Friday Afternoon - 9th April
It has been talked about and mulled over these past years and the time has finally come around. Driving once more through The Burren towards Mecca, myself and Michael Devine are looking forward to whatever lies ahead. Paddy Doherty and his family have been busy planning and preparing for the flock of songbirds who are winging towards The Royal Spa Hotel, Lisdoonvarna for the inaugural 4711ers gathering.
I have been thinking about my Friday night set this past while. I have pulled a few old songs out of retirement. Some were in my head waiting to be sung whilst others needed refreshing and researching. It could possibly be my 100th time to play in this room. At the sound check I recognised every nook and cranny of the old Hall.
Time now to face the music ... lets see what happens ...
Saturday Morning - 10th April
Last night went very well. I walked out and the front rows were awash with familiar faces. I decided to share that I was very nervous. That simple act always seems to relieve some of my nervousness. I can always sense that some people don't believe that a long haul balladeer can suffer from nerves, but believe me, I certainly do. This very tension fuels the performance, drives the dynamo that sends the songs and music out into the night ... Away we went:
1. The Dark Eyed Sailor
2. The Spanish Lady
3. Roisin the Bow
4. Kevin Barry
5. Raggle Taggle Gypsy
6. Lord Baker
7. The Good Ship Kangaroo
8. Yellow Triangle
9. I Once Had a Love
10. Rocky Road to Dublin
11. Continental Ceili
12. Beeswing
13. Tyrone Boys
14. Away You Broken Heart
15. In Praise of Mullaghmore
16. Haiti
17. St Brendan's Voyage
18. Companeros
19. Only Our Rivers Run Free
20. Me & the Rose
21. All for the Roses
22. Don't Forget Your Shovel
23. Black Is the Colour
24. Minds Locked Shut
25. Bright Blue Rose
26. Messenger Boy
27. Voyage
28. Back Home in Derry
29. Lawless
30. John of Dreams
31. Viva La Quinta Brigada
32. Magdalene Laundries
33. Missing You
34. Cliffs of Dooneen
35. Duffy's Cut
36. The Boys of Mullaghbawn
The set lasted about 2 hours and 20 minutes, I felt fresh afterwards and could easily have continued but the time had come. Looking back now I recognise the early part of the show was very retro and I enjoyed the reflective aspect of the first hour.
I seemed to drift into more familiar territory half way through and then the requests began to kick in. I faltered on Continental Ceili but the prompters were instantly on hand to save the day. The audience participation was exceptionally good last night. There was some great communal singing and some delicate harmonies floated on the air (Cathal and Aine?). I met with my Sister Anne and Nephew Donnacha Rynne for a grand chat. I could hear the songsters starting to rev up a late session in the bar, so I departed before I got seduced to join in ... I needed to save the vocals for the remainder of the weekend.
I just had a call from Hilary reminding me that our workshop kicks off in 2 hours. Again I don't know what to expect, but I look forward to whatever might emerge ...
At 2pm we assembled in The Hall of The Royal Spa Hotel for a conversation.
Hilary Scanlan had gathered up a series of questions relating to the work. There were about 60 of us in the room, whilst the questions had come from far and wide. They formed the basis of a 2 hour chat with songs forming the topics for discussion. Hilary made it all flow along and there were two diversions, one when Davoc Rynne played "The Earl's Chair" on whistle and later when Gerry Brady sang "The Little Beggarman" and played the bones. I hope that discussion might be made available here soon.
Come evening we moved back into the Hall for a gig with Wally Page and Small Town Talk. It was a great experience for me to sit down at the sound desk with David Meade and listen to the original versions of Wally's songs sung by the man himself. I was moved by "Marching Season" and "Mercy" and enthralled to hear "Chico Mendez", "Los Desaparacidos", "So Do I", "16 Jolly Ravers" and "Smoke & Strong Whiskey". Wally is one of our finest songwriters and is a performer of the first degree. I can only hope that many more people get the opportunity to hear him as we did last night.
