Hiya! Fáilte chuig mo Bhlog!! Welcome to my Blog! For ages I've avoided writing a "Blog" - even the use of the word was anathema to me -it sounds so unlyrical, ugly, even - and so I (perhaps foolishly, perhaps, snobbishly) resisted until, finally, I realised it was akin to holding out, Canute-like, against the use of the word "cool" or the wearing of hugely baggy trousers by young people...And so, here I am, contrite, humbled, writing on my Blog page. Oh, how the mighty have fallen...
Glorious Night of Music in WAS... |
| Posted by Administrator (admin) on Jul 26 2009 |
WAS (that's Working Artist Studios, in Skibbereen, for the uninitiated!) was THE place to be on Friday night last. Again! An evening of Jazz with the wonderful young, local musician, Darren McCarthy fell through at the last minute, but, undeterred, superb bassist, Darren rounded up Cork-based cellist, Bertrand and, with the help of a few more local musicians, the music took off.
To get the ball rolling, a hastily reformed Darren McCarthy Trio took the stage before a good-sized, wine-sipping, appreciative audience -many of them loyal WAS supporters, and more soon-to-be loyal WAS-ites! The line-up was Darren on upright bass, fiddle-maestro Liam Kenneally on, well, fiddle, strangely enough! And yours truly on guitar and vocals.
"Outer Space" our new venue looked beautiful: every inch the jazz club; tablecloths, candles, flowers (and wine, naturellement!) adding immeasurably to the atmosphere. After a couple of songs, the incomparable Breeda Murphy (of TURAS fame!) got up to join us on vocals and the wonderful Vinnie Bourke, on congas, added his rhythm method (thanks, the Catholic Church!)
It really was an exceptional night. Everybody expressed delight and amazement at the music, the atmosphere the intimacy of the venue. For me, it was truly wonderful to play for the first time with Darren and Bertrand, a pair of supremely gifted musicians (and lovely fellahs, too!)
Darren is off to London to complete his Master's degree and we wish him the very best of luck with that, confident that he won't need luck at all, with his talents. We'll be having the REAL Darren McCarthy Jazz Trio in WAS before he does head away - should be in a few weeks' time. So watch this space and the WAS site. I'll be emailing everyone on our listings, too, to let you know.
But, I think most people will agree that the real highlight of a fabulous night was the arrival onstage of half of West Cork's Punk Gods, Good Dead Me in the raggle-taggle form of Murchadh Ó Colmáin (definitely a relation!!) and an equally hirsute Rupert Housden. Normally (if that's the right word!!) they play, respectively, guitar/vocals and drums, but recently, they've begun experimenting with acoustic, more folky instruments. This, of course, adds a whole new dimension to their music, folking the punk, if you like. But it also means that when they play traditional airs and sea shanties on their banjo and mandolin (respectively) those tunes are given a whole new lease on life (Punking the Folk!). It was great to observe the audience's reaction to their set: it evolved from suspicion to surprise to delight! The boys put in a superb performance which had people rocking and raving about them. I won't be surprised if, in years to come, the number of people claiming to have "been there" that July night will - like the seven million who "were at" Woodstock, or the GPO in 1916 - number hundreds, thousands or millions!! "WAS, '09? Oh, Yeah, I was there, man!"
Last changed: Jul 31 2009 at 6:15 PM
Back