Bragg about it; Or at least shout it from the highest roof tops.

Billy Bragg
Live UEA, Norwich 8th December 2010
Opening with his raucous battle rally call ‘In 1649, St George’s Hill, a merry band they call the diggers, came to do the people’s will’; Bragg’s anthemic war cry, The Diggers Song, sets the tone for the night. And sure enough Billy doesn’t disappoint. His socially aware commentary between tracks, which is fraught with obvious folkie connotations, are a wonderful antidote whilst being a scathing critical attack on the current fiscal crisis. Music is often pigeon holed as being solely and exclusively about entertainment – not in the case of Bragg’s shows and music in general. What he does is both entertaining and thought provoking. It may be a vehicle for his soap box – but such is his ability and his art that it always stays fresh, relevant and riveting. His tracks are never memorable in the conservative traditional ‘verse chorus’ structure – but instead eternally quirky and brilliantly constructed. Bragg is slightly hard to package, but surely that recommendation rather than a criticism, especially in today’s synthetic X-Factor-dominated music market.
Somewhat depressingly ‘music has stopped changing the world’ he observes part way through the set. ‘Elvis was a revolution, but not anymore’. It is perhaps not surprising that the comodification of music has even poisoned the punk bastion. ‘Keep faith’ he cries. We will. Changing the world may prove slightly harder, but perhaps, as Bragg no doubt would argue, that’s just my cynicism.
1) The Diggers Song
2) To Have and To Have Not
3) Shirley (Greetings to the New Brunette)
4) Tomorrows Gonna Be A Better Day (new)
5) I Got No Home in this world anymore (Woody Guthrie)
6) A lover Sings
7) No Power Without Accountability (NPWA)
8) Sexuality (Acoustic)
9) Battle Of Barking (new)
10) The Only One
11) The Saturday Boy
12) There Will Be A Reckoning (New)
13) Milkman of Human Kindness (Talks of his adopted son playing the track in his bedroom!)
14) Levi Stubbs Tears
14a)“Death of Lennon / ‘Elvis was a revolution’ “Music has stopped changing the world”
15) I Keep The Faith
16) Power In A Union
Encore
17) Tank Park Salute
18) We’re Following the wrong Star (BRAND NEW)
19) A New England
Live UEA, Norwich 8th December 2010
Opening with his raucous battle rally call ‘In 1649, St George’s Hill, a merry band they call the diggers, came to do the people’s will’; Bragg’s anthemic war cry, The Diggers Song, sets the tone for the night. And sure enough Billy doesn’t disappoint. His socially aware commentary between tracks, which is fraught with obvious folkie connotations, are a wonderful antidote whilst being a scathing critical attack on the current fiscal crisis. Music is often pigeon holed as being solely and exclusively about entertainment – not in the case of Bragg’s shows and music in general. What he does is both entertaining and thought provoking. It may be a vehicle for his soap box – but such is his ability and his art that it always stays fresh, relevant and riveting. His tracks are never memorable in the conservative traditional ‘verse chorus’ structure – but instead eternally quirky and brilliantly constructed. Bragg is slightly hard to package, but surely that recommendation rather than a criticism, especially in today’s synthetic X-Factor-dominated music market.
Somewhat depressingly ‘music has stopped changing the world’ he observes part way through the set. ‘Elvis was a revolution, but not anymore’. It is perhaps not surprising that the comodification of music has even poisoned the punk bastion. ‘Keep faith’ he cries. We will. Changing the world may prove slightly harder, but perhaps, as Bragg no doubt would argue, that’s just my cynicism.
1) The Diggers Song
2) To Have and To Have Not
3) Shirley (Greetings to the New Brunette)
4) Tomorrows Gonna Be A Better Day (new)
5) I Got No Home in this world anymore (Woody Guthrie)
6) A lover Sings
7) No Power Without Accountability (NPWA)
8) Sexuality (Acoustic)
9) Battle Of Barking (new)
10) The Only One
11) The Saturday Boy
12) There Will Be A Reckoning (New)
13) Milkman of Human Kindness (Talks of his adopted son playing the track in his bedroom!)
14) Levi Stubbs Tears
14a)“Death of Lennon / ‘Elvis was a revolution’ “Music has stopped changing the world”
15) I Keep The Faith
16) Power In A Union
Encore
17) Tank Park Salute
18) We’re Following the wrong Star (BRAND NEW)
19) A New England
Squeeze my (lightning) Seeds

The Lightning Seeds & Squeeze
UEA, Norwich, 3rd December 2010
Tonight’s gig at the cracking venue of the Lower Common Room in Norwich’s UEA was a surprisingly well attended affair, especially given the volume of snow in recent days. The headline set weren’t the only draw, as the large attendance for the support band testified – but the crowd were justified in getting there early. The Lightning Seeds put in a solid performance of just what the crowd wanted: their 90’s hits. Lucky You and Pure sat alongside Life Of Reilly and Sugar Coated Iceberg, all reminding the listeners just how good a pop / alternative rock band they were. They also managed to garner a few looks of recognition (with the ‘they did that as well?’ expression). However this was also the night after the football (World Cup) didn’t come home, going to Russia instead – so no 3 lions from Ian Broadie. The Lightening Seeds put in a solid performance of their hits, but the highlight was not one of their own. Instead an intimate and fragile version of the Ronette’s Be My Baby wowed the audience. With a big support band in opening slot there was perhaps a danger that they could out-shine the headliners. There was in fact little chance of that. Squeeze also had a ready made arsenal of hits at their disposal, and a wealth of experience to put them out, and tonight was no exception. Now instead the fans have two nostalgic reasons to go to a squeeze gig (an inceptive I am sure was not lost of the management). That said - Squeeze themselves tore through a greatest hits set of exceptional quality. Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford may be the back bone but a pleasant surprise for this new tour was the inclusion of the versatile and talented Steve Nieve on piano / keyboard (in place of the now long departed Jools Holland)
Black Coffee In Bed opened their set with a classic that fell on a few deaf ears. Indeed, despite the wealth of hits, many went with little recognition from this apathetic crowd, who possessed only a passing knowledge in the band’s extensive back catalogue, including Annie Get Your Gun and Loving you Tonight. Though an early number that justifiably gained popular recognition was the phenomenal Take Me I’m Yours.
The understated Chris Difford seldom stepped forward to give his vocals, but when he did it proved worthwhile. So it was that we reached a climax with Up The Junction.
A great night of unadulterated 90s Britpop and classic pop with double the pleasure.
The Lightning Seeds
1) Sense
2) Change
3) Feeling Lazy
4) Be My Baby (Ronettes)
5) Lucky You
6) You Showed ME
7) Sugar Coated Iceberg
8) Life Of Reilly
9) Pure
Squeeze
1) Black Coffee in bed
2) Take Me I’m Yours
3) Annie Get Your Gun (lost crowd)
4) Loving you tonight
5) Poor Me (Blues) lost crowd
6) ?
7) It’s So Dirty
8) Goodbye Girl
9) This could be love ? (Difford vocal)
10) If Its Love
11) Up The Junction
12) Now I’m Shaking (Difford vocal)
13) ?
14) Labelled with love
15) Some elses heart ??
16) Hourglass
17) Is ThaT love ?
18) Tempted
19) Cool For Cats
20) Slap and Tickle
21) Remember my heart ?
22) Pulling Mussels from a shell
UEA, Norwich, 3rd December 2010
Tonight’s gig at the cracking venue of the Lower Common Room in Norwich’s UEA was a surprisingly well attended affair, especially given the volume of snow in recent days. The headline set weren’t the only draw, as the large attendance for the support band testified – but the crowd were justified in getting there early. The Lightning Seeds put in a solid performance of just what the crowd wanted: their 90’s hits. Lucky You and Pure sat alongside Life Of Reilly and Sugar Coated Iceberg, all reminding the listeners just how good a pop / alternative rock band they were. They also managed to garner a few looks of recognition (with the ‘they did that as well?’ expression). However this was also the night after the football (World Cup) didn’t come home, going to Russia instead – so no 3 lions from Ian Broadie. The Lightening Seeds put in a solid performance of their hits, but the highlight was not one of their own. Instead an intimate and fragile version of the Ronette’s Be My Baby wowed the audience. With a big support band in opening slot there was perhaps a danger that they could out-shine the headliners. There was in fact little chance of that. Squeeze also had a ready made arsenal of hits at their disposal, and a wealth of experience to put them out, and tonight was no exception. Now instead the fans have two nostalgic reasons to go to a squeeze gig (an inceptive I am sure was not lost of the management). That said - Squeeze themselves tore through a greatest hits set of exceptional quality. Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford may be the back bone but a pleasant surprise for this new tour was the inclusion of the versatile and talented Steve Nieve on piano / keyboard (in place of the now long departed Jools Holland)
Black Coffee In Bed opened their set with a classic that fell on a few deaf ears. Indeed, despite the wealth of hits, many went with little recognition from this apathetic crowd, who possessed only a passing knowledge in the band’s extensive back catalogue, including Annie Get Your Gun and Loving you Tonight. Though an early number that justifiably gained popular recognition was the phenomenal Take Me I’m Yours.
The understated Chris Difford seldom stepped forward to give his vocals, but when he did it proved worthwhile. So it was that we reached a climax with Up The Junction.
A great night of unadulterated 90s Britpop and classic pop with double the pleasure.
The Lightning Seeds
1) Sense
2) Change
3) Feeling Lazy
4) Be My Baby (Ronettes)
5) Lucky You
6) You Showed ME
7) Sugar Coated Iceberg
8) Life Of Reilly
9) Pure
Squeeze
1) Black Coffee in bed
2) Take Me I’m Yours
3) Annie Get Your Gun (lost crowd)
4) Loving you tonight
5) Poor Me (Blues) lost crowd
6) ?
7) It’s So Dirty
8) Goodbye Girl
9) This could be love ? (Difford vocal)
10) If Its Love
11) Up The Junction
12) Now I’m Shaking (Difford vocal)
13) ?
14) Labelled with love
15) Some elses heart ??
16) Hourglass
17) Is ThaT love ?
18) Tempted
19) Cool For Cats
20) Slap and Tickle
21) Remember my heart ?
22) Pulling Mussels from a shell
The Bangles, errr sorry was distracted by the Hoff (the female one!)