After a short interval, Small Town Talk delivered the goods. Hank Wedell, Eleanor Healy, Martin Leahy and Declan Sinnott played a gorgeous set of diverse music and songs. Acoustic music delivered and sounding beautiful. Songs by Declan, Hank, Muddy Waters and Paul McCartney all arranged and played as tight as a bull's arse going up a hill. Great gig ...
This gathering is proving to be a great success and still a day to go. It's Sunday morning and the bus has departed Lisdoonvarna for The Burren Walk. I am lying low preserving the energy for tonight's gig in the Lisdoonvarna Town Hall. It is lovely to be back again in this peaceful, eccentric, quirky, colourful, generous and charismatic region of my native land. West Clare is a very distinctive region ... in my minds eye the spirit emanates from Mullaghmore and gathers its beauty in The Burren. Within the magic of West Clare lies the music which is its very heartbeat. It has been preserved and nourished by Willie Clancy, Micho Russell, Junior Crehan, Tom Lenihan, and their contemporaries. The next generation have carried it on; Noel Hill, Tony Linnane, Christy Barry and Sharon Shannon to name but four. The next generation again have blossomed forth into a profusion of musical styles that are dazzling and dizzying. Some critics would argue that the music has "lost something". I disagree with them. The music has expanded to meet the demands of this crazy world. It has adapted and it has been saved from its persecutors ... formerly the oppression of the invader and later by Roman clerics who denounced it as "the devil's music" whilst they whacked themselves stupid in the darkness of their churches. Then came the cretins of New Ireland, mid-Atlantic heads up Hollywood arses, who sneered (and sneer) at the "diddly-eye" (I think I may have had too much coffee this morning!)
The music lives on in the sweetness of the slow reel, the pure fun of the jig, the hush for the song and the heartbreak of the great slow air. Up The Banner and the sky over it ... faith, but tis time to start thinking of tonight's fun ...
Arrived into the Lisdoonvarna Town Hall to be greeted by Joe Garrihy without whom this fine facility would not stand as it does today. His energy and enthusiasm has created, with the help of the community, a leisure park and amenity that is remarkable. Well done Joe Garrihy. Many talk the talk, Joe walks the walk. At the sound check it was obvious that Declan was very weak and suffering from a stomach bug. His condition deteriorated and he through in the towel around 7 when he realised that he was too ill to play. The crew re-jigged the stage and lights, Wally opened the show and I followed him with an unplanned solo gig.
1. City of Chicago
2. After the Deluge
3. Go Move Shift
4. Sonny's Dream
5. Veronica
6. Ordinary Man
7. Don't Forget Your Shovel (For Joe Garrihy)
8. A Stitch in Time
9. Missing You
10. Quiet Desperation
11. Lisdoonvarna
12. Morecambe Bay
13. Lawless
14. The Two Coneeley's
15. Casey
16. Me & the Rose
17. The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll
18. Voyage
19. Beeswing
20. Biko Drum
21. Natives
22. The Knock Song
23. Ride On
24. Little Musgrave
At the forum on Saturday afternoon, Scall asked might the gathering become an annual event to which Dikon responded "Will ye be able to think up 50 more questions in 12 Months" ... It was a long time coming and hopefully there will be another but we'll let thee hare sit for a spell and let ideas germinate ... Before I sign off, I would like to personally thank Paddy, Chris and Anne Doherty and all the family for their wonderful hospitality in The Royal Spa Hotel.
We have some new dates on sale - they are as follows:
Thursday, May 6th - Sligo
Friday, May 7th - Belmullet
Friday, June 11th and Saturday, June 12th - Waterford
Thursday, June 17th - Tullamore
Friday, July 9th - Kilkenny
Friday, July 16th - Galway
Monday, November 21st - The Sage, Gateshead
All of the above are listed on the Gigs page
Here is a little bit of fun for all you readers ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNnbECIxMKY&