (guitars, vocals), Chris Ryan (bass, vocals), Dennis Ryan (drums, percussion, vocals) and Ian O'Neil (guitars, vocals), turn in a stellar performance in front of a capacity crowd on a Saturday night that has plenty of competition in other acts visiting the city this weekend.

Despite the fact that the band are playing across much of Europe over a 4-week period, the crowd tonight is dotted with fans who have travelled some distances from other countries to see the Dublin gig. They sing along to every song and their command of each line and lyric is very impressive to witness among the many smiles. Perhaps the fact that the gig was put in jeopardy by a major power cut, just after the support act had performed, only added to the unique atmosphere of the occasion. 

As the stage area fell into darkness, many thought that this was no more than a clever ploy to build up the anticipation and excitement before Deertick took to the stage. Not the case however, as the outage lasted almost 60 minutes before power was restored. The band had appeared to say that they wanted to play and that the gig would go ahead, but the longer the delay unfolded, the more people worried that the whole night might fall flat.

Once the difficulties were overcome, Deertick launched into their set (see photo) with an energy, intensity and power that suggested that they were on a mission to blaze through as many songs as possible before the curfew. They need not have worried as the venue is nothing if not a very relaxed place to enjoy live music and the staff were in no hurry to ask the band to leave the stage. Big applause to the patient crowd who remained good humoured throughout the power failure, even those who had travelled from abroad, as rumours circled that it was the U2 concert at the 3 Arena that had blown up the electricity grid in the city…!

Included on the night were tracks, Don't Hurt, Dream in the Ditch, Clownin' Around, The Bump, Easy, Me And My Man, Card House, Hope Is Big and the guitar heavy rhythms were cathartic as the superbly resigned vocal style of McCauley fought for room in the heady mix of sound and sweat. 

A cover version of the Pogues, White City, was especially well received by the crowd, while songs like Sea Of Clouds, Baltimore Blues No. 1 and Look How Clean I Am ensured that the pace never dropped as the ridiculously tight band twisted and turned driving rhythm into breaks of melody and quieter moments such as, These Old Shoes, Ashamed, Mange and Twenty Miles, ensuring that all seven of their releases to date were featured across the impressive set list. 

The final encore of You Are So Beautiful (Billy Preston/Bruce Fisher) was a fitting conclusion to a night of drama and intensity, not only on the stage and among the audience, but also in the unique circumstances that framed this exciting show.

A word also for the support act, Joanna Barbera, who played solo and was very well received with her easy stage manner and some interesting songs that no doubt had her supply of merchandise take a popular hit after the show. 

Thanks also to my new friends from Italy who were very welcome to Dublin for the show and who generously allowed me to take a photo of the set list, just for completion purposes, but also for any of you collectors out there who seek out such souvenirs!

Review and photographs by Paul McGee