The Bangles
Vicar St, Dublin
The beautiful Bangles, now reformed for a longer period than they were originally together in their heyday, came to Dublin to open a brief tour of Europe which will no doubt be extended with the release of their second post reformation album. Doll Revolution was a minor success around the globe and proved enough for this talented trio (most famous in their quartet days) to record and release later this year, another album. The solitary track from it tonight bodes well for that. However, it was their classics for which the audience paid their money tonight. And they did not go away disappointed. Squeezed in amongst versions of songs originally by Simon and Garfunkel (perhaps put name of song here though they made that one their own) and Alex Chilton (September Gurls) plus The Seeds (Pushin Too Hard) they managed to find time for their own classics. The definitive Eternal Flame was beautifully performed whilst Walk Like An Egyptian as encore had most of the crowd on their feet.
Their crunching guitars and punk edge certainly paved the way for girls with guitars – but not only were they talented they were also clever. Writing credits on most of the tracks they played tonight belongs to these feisty females.
Going Down To Liverpool got an outing, which they seemed to take pleasure in. Excellent and emotional tracks like Under A Cloud or In Your Room were well received but the bigger singles got most cheers.
Of 4 original members only former Runaway Michael Steele isn’t touring anymore having ‘retired’ in 2004. On stage tonight were stand in session bassist and piano player who do a solid job.
1) Hazy Shade Of Winter
2) Some Dreams come true
3) Manic Monday
4) Restless
5) I’m not that kinda girl
6) If She Knew What She Wants
7) 1st LP ?
8) I Got Nothing
9) Under A Cloud
10) September Gurls
11) Going Down To Liverpool
12) Eternal Flame
13) Get the girl
14) Open My Eyes (Nazz)
15) Ride the Ride (Doll Revolution)
16) In Your Room
17) Hero Takes a Fall
Encore
18) Walk Like An Egyptian (with Magic Bus by the Who in there.)
19) Pushin Too Hard (The Seeds )
Vicar St, Dublin
The beautiful Bangles, now reformed for a longer period than they were originally together in their heyday, came to Dublin to open a brief tour of Europe which will no doubt be extended with the release of their second post reformation album. Doll Revolution was a minor success around the globe and proved enough for this talented trio (most famous in their quartet days) to record and release later this year, another album. The solitary track from it tonight bodes well for that. However, it was their classics for which the audience paid their money tonight. And they did not go away disappointed. Squeezed in amongst versions of songs originally by Simon and Garfunkel (perhaps put name of song here though they made that one their own) and Alex Chilton (September Gurls) plus The Seeds (Pushin Too Hard) they managed to find time for their own classics. The definitive Eternal Flame was beautifully performed whilst Walk Like An Egyptian as encore had most of the crowd on their feet.
Their crunching guitars and punk edge certainly paved the way for girls with guitars – but not only were they talented they were also clever. Writing credits on most of the tracks they played tonight belongs to these feisty females.
Going Down To Liverpool got an outing, which they seemed to take pleasure in. Excellent and emotional tracks like Under A Cloud or In Your Room were well received but the bigger singles got most cheers.
Of 4 original members only former Runaway Michael Steele isn’t touring anymore having ‘retired’ in 2004. On stage tonight were stand in session bassist and piano player who do a solid job.
1) Hazy Shade Of Winter
2) Some Dreams come true
3) Manic Monday
4) Restless
5) I’m not that kinda girl
6) If She Knew What She Wants
7) 1st LP ?
8) I Got Nothing
9) Under A Cloud
10) September Gurls
11) Going Down To Liverpool
12) Eternal Flame
13) Get the girl
14) Open My Eyes (Nazz)
15) Ride the Ride (Doll Revolution)
16) In Your Room
17) Hero Takes a Fall
Encore
18) Walk Like An Egyptian (with Magic Bus by the Who in there.)
19) Pushin Too Hard (The Seeds )
Kris Kristofferson Live

Kris Kristofferson
Live at the Olympia, Dublin
Thursday 12th August
The middle night of 3 in Dublin, Kris Kristofferson is also in the middle of a very long tour. However despite his age (74) the consensus of tonight’s stripped down acoustic set was that it was a great one from a true gem in the country tradition. He’s perhaps not in his artistic nor performing prime, but that didn’t stop screams of adulation nor did it dampen the experience. The man loves what he does – more so perhaps in Dublin given the live set from 2008 released with last years Closer To The Bone. A master of lyrical genius, he seldom strays beyond 3 chords (for nearly the entire set) – it is his intricate, but succinct phrasing that gives emphasis to content and his songs. He tore through 33 songs tonight and although many have same structure each one is original and melodic.
His most popular track was the simple and easy to relate to song about the all pervading melancholy of a Sunday morning hang-over, Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down, but a touching version of The Last Thing To Go also garnered warm applause. Tonight was a thoroughly pleasing set from a country legend.
Tracklisting
1) Shipwrecked In The Eighties
2) Closer To The Bone
3) Darby’s Castle
4) Me and Bobby McGee
5) Here Comes That Rainbow Again
6) The Best Of All Possible Worlds
7) Help Me Make It Through The night
8) Casey’s Last Ride
9) Nobody Wins
10) Broken Freedom
11) From Here To Forever
12) When I loved her
13) Loving her was easier
15) Duvaliers Dream
16) Come Sundown (Bobby Bare)
17) You’re Times coming (Faron Young)
18) The Heart (for dad)
19) Daddy’s Song (For daughter)
20) Sky King (based upon Big Bad John)
21) Just The Other Side Of Nowhere
22) Jody and the Kid
23) The Pilgrim: Chapter 33
24) To Beat The Devil
25) The Last Thing To Go
26) the promise
27) Final attraction (inspired by watching Willie Nelson on stage)
28) Sunday morning Come down
29) The silver Tongued Devil and I
30) For The good Times
31) The Sun Goes Down
32) Please Don’t Tell Me How the Story Ends
33) Why me ?
Live at the Olympia, Dublin
Thursday 12th August
The middle night of 3 in Dublin, Kris Kristofferson is also in the middle of a very long tour. However despite his age (74) the consensus of tonight’s stripped down acoustic set was that it was a great one from a true gem in the country tradition. He’s perhaps not in his artistic nor performing prime, but that didn’t stop screams of adulation nor did it dampen the experience. The man loves what he does – more so perhaps in Dublin given the live set from 2008 released with last years Closer To The Bone. A master of lyrical genius, he seldom strays beyond 3 chords (for nearly the entire set) – it is his intricate, but succinct phrasing that gives emphasis to content and his songs. He tore through 33 songs tonight and although many have same structure each one is original and melodic.
His most popular track was the simple and easy to relate to song about the all pervading melancholy of a Sunday morning hang-over, Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down, but a touching version of The Last Thing To Go also garnered warm applause. Tonight was a thoroughly pleasing set from a country legend.
Tracklisting
1) Shipwrecked In The Eighties
2) Closer To The Bone
3) Darby’s Castle
4) Me and Bobby McGee
5) Here Comes That Rainbow Again
6) The Best Of All Possible Worlds
7) Help Me Make It Through The night
8) Casey’s Last Ride
9) Nobody Wins
10) Broken Freedom
11) From Here To Forever
12) When I loved her
13) Loving her was easier
- interval
15) Duvaliers Dream
16) Come Sundown (Bobby Bare)
17) You’re Times coming (Faron Young)
18) The Heart (for dad)
19) Daddy’s Song (For daughter)
20) Sky King (based upon Big Bad John)
21) Just The Other Side Of Nowhere
22) Jody and the Kid
23) The Pilgrim: Chapter 33
24) To Beat The Devil
25) The Last Thing To Go
26) the promise
27) Final attraction (inspired by watching Willie Nelson on stage)
28) Sunday morning Come down
29) The silver Tongued Devil and I
30) For The good Times
31) The Sun Goes Down
32) Please Don’t Tell Me How the Story Ends
33) Why me ?
A3 - More Like A1 and 5 stars! superb!

Alabama 3 ACOUSTIC & UNPLUGGED
Acoustic set, Crawdaddy, Dublin
4th August 2010
View: Centre, front.
ALABAMA 3 Acoustic & Unplugged, as distinct from Alabama 3, is almost a separate entity. Still featuring Larry Love and Rock Freebase but no Rev D WAYNE LOVE, instead the quartet is completed by Aurora Dawn and Harpo Strangelove. Their laid back country blues and gospel mixed with wit, humour and over the top posing strikes a chord with many. Their own tracks, including the famous ‘Woke Up This Morning’ and ‘Let The Caged Bird Sing’ sit comfortably alongside tracks made famous by Hank Williams (‘Honky Tonkin’’) and Country Joe Macdonald (‘Fixin To Die Rag’ on Vientmanistan).
TRACKLIST
1) Too Sick to pray
2) Lord Have Mercy
3) Woke Up This Morning
4) Folsom Prison Blues
5) Up Above My Head
6) You don’t dance to techno anymore
7) MDMA (Monday Don't Mean Anything)
8) Woody Guthrie
9) She Blessed me
10) Two Heads
11) Woody Guthrie Says to us – Garden of Gethsemane
12) Let The Caged Bird Sing
13) Vietnamistan (using country joe macdonald’s Fixin to die rag)
14) Sometimes
15) Hello... I'm Johnny Cash
16) Speed of the Sound Of Loneliness
17) honky Tonkin
Acoustic set, Crawdaddy, Dublin
4th August 2010
View: Centre, front.
ALABAMA 3 Acoustic & Unplugged, as distinct from Alabama 3, is almost a separate entity. Still featuring Larry Love and Rock Freebase but no Rev D WAYNE LOVE, instead the quartet is completed by Aurora Dawn and Harpo Strangelove. Their laid back country blues and gospel mixed with wit, humour and over the top posing strikes a chord with many. Their own tracks, including the famous ‘Woke Up This Morning’ and ‘Let The Caged Bird Sing’ sit comfortably alongside tracks made famous by Hank Williams (‘Honky Tonkin’’) and Country Joe Macdonald (‘Fixin To Die Rag’ on Vientmanistan).
TRACKLIST
1) Too Sick to pray
2) Lord Have Mercy
3) Woke Up This Morning
4) Folsom Prison Blues
5) Up Above My Head
6) You don’t dance to techno anymore
7) MDMA (Monday Don't Mean Anything)
8) Woody Guthrie
9) She Blessed me
10) Two Heads
11) Woody Guthrie Says to us – Garden of Gethsemane
12) Let The Caged Bird Sing
13) Vietnamistan (using country joe macdonald’s Fixin to die rag)
14) Sometimes
15) Hello... I'm Johnny Cash
16) Speed of the Sound Of Loneliness
17) honky Tonkin
ALLEN TOUSSAINT. LEGEND OR WHAT>!?

Allen Toussaint
Live National Concert Hall
3rd August 2010
This was a very plush setting for the elder statesman of New Orleans Rhythm and Blues. And whilst Toussaint fully merits the setting it was a shame to see the Concert Hall only (perhaps) ¾ full. Come on – the guy’s resume reads like a who’s who of popular music. From Snooks Eaglin to Public Enemy, few have not come under his spell.
He is hardly a stranger to these shores – playing annually for at least the last four years. Last year’s annual outing was to the less glamorous (but no less exclusive) setting of Whelan’s. That was jam packed – unfortunately, the larger concert hall was not, despite the underground success of his appearance in Treme.
Opening with the local crowd pleaser (aka Cliché) ‘Molly Malone’, Toussaint was on fine form. He played tracks largely penned by himself but made famous by others! ‘Brickyard Blues’ (Frankie Millar) and ‘Sneakin Sally Through The Alley’ (Lee Dorsey / Robert Palmer) proved popular numbers. Whilst ‘Happiness’ (made famous by the Pointer Sisters along with the latter ‘Yes We Can Can’) showed just how great and diverse his song writing is.
But there were also songs from before he hit the big times – including snippets from ‘Happy Times’ from the RCA years, and ‘Java’, later made famous by Floyd Kramer. Toussaint’s work spans many decades as he proved from his selection – including the climax of the evening, a beautifully soft but rolling version of ‘Southern Nights’ (an unlikely cover of which was taken to the top of the charts by Glen Campbell). He began the song with an elongated introduction where he described summer evenings as a child sitting on the porch of his grandparent’s house. Without any touch of banal sentimentality or contrived storytelling this track brought a tear to the eye of many in the crowd.
Allen Toussaint Track listing.
1) Molly Malone
2) Medley on instrumentals – Happy Times from the RCA years and Java later made famous by Floyd Kramer. (Floyd Kramer)
3) (The Dating Game): Whipped Cream
4) Brickyard Blues (Frankie Millar)
5) Sneakin Sally Through The Alley (Lee Dorsey / Robert Palmer)
6) Happiness (Pointer sisters)
7) Singing the Blues
8) St James’s Infirmary
9) A Certain Girl - Mother in Law – Fortune Teller – Working in a Coalmine – A Certain Girl
10) All the things that make you mine
11) Yes We Can Can
12) Get Out of my life woman (Greatful dead and Lee Dorsey)
13) Instrumental medley – but only with a refrain from each song
14) City Of New Orleans (Steve Goodman)
15) Sweet Touch Of Love
16) What Do You Want The Girl To Do ? (Boz Skaggs, Bonnie Raitt)
17) What is Success
18) I'll Take A Melody
19) Long Long Journey (Louis Armstrong)
20) Southern Nights
Encore
21) Tipitina and Me
22) On Your Way Down
Live National Concert Hall
3rd August 2010
This was a very plush setting for the elder statesman of New Orleans Rhythm and Blues. And whilst Toussaint fully merits the setting it was a shame to see the Concert Hall only (perhaps) ¾ full. Come on – the guy’s resume reads like a who’s who of popular music. From Snooks Eaglin to Public Enemy, few have not come under his spell.
He is hardly a stranger to these shores – playing annually for at least the last four years. Last year’s annual outing was to the less glamorous (but no less exclusive) setting of Whelan’s. That was jam packed – unfortunately, the larger concert hall was not, despite the underground success of his appearance in Treme.
Opening with the local crowd pleaser (aka Cliché) ‘Molly Malone’, Toussaint was on fine form. He played tracks largely penned by himself but made famous by others! ‘Brickyard Blues’ (Frankie Millar) and ‘Sneakin Sally Through The Alley’ (Lee Dorsey / Robert Palmer) proved popular numbers. Whilst ‘Happiness’ (made famous by the Pointer Sisters along with the latter ‘Yes We Can Can’) showed just how great and diverse his song writing is.
But there were also songs from before he hit the big times – including snippets from ‘Happy Times’ from the RCA years, and ‘Java’, later made famous by Floyd Kramer. Toussaint’s work spans many decades as he proved from his selection – including the climax of the evening, a beautifully soft but rolling version of ‘Southern Nights’ (an unlikely cover of which was taken to the top of the charts by Glen Campbell). He began the song with an elongated introduction where he described summer evenings as a child sitting on the porch of his grandparent’s house. Without any touch of banal sentimentality or contrived storytelling this track brought a tear to the eye of many in the crowd.
Allen Toussaint Track listing.
1) Molly Malone
2) Medley on instrumentals – Happy Times from the RCA years and Java later made famous by Floyd Kramer. (Floyd Kramer)
3) (The Dating Game): Whipped Cream
4) Brickyard Blues (Frankie Millar)
5) Sneakin Sally Through The Alley (Lee Dorsey / Robert Palmer)
6) Happiness (Pointer sisters)
7) Singing the Blues
8) St James’s Infirmary
9) A Certain Girl - Mother in Law – Fortune Teller – Working in a Coalmine – A Certain Girl
10) All the things that make you mine
11) Yes We Can Can
12) Get Out of my life woman (Greatful dead and Lee Dorsey)
13) Instrumental medley – but only with a refrain from each song
14) City Of New Orleans (Steve Goodman)
15) Sweet Touch Of Love
16) What Do You Want The Girl To Do ? (Boz Skaggs, Bonnie Raitt)
17) What is Success
18) I'll Take A Melody
19) Long Long Journey (Louis Armstrong)
20) Southern Nights
Encore
21) Tipitina and Me
22) On Your Way Down
Rod Stewart Live In Dublin

Rod Stewart
Live O2 31st July 2010
View: Top back left, miles away from the stage!
Rod Stewart performed a clinical near minute perfect 2 hour set tonight for his third sell out Dublin date and final night of the tour. A celebratory atmosphere prevailed despite the subdued sound of Rod’s vocals for many of his classic tracks – especially on Love Train and Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?. The Rod Stewart Song book, or American songbook as it used to be known, didn’t feature at all as this was a n unapologetic greatest hits – which clearly pleased this singalong crowd. And hits truly abounded. The Nineties pop of Downtown train and Rythym of my heart sat well alongside the acoustic ballads You Wear It Well and I Was Only joking. He even showed his former rocky side at points - during Hot Legs Rod ably kicked out footballs deep into the crowd. By this point it had turned into a giant singalong climaxing in Maggie May, Sailing and Baby Jane. A quality night marred only slightly by the muffled sound of the vocals.
Coming onto the soul classic Love Train Rod Stewart set his stall for a night of greatest hits. No longer ‘Mr American Song Book’ he is now the comfortable old man of rock balladry. Dressed in Lame suits (which he changed regularly) he tore through a set which was a 2 hour pure greatest hits. From his 70’s success with Some Guys Have all The Luck to the 80’s glamour of Baby Jane – we even got glimpses of the rocker from his days with Ronnie Wood in The Faces in You Wear It Well and of course Maggie May. The sentimental numbers such as Have I Told you Lately and I Don’t Want to Talk about it came across well and but for some of the rockers Rod’s voice was lost behind the band. Not so for the final climax as he tore through classic such as the raunchy Hot Legs and of course the anthem made famous by the Ark Royal – Sailing. A quality evening of the set list the public wanted – a great send off – he claims he’ll be back – but end it on a high before the power of the voice has gone and just tarnishes the memory – but will vanity allow it?
Rod Stewart
LIVE O2 Dublin 31st July 2010
The final night of 3 sell out dates in Dublin, and the final night of the world tour, there was a celebratory atmosphere both with the full band and the largely female crowd. Clinical in his approach - Lame jacketed strutting around the stage in his usual pose - Rod and the band gave the aura of enjoying this last night of the tour. For much of the set the stage was full, with 3 pretty dancers and backing vocalists, as well as, to be expected, a cute band (of both sexes) including 2 drummers and 2 saxophonists put in a tight performance, but Rod’s vocals were especially low in the mix for the opener Love Train and Sam Cooke’s Having a party. That seemed not to be because he doesn’t have the voice in him anymore and more to do with the volume settings. But this didn’t stop if being a great night. Acoustic anthems such as Maggie May and The First Cut Is The Deepest sat comfortably alongside rockers such as Sweet Little Rock n Roller and Hot Legs. 5 big screens projecting Rods image and videos – and highlighting him getting through 3 suit changes – more than even the female backing vocalists managed! A near exact 2 hour set - nearly all the hits from his illustrious 40+ year career abounded (though no ‘Stay With Me’) – indeed it may have had a second encore in it – the crowd simply quietly left – before the lights came back up. That said everyone left happy, even those a little worse for wear, all humming ‘Baby Jane’.
Tracklisting: (Review to follow!)
1) Love Train
2) Tonight’s the Night
3) Some Guys Have All The Luck
4) You Wear It Well (Stewart/Wood)
5) Having A Party (Sam Cooke)
6) This Old Heart Of Mine
7) Rhythm of my heart
8) Downtown train
9) Drum interlude
10) Have I told you lately (that I love you)
11) It’s A Heartache (originally Bonnie Tyler)
12) Sweet Little Rock n roller
13) It Takes Two (Tina Turner Duet)
14) I Was only joking
Interlude
Part 2 - back out for ‘Soul Time’ – in a purple Lame suit
15) Same Old Song
16) A Rainy night in Georgia
17) Twisting the night away
18) If you think I’m sexy
19) Proud Mary (back vocalist) Rod Off
20) The First Cut Is The Deepest
21) I Don’t Wanna talk about it
22) You’re In My Heart (popular singalong)
23) Hot Legs
24) Maggie May
Encore
25) Sailing
26) Baby Jane
Live O2 31st July 2010
View: Top back left, miles away from the stage!
Rod Stewart performed a clinical near minute perfect 2 hour set tonight for his third sell out Dublin date and final night of the tour. A celebratory atmosphere prevailed despite the subdued sound of Rod’s vocals for many of his classic tracks – especially on Love Train and Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?. The Rod Stewart Song book, or American songbook as it used to be known, didn’t feature at all as this was a n unapologetic greatest hits – which clearly pleased this singalong crowd. And hits truly abounded. The Nineties pop of Downtown train and Rythym of my heart sat well alongside the acoustic ballads You Wear It Well and I Was Only joking. He even showed his former rocky side at points - during Hot Legs Rod ably kicked out footballs deep into the crowd. By this point it had turned into a giant singalong climaxing in Maggie May, Sailing and Baby Jane. A quality night marred only slightly by the muffled sound of the vocals.
Coming onto the soul classic Love Train Rod Stewart set his stall for a night of greatest hits. No longer ‘Mr American Song Book’ he is now the comfortable old man of rock balladry. Dressed in Lame suits (which he changed regularly) he tore through a set which was a 2 hour pure greatest hits. From his 70’s success with Some Guys Have all The Luck to the 80’s glamour of Baby Jane – we even got glimpses of the rocker from his days with Ronnie Wood in The Faces in You Wear It Well and of course Maggie May. The sentimental numbers such as Have I Told you Lately and I Don’t Want to Talk about it came across well and but for some of the rockers Rod’s voice was lost behind the band. Not so for the final climax as he tore through classic such as the raunchy Hot Legs and of course the anthem made famous by the Ark Royal – Sailing. A quality evening of the set list the public wanted – a great send off – he claims he’ll be back – but end it on a high before the power of the voice has gone and just tarnishes the memory – but will vanity allow it?
Rod Stewart
LIVE O2 Dublin 31st July 2010
The final night of 3 sell out dates in Dublin, and the final night of the world tour, there was a celebratory atmosphere both with the full band and the largely female crowd. Clinical in his approach - Lame jacketed strutting around the stage in his usual pose - Rod and the band gave the aura of enjoying this last night of the tour. For much of the set the stage was full, with 3 pretty dancers and backing vocalists, as well as, to be expected, a cute band (of both sexes) including 2 drummers and 2 saxophonists put in a tight performance, but Rod’s vocals were especially low in the mix for the opener Love Train and Sam Cooke’s Having a party. That seemed not to be because he doesn’t have the voice in him anymore and more to do with the volume settings. But this didn’t stop if being a great night. Acoustic anthems such as Maggie May and The First Cut Is The Deepest sat comfortably alongside rockers such as Sweet Little Rock n Roller and Hot Legs. 5 big screens projecting Rods image and videos – and highlighting him getting through 3 suit changes – more than even the female backing vocalists managed! A near exact 2 hour set - nearly all the hits from his illustrious 40+ year career abounded (though no ‘Stay With Me’) – indeed it may have had a second encore in it – the crowd simply quietly left – before the lights came back up. That said everyone left happy, even those a little worse for wear, all humming ‘Baby Jane’.
Tracklisting: (Review to follow!)
1) Love Train
2) Tonight’s the Night
3) Some Guys Have All The Luck
4) You Wear It Well (Stewart/Wood)
5) Having A Party (Sam Cooke)
6) This Old Heart Of Mine
7) Rhythm of my heart
8) Downtown train
9) Drum interlude
10) Have I told you lately (that I love you)
11) It’s A Heartache (originally Bonnie Tyler)
12) Sweet Little Rock n roller
13) It Takes Two (Tina Turner Duet)
14) I Was only joking
Interlude
Part 2 - back out for ‘Soul Time’ – in a purple Lame suit
15) Same Old Song
16) A Rainy night in Georgia
17) Twisting the night away
18) If you think I’m sexy
19) Proud Mary (back vocalist) Rod Off
20) The First Cut Is The Deepest
21) I Don’t Wanna talk about it
22) You’re In My Heart (popular singalong)
23) Hot Legs
24) Maggie May
Encore
25) Sailing
26) Baby Jane
Michelle Shocked, Live in Whelans

Michelle Shocked,
Dublin, Whelans
30th July 2010
View: Centre Middle and seated. In the thick of it all.
Tonight Whelan’s hosted the immense talent of Michelle Shocked with an entourage of gifted Arkansas travellers, the Jim Chayka Trio. The intimate setting of this venue, seated for this evening, saw Michelle return for the first time since the release of last years Soul Of My Soul but this evening was more a celebration of the pending 20th anniversary of one of her classic albums Arkansas Traveller. That anniversary may still be 2 years away – but any excuse for a party was certainly Michelle’s view. Opening with a favourites set list she strolled her way through the classic Memories of East Texas and When I Grow Up plus an updated acoustic version of Graffiti Limbo. The surprise and unscheduled new track Other People (from the above mentioned Soul of my Soul) worked well – and was in keeping with the theme of justice and live and let live ethos. The Jim Chayka Trio (named for the evening) then came back out for a few small band numbers including Prodigal Daughter (Cotton Eyed Joe) and Woody’s Rag before a fantastic encore of Come A Long Way which even Michelle conceded was the highlight of the set. A cracking night with a woman on fine form.
Michelle Shocked
Live Whelans 30th July 2010
View: Centre, Middle. In the thick of it.
Michelle Shocked is a true folklorist – steeped in knowledge and traditon with a burning desire to learn more. Decked in her trade mark black hat and waistcoat she came out to host an evening of song and fun. She is clearly thriving in her personal life and the rediscovery of gospel music in recent years (ToHeavenUride).
The devastating strength of her performance and the sentiment she achieves alone should make Michelle Shocked an icon as large as Bruce Springsteen, but perhaps because of her gender she is often overlooked. Anthems like Anchorage and When I Grow Up are entertaining and timeless. Whilst poignant numbers like Memories of East Texas or Other People (from 2009’s Soul Of My Soul) are both harrowing in their insight and powerful in their observational qualities. Her confidence and maturity in acknowledging her influences – blending Graffiti limbo with the classic Midnight Special and moving smoothly between Come a Long way and the Supreme’s Stop In The name Of Love But also her own classic songs Prodigal Daughter (Cotton Eyed Joe) and Shaking Hand’s (Soldier’s Joy) will stand the test of time as classic folk ballads – with quality roots – but exceptionally talented additions made by the lady herself. Curiously she had the all pervading I Phone on countdown so you caught glimpses of how long before curfew but in true rock n rolls style she pushed it right to the wire – then stuck around well into the night talking and signing anything put in front of her.
Tracklisting.
1) Memories of East Texas
2) When I grow up
3) Graffiti Limbo (updated) (/Midnight Special)
4) Other People (Soul of my Soul)
5) Anchorage
6) Prodigal Daughter (Cotton Eyed Joe)
7) Over The Waterfall
8) Blackberry Blossom (Arkansas ….)
9) Shaking Hands (Soldiers Joy) (morphine)
10) Arkansas trad including Woody’s Rag
11) The L&M (Gene Ritchie)
12) Rebecca Howles Gets up ad performs ...
13) Quality of Mercy
14) If not here (with some great interaction with the crowd)
Encore
15) Come A Long Way (with Stop In The Name Of Love)
16) Strawberry Jam
17) Penny Evans (Accapella) Steve Goodman
Dublin, Whelans
30th July 2010
View: Centre Middle and seated. In the thick of it all.
Tonight Whelan’s hosted the immense talent of Michelle Shocked with an entourage of gifted Arkansas travellers, the Jim Chayka Trio. The intimate setting of this venue, seated for this evening, saw Michelle return for the first time since the release of last years Soul Of My Soul but this evening was more a celebration of the pending 20th anniversary of one of her classic albums Arkansas Traveller. That anniversary may still be 2 years away – but any excuse for a party was certainly Michelle’s view. Opening with a favourites set list she strolled her way through the classic Memories of East Texas and When I Grow Up plus an updated acoustic version of Graffiti Limbo. The surprise and unscheduled new track Other People (from the above mentioned Soul of my Soul) worked well – and was in keeping with the theme of justice and live and let live ethos. The Jim Chayka Trio (named for the evening) then came back out for a few small band numbers including Prodigal Daughter (Cotton Eyed Joe) and Woody’s Rag before a fantastic encore of Come A Long Way which even Michelle conceded was the highlight of the set. A cracking night with a woman on fine form.
Michelle Shocked
Live Whelans 30th July 2010
View: Centre, Middle. In the thick of it.
Michelle Shocked is a true folklorist – steeped in knowledge and traditon with a burning desire to learn more. Decked in her trade mark black hat and waistcoat she came out to host an evening of song and fun. She is clearly thriving in her personal life and the rediscovery of gospel music in recent years (ToHeavenUride).
The devastating strength of her performance and the sentiment she achieves alone should make Michelle Shocked an icon as large as Bruce Springsteen, but perhaps because of her gender she is often overlooked. Anthems like Anchorage and When I Grow Up are entertaining and timeless. Whilst poignant numbers like Memories of East Texas or Other People (from 2009’s Soul Of My Soul) are both harrowing in their insight and powerful in their observational qualities. Her confidence and maturity in acknowledging her influences – blending Graffiti limbo with the classic Midnight Special and moving smoothly between Come a Long way and the Supreme’s Stop In The name Of Love But also her own classic songs Prodigal Daughter (Cotton Eyed Joe) and Shaking Hand’s (Soldier’s Joy) will stand the test of time as classic folk ballads – with quality roots – but exceptionally talented additions made by the lady herself. Curiously she had the all pervading I Phone on countdown so you caught glimpses of how long before curfew but in true rock n rolls style she pushed it right to the wire – then stuck around well into the night talking and signing anything put in front of her.
Tracklisting.
1) Memories of East Texas
2) When I grow up
3) Graffiti Limbo (updated) (/Midnight Special)
4) Other People (Soul of my Soul)
5) Anchorage
6) Prodigal Daughter (Cotton Eyed Joe)
7) Over The Waterfall
8) Blackberry Blossom (Arkansas ….)
9) Shaking Hands (Soldiers Joy) (morphine)
10) Arkansas trad including Woody’s Rag
11) The L&M (Gene Ritchie)
12) Rebecca Howles Gets up ad performs ...
13) Quality of Mercy
14) If not here (with some great interaction with the crowd)
Encore
15) Come A Long Way (with Stop In The Name Of Love)
16) Strawberry Jam
17) Penny Evans (Accapella) Steve Goodman
Alison O'Donnell with Bajik

Alison O'Donnell and BAJIK
Crawdaddy, 21 July 2010
It may have been a long time since Mellow Candle (http://www.myspace.com/mllwcndl) played Dublin but Wednesday night saw a former member of the oft overlooked late 60’s early 70’s Irish progressive folk rockers perform to a poorly attended Crawdaddy. Alison O’Donnell (http://www.alisonodonnell.com/) recently ranted to Irish newspaper about the lack of coverage Mellow Candle receive in their home country compared to their current revival (of sorts) in US and mainland Britain. Her former band, who toured with the Chieftains amongst others and received praise from John Peel, have more recently been name checked by Devendra Banhart. Tonight she herself looked radiant and, despite a hesitant start, seemed to enjoy performing. It took 3 or 4 tracks for the band, Bajik, to really gel – though glimpses of how great Alison O’Donnell’s voice is, was confirmed early on with ‘Fires Down Under’.
The unreleased track ‘Dog With a Lion’s Mane’ was a real rocker and showed the direction the band are heading in – away from the perhaps more twee Anglo-folk of Mellow Candle. That said the lively and upbeat ‘Dated but Still Lovely’ was a great upbeat reminder of her own obvious talents.
Also featured were tracks she has performed more recently with Owl Service, including Nico's 'Frozen Warnings' as well as Mellow Candle’s own ‘Messenger Birds’. Overall a pleasant and intimate evening’s folk rock.
1) Harbour Boy
2) Pointed Thinking Cap
3) Fires Down Under
4) Bird In A Cage
5) Sparking the Flame
6) Dated But Still Lovely
7) Come Unto Me
8) Dog With A Lions Mane (A Rocker) new song
9) Messenger Birds
10) The Plant and The Page (led Zep 3)
11) Frozen Warnings (Nico)
12) Seals In The Sand
13) Songs Of The Gael
14) The Flight of the Valiant Earls
Crawdaddy, 21 July 2010
It may have been a long time since Mellow Candle (http://www.myspace.com/mllwcndl) played Dublin but Wednesday night saw a former member of the oft overlooked late 60’s early 70’s Irish progressive folk rockers perform to a poorly attended Crawdaddy. Alison O’Donnell (http://www.alisonodonnell.com/) recently ranted to Irish newspaper about the lack of coverage Mellow Candle receive in their home country compared to their current revival (of sorts) in US and mainland Britain. Her former band, who toured with the Chieftains amongst others and received praise from John Peel, have more recently been name checked by Devendra Banhart. Tonight she herself looked radiant and, despite a hesitant start, seemed to enjoy performing. It took 3 or 4 tracks for the band, Bajik, to really gel – though glimpses of how great Alison O’Donnell’s voice is, was confirmed early on with ‘Fires Down Under’.
The unreleased track ‘Dog With a Lion’s Mane’ was a real rocker and showed the direction the band are heading in – away from the perhaps more twee Anglo-folk of Mellow Candle. That said the lively and upbeat ‘Dated but Still Lovely’ was a great upbeat reminder of her own obvious talents.
Also featured were tracks she has performed more recently with Owl Service, including Nico's 'Frozen Warnings' as well as Mellow Candle’s own ‘Messenger Birds’. Overall a pleasant and intimate evening’s folk rock.
1) Harbour Boy
2) Pointed Thinking Cap
3) Fires Down Under
4) Bird In A Cage
5) Sparking the Flame
6) Dated But Still Lovely
7) Come Unto Me
8) Dog With A Lions Mane (A Rocker) new song
9) Messenger Birds
10) The Plant and The Page (led Zep 3)
11) Frozen Warnings (Nico)
12) Seals In The Sand
13) Songs Of The Gael
14) The Flight of the Valiant Earls
Costello Wants You ..... Live in Glasgae. See You Elvis.

Elvis Costello and the Sugarcanes
Live Royal Concert Hall Glasgow 2nd July 2010
The Swinging guitar man (see left... and i thought that was the other Elvis)
This must be Elvis Costello’s most understated tour. Little promotion and no interviews led, somewhat disappointingly, to a half full Concert Hall. Fortunately though, for those there this did not detract in any way from the Sugarcanes set which was thorough and certainly covered the full Elvis Costello chronology. Old sat alongside unreleased tracks from the most next Sugarcanes album. All of which were met with equally enthusiastic applause. The bawdy and rowdy climax of ‘Sulphur to Sugarcane’ was an appropriate number. A fragile and sincere version of ‘Everyday I Write The Book’, given a country take, highlighted how versatile Costello’s songs can be. But the outstanding highlight for the whole audience, nearly to a person, was a mesmerising version of the haunting ‘I Want You’. We were treated to a less country and more menacing blues approach with reverb and fantastic use of echo. This version of a classic song was completely justified for prompting a full standing ovation from the whole crowd. Whilst it was a great set – including many more hits (‘Alison’, ‘Shipbuilding’ and of course ‘Oliver’s Army’ being one of the popular ones) that song alone was truly extraordinary and showed that whatever style of music Costello chooses, ultimately he still has the X factor.
Setlist
Elvis Costello and the SugarKanes Live Royal Concert Hall Glasgow 2nd July 2010
1) Mystery Train
2) Blame it on Cain
3) Down amongst the wines and spirits
4) New Amsterdam / Hide Your Love away
5) It Was A Good Year For The Roses
6) Condemned Man
7) Complicated Shadows
8) Red Shoes
9) The Delivery man
10) The Forgotten man
11) Slow drag with Josephine (“rock n roll for 1921”)
12) Little Palaces
13) Friends with the devils (Jerry Garcia) Friend of the Devil – Grateful Dead
14) Everyday I write the book
15) Don’t lie to me
Encore
16) Psycho
17) Sally Sue Brown (Arthur Alexander)
18) I Want You
19) Olivers Army
20) Shipbulding
21) Whats so funny about Peace Love and Understanding
22) The spell that you cast
23) Sulphar to sugarcane
24) Alison
25) Happy
A mesmerising version of I Want you with echo and reverb put to good effect. Unquestionably one of the highlight tracks of my entire life and experience of going to gigs!!
Live Royal Concert Hall Glasgow 2nd July 2010
The Swinging guitar man (see left... and i thought that was the other Elvis)
This must be Elvis Costello’s most understated tour. Little promotion and no interviews led, somewhat disappointingly, to a half full Concert Hall. Fortunately though, for those there this did not detract in any way from the Sugarcanes set which was thorough and certainly covered the full Elvis Costello chronology. Old sat alongside unreleased tracks from the most next Sugarcanes album. All of which were met with equally enthusiastic applause. The bawdy and rowdy climax of ‘Sulphur to Sugarcane’ was an appropriate number. A fragile and sincere version of ‘Everyday I Write The Book’, given a country take, highlighted how versatile Costello’s songs can be. But the outstanding highlight for the whole audience, nearly to a person, was a mesmerising version of the haunting ‘I Want You’. We were treated to a less country and more menacing blues approach with reverb and fantastic use of echo. This version of a classic song was completely justified for prompting a full standing ovation from the whole crowd. Whilst it was a great set – including many more hits (‘Alison’, ‘Shipbuilding’ and of course ‘Oliver’s Army’ being one of the popular ones) that song alone was truly extraordinary and showed that whatever style of music Costello chooses, ultimately he still has the X factor.
Setlist
Elvis Costello and the SugarKanes Live Royal Concert Hall Glasgow 2nd July 2010
1) Mystery Train
2) Blame it on Cain
3) Down amongst the wines and spirits
4) New Amsterdam / Hide Your Love away
5) It Was A Good Year For The Roses
6) Condemned Man
7) Complicated Shadows
8) Red Shoes
9) The Delivery man
10) The Forgotten man
11) Slow drag with Josephine (“rock n roll for 1921”)
12) Little Palaces
13) Friends with the devils (Jerry Garcia) Friend of the Devil – Grateful Dead
14) Everyday I write the book
15) Don’t lie to me
Encore
16) Psycho
17) Sally Sue Brown (Arthur Alexander)
18) I Want You
19) Olivers Army
20) Shipbulding
21) Whats so funny about Peace Love and Understanding
22) The spell that you cast
23) Sulphar to sugarcane
24) Alison
25) Happy
A mesmerising version of I Want you with echo and reverb put to good effect. Unquestionably one of the highlight tracks of my entire life and experience of going to gigs!!
COSTELLO, the sharp dressed man, and The Treacle smooth of the Sugarcanes. Live In Dublin

Dublin setlist below. Full review - see www.suite101.com Link to follow!
Live Vicar St Dublin 1st July 2010
1) Mystery Train
2) Blame it on Cain
3) Down Amongst the Wine and Spirits
4) New Amsterdam / Hide your love away
5) A Good Year For The Roses
6) Condemned Man (new song about death row)
7) Complicated Shadows
8) Red Shoes
9) The Delivery Man
10) The Forgotten Man
11) Slow drag with Josephine
12) Little Palaces
13) Friend of the Devil
14) Everyday I write the book (slowed down but with a country lilt)
15) Don’t Lie To Me
Encore
16) Girl Talk
17) The Spell That You Cast (50’s rock n roll or beach boys doo wop)
18) Lake of Sugarkane ?
19) Sulphur to sugarcane
20) Mystery dance
21) ???
22) Alison
23) Shipbuilding
24) (What’s so funny about) Peace Love and understanding
25) Last Companion
26) Happy
27) The Race is on / the winner loses all
28) American Without Tears
Live Vicar St Dublin 1st July 2010
1) Mystery Train
2) Blame it on Cain
3) Down Amongst the Wine and Spirits
4) New Amsterdam / Hide your love away
5) A Good Year For The Roses
6) Condemned Man (new song about death row)
7) Complicated Shadows
8) Red Shoes
9) The Delivery Man
10) The Forgotten Man
11) Slow drag with Josephine
12) Little Palaces
13) Friend of the Devil
14) Everyday I write the book (slowed down but with a country lilt)
15) Don’t Lie To Me
Encore
16) Girl Talk
17) The Spell That You Cast (50’s rock n roll or beach boys doo wop)
18) Lake of Sugarkane ?
19) Sulphur to sugarcane
20) Mystery dance
21) ???
22) Alison
23) Shipbuilding
24) (What’s so funny about) Peace Love and understanding
25) Last Companion
26) Happy
27) The Race is on / the winner loses all
28) American Without Tears
C'est Chic, Le Freak!
Chic,
Dublin Live Tripod
Saturday 29th May 2010
The Chic Organisation’s main anchor man, Nile Rodgers, loves playing live. He may shine in the studio writing or producing hits for David Bowie, Sister Sledge and Diana Ross, amongst many others, but he still thrived on the adulation of this Dublin crowd. Even out shaking hands before the set he is in buoyant mood. His set list reads like a ‘name the missing tune’ of the entire history of disco and beyond. This second night capacity crowd in the Tripod saw the Chic Organisation come on in celebratory mood and tore through a selection of immediately recognizable hits from the ‘70’s ‘80’s and beyond. Despite some question marks on the sound quality the previous night the band were crystal clear. Indeed the crispness of guitar in particular was amazing. Starting with the classic disco anthems ‘Everybody Dance’ and ‘Dance, Dance, Dance’ fulfilled their titles aim and got the crowd moving. My own personal fear was Rodgers was firing his big guns too early. Concerns that proved unfounded. There was still space for a generous medley (nearly full songs) of tracks he wrote and produced for Diana Ross (‘I’m Coming Out’ and ‘Upside down’) followed by Sister Sledge (‘He’s The Greatest Dancer’ and ‘We Are Family’). His claim that he wrote and produced all the hits tonight was slightly disingenuous – his back-to-back numbers of ‘Like A Virgin’ and ‘Let’s Dance’ were originally mainly him on the knobs: how much he contributed to the writing is open to interpretation.
Without a hint of arrogance, just assurance of his part in the greatest disco and dance songs of the 20th century, he then reminded everyone of the inescapable anthems he crafted: ‘Le Freak’ followed by ‘Good Times’ one of the most sampled tracks ever. His live version of ‘Good Times’ was updated to include the Sugar Hill rap interlude – a non-conceited acknowledgement of the importance and greatness of the song, possibly in improved form.
A great evenings entertainment, even the most intransigent men with feet firmly nailed to the floor couldn’t help but be moved to dance.
Highlight track - Close call between Le Freak, or Good Times.
Chic: Looks Cheesy, tastes perfect!

Chic,
Dublin Live Tripod
Saturday 29th May 2010
View: Centre, Middle. By mixing desk
Dublin played host to two sell out shows for Nile Rodger’s ‘Chic Organisation’, acting as a fitting climax to a successful European tour. Rodgers and the band, clearly loved both the adulation of this keen crowd and playing live in general. Their set list was an unadulterated celebration of his and Bernard Edwards’ skills as song writers and producers. Their main strengths undoubtedly lay in the genre of disco, which made up the bulk of Chic Organistion’s set, but not exclusively. Tonight’s set included hits upon which Rodgers also played production duties, including David Bowie’s ‘Let’s Dance’ and Madonna’s ‘Like A Virgin’. Whilst these were well executed interludes – the crowds main passion was dancing to the Disco hits: ‘We Are Family’ and ‘Without Love’ certainly enlivened this party orientated audience. But the climax of ‘Le Freak’ and ‘Good Times’ (including a Rapper’s Delight interlude) ensured this exuberant crowd left the party dancing.
Track listing
1) Everybody Dance
2) Dance, Dance, Dance
3) ??? Acapella ?
4) I Want Your Love
5) Medley: I’m Coming Out / Upside down / Greatest Dancer / We Are Family
6) Soup For One
7) Spacer
8) Like A Virgin
9) Without Love
10) Let’s Dance
11) ? (Chic Cheer?)
12) Le Freak
13) Good Times
Dublin Live Tripod
Saturday 29th May 2010
View: Centre, Middle. By mixing desk
Dublin played host to two sell out shows for Nile Rodger’s ‘Chic Organisation’, acting as a fitting climax to a successful European tour. Rodgers and the band, clearly loved both the adulation of this keen crowd and playing live in general. Their set list was an unadulterated celebration of his and Bernard Edwards’ skills as song writers and producers. Their main strengths undoubtedly lay in the genre of disco, which made up the bulk of Chic Organistion’s set, but not exclusively. Tonight’s set included hits upon which Rodgers also played production duties, including David Bowie’s ‘Let’s Dance’ and Madonna’s ‘Like A Virgin’. Whilst these were well executed interludes – the crowds main passion was dancing to the Disco hits: ‘We Are Family’ and ‘Without Love’ certainly enlivened this party orientated audience. But the climax of ‘Le Freak’ and ‘Good Times’ (including a Rapper’s Delight interlude) ensured this exuberant crowd left the party dancing.
Track listing
1) Everybody Dance
2) Dance, Dance, Dance
3) ??? Acapella ?
4) I Want Your Love
5) Medley: I’m Coming Out / Upside down / Greatest Dancer / We Are Family
6) Soup For One
7) Spacer
8) Like A Virgin
9) Without Love
10) Let’s Dance
11) ? (Chic Cheer?)
12) Le Freak
13) Good Times
Dan Sartain, Live and most of 'Lives'!

Dan Sartain
Dublin, Space 54
View: front middle.
Rockabilly blues beanpole Dan Sartain gave this tiny, trendy, bequiffed Dublin crowd an exciting late night of great fifties style rock ‘n’ roll with his insecure fragile lyrics and power driving bass lines. The crowd seemed apathetic at best for the first 5/6 tracks – all from the yet to be released Lives album, but very much came alive for the second half and older better known tracks like ‘Perverted Justice’ and ‘Hungry End’.
Sartain consciously nurtures a kind of Johnny Cash with punk attitude and image; this persona only slipped at the beginning of the second half of the set with just Dan and acoustic guitar, which held the crowd enthralled. It highlighted just how strong his early work such as ‘The World Is Gonna Break Your Little Heart’ and ‘Besa Me Mucho’ are. However, equally exciting were the full trio version of the rocking ‘P.C.B. 98’. Overall a short, intense set ensured that this small crowd enjoyed a great night, with a distinctly touching acoustic interlude.
Dublin, Space 54
View: front middle.
Rockabilly blues beanpole Dan Sartain gave this tiny, trendy, bequiffed Dublin crowd an exciting late night of great fifties style rock ‘n’ roll with his insecure fragile lyrics and power driving bass lines. The crowd seemed apathetic at best for the first 5/6 tracks – all from the yet to be released Lives album, but very much came alive for the second half and older better known tracks like ‘Perverted Justice’ and ‘Hungry End’.
Sartain consciously nurtures a kind of Johnny Cash with punk attitude and image; this persona only slipped at the beginning of the second half of the set with just Dan and acoustic guitar, which held the crowd enthralled. It highlighted just how strong his early work such as ‘The World Is Gonna Break Your Little Heart’ and ‘Besa Me Mucho’ are. However, equally exciting were the full trio version of the rocking ‘P.C.B. 98’. Overall a short, intense set ensured that this small crowd enjoyed a great night, with a distinctly touching acoustic interlude.
How does one ascertain!

Dan Sartain Live
Space 54
Friday 21st May
The curious setting of Smithfield’s Space54, based in a community and work shop Arts centre, was given over for the night to a BYO party. Appropriate given the party atmosphere of much of Dan Sartain’s music. A small crowd gathered for this evening’s gig, some of whom knew nothing of him, others devotedly aware of his back catalogue.
The gangly frame of the lead singer and guitarist, complete with well oiled, quiffed hair and permanent sunglasses, looked like a slim Elvis on speed. The dirty gritty bass line running through all the electric tracks was exhilarating, but early on the shindig’s ambience played second fiddle to an air of catch up; starting late the trio (Sartian, bassist and drummer) appeared to be racing through his set like men on a mission. Storming on with what may yet become an anthem ‘I Don’t Wanna Go To The Party’, this was followed by nearly all the strong tracks from Lives, including the main single ‘Atheist Funeral’. They blistered their way through tracks from the as yet unreleased album including ‘Yes Men’ and ‘Voodoo’, which seemed naïve given that it isn’t generally available yet. However, after a slight interval (or was that a staged encore of sorts?) Sartain returned more relaxed for a couple of acoustic songs. The intimacy of the crowd nearly hanging over him when he was alone on stage with just an acoustic guitar gave an intense, claustrophobic, but immensely satisfying moment. The innate intimate frailty of ‘The World Is Gonna Break Your Little Heart’ was shattering live. The trio then regrouped for a few more gritty numbers, including the thumping ‘P.C.B. 98’. Overall it was a great evening and a celebration of some good time rock ‘n’ roll party music, given an added depth by Sartain’s acoustic interlude.
Very rough track listing
1) I don’t wanna go t the party
2) Athiest Funeral
3) Voodooo
4) Yes men
5) Your pray ? (set to ‘people are strange’ Doors riff)
6) ?
7) ?
8) ?
9) I’ve got my
10) ?
11) Like Criminals (Crowd livened up)
12) Perverted Justice
13) Don’t expect me to turn it all around ? (Product of the feast?) ??
14) This World Is Gonna Break Your Little Heart -request
15) Besa Me Mucho -request
16) P.C.B. 98
17) Hangers On
18) I Got A Crush on you
19) Hungry End
Highlit track by a long shot? The World Is Gonna Break Your Little Heart
Highlight Track – ‘The World Is Gonna Break Your Little Heart’
Space 54
Friday 21st May
The curious setting of Smithfield’s Space54, based in a community and work shop Arts centre, was given over for the night to a BYO party. Appropriate given the party atmosphere of much of Dan Sartain’s music. A small crowd gathered for this evening’s gig, some of whom knew nothing of him, others devotedly aware of his back catalogue.
The gangly frame of the lead singer and guitarist, complete with well oiled, quiffed hair and permanent sunglasses, looked like a slim Elvis on speed. The dirty gritty bass line running through all the electric tracks was exhilarating, but early on the shindig’s ambience played second fiddle to an air of catch up; starting late the trio (Sartian, bassist and drummer) appeared to be racing through his set like men on a mission. Storming on with what may yet become an anthem ‘I Don’t Wanna Go To The Party’, this was followed by nearly all the strong tracks from Lives, including the main single ‘Atheist Funeral’. They blistered their way through tracks from the as yet unreleased album including ‘Yes Men’ and ‘Voodoo’, which seemed naïve given that it isn’t generally available yet. However, after a slight interval (or was that a staged encore of sorts?) Sartain returned more relaxed for a couple of acoustic songs. The intimacy of the crowd nearly hanging over him when he was alone on stage with just an acoustic guitar gave an intense, claustrophobic, but immensely satisfying moment. The innate intimate frailty of ‘The World Is Gonna Break Your Little Heart’ was shattering live. The trio then regrouped for a few more gritty numbers, including the thumping ‘P.C.B. 98’. Overall it was a great evening and a celebration of some good time rock ‘n’ roll party music, given an added depth by Sartain’s acoustic interlude.
Very rough track listing
1) I don’t wanna go t the party
2) Athiest Funeral
3) Voodooo
4) Yes men
5) Your pray ? (set to ‘people are strange’ Doors riff)
6) ?
7) ?
8) ?
9) I’ve got my
10) ?
11) Like Criminals (Crowd livened up)
12) Perverted Justice
13) Don’t expect me to turn it all around ? (Product of the feast?) ??
14) This World Is Gonna Break Your Little Heart -request
15) Besa Me Mucho -request
16) P.C.B. 98
17) Hangers On
18) I Got A Crush on you
19) Hungry End
Highlit track by a long shot? The World Is Gonna Break Your Little Heart
Highlight Track – ‘The World Is Gonna Break Your Little Heart’
The last time this man was seen on stage with a banjo? .....
If one more person calls him 'Mr American Pie' I will scream!

Don McLean Live
Dublin, Grand Canal Theatre
9th May 2010
View: Off Centre, middle
The genius singer songwriter came on with his now regular Buddy Holly medley, followed by a cross section of his own songs. At points it felt like McLean was going through his contractual obligations early on - as he himself caustically stated! But then as if to prove he still had it, he gave a haunting rendition of ‘Empty Chairs’ (itself famously inspirational). Whether it was the new venue or McLean’s own performance the overall set was somewhat subdued, despite the fact that he did tick all the boxes.
The crowd politely cheered the ‘other’ song that established him in Ireland, ‘The Mountains Of Mourne’: A haunting folk song about loneliness on the streets of London and the abandonment of one’s homeland (a staple in his Irish set for decades!) There was also a great little anecdote about the Grammy’s and the after show party which prompted a Johnny Cash cover (‘Ancient History’) and of course Roy Orbison’s ‘Crying’, a song he has made his own.
As early as was practically possible he removed the albatross around his neck with his ‘Madonna song’ (‘American Pie’) and of course ‘Vincent’ as well, before an inevitable encore. But despite a few highlights it was the final track that saved the entire evening, an evocative and mesmerising rendition of the Dylan classic ‘Masters Of War’, performed solo with just banjo. An amazing climax to an otherwise mediocre set.
Tracklsiting
1) Buddy Holly Medley – incl. It’s Alright
2) Winterwood
3) And I Love Her So
4) Love In MY heart
5) Supermans Ghost
6) Homeless Brother
7) Empty Chairs
8) Genesis (In The Beginning) ??
9) That’s All Right, Mama
10)Keys to the Kingdom
11)Mountains of Mourne
12)Tulsa Time
13)Ancient History (J Cash)
14)Cryin
15)Jerusalem
16) … don’t believe
17)American Pie
18)American Pie Encore
19)Vincent
20)Castles in the Air
21)City Boy ?? ??
22)Masters of War (Banjo)
Highlight track - Masters of War - by a country mile!
Dublin, Grand Canal Theatre
9th May 2010
View: Off Centre, middle
The genius singer songwriter came on with his now regular Buddy Holly medley, followed by a cross section of his own songs. At points it felt like McLean was going through his contractual obligations early on - as he himself caustically stated! But then as if to prove he still had it, he gave a haunting rendition of ‘Empty Chairs’ (itself famously inspirational). Whether it was the new venue or McLean’s own performance the overall set was somewhat subdued, despite the fact that he did tick all the boxes.
The crowd politely cheered the ‘other’ song that established him in Ireland, ‘The Mountains Of Mourne’: A haunting folk song about loneliness on the streets of London and the abandonment of one’s homeland (a staple in his Irish set for decades!) There was also a great little anecdote about the Grammy’s and the after show party which prompted a Johnny Cash cover (‘Ancient History’) and of course Roy Orbison’s ‘Crying’, a song he has made his own.
As early as was practically possible he removed the albatross around his neck with his ‘Madonna song’ (‘American Pie’) and of course ‘Vincent’ as well, before an inevitable encore. But despite a few highlights it was the final track that saved the entire evening, an evocative and mesmerising rendition of the Dylan classic ‘Masters Of War’, performed solo with just banjo. An amazing climax to an otherwise mediocre set.
Tracklsiting
1) Buddy Holly Medley – incl. It’s Alright
2) Winterwood
3) And I Love Her So
4) Love In MY heart
5) Supermans Ghost
6) Homeless Brother
7) Empty Chairs
8) Genesis (In The Beginning) ??
9) That’s All Right, Mama
10)Keys to the Kingdom
11)Mountains of Mourne
12)Tulsa Time
13)Ancient History (J Cash)
14)Cryin
15)Jerusalem
16) … don’t believe
17)American Pie
18)American Pie Encore
19)Vincent
20)Castles in the Air
21)City Boy ?? ??
22)Masters of War (Banjo)
Highlight track - Masters of War - by a country mile!
Slit here

The Slits
Dublin, Crawdaddy
6th May 2010
View: Off centre, middle, but free to wander anywhere!
The shambolic but loveable reformed Slits came to Dublin with their peculiar brand of feminine reggae punk. The very small crowd led Ari Up (complete with flamboyant headpiece) to declare ‘we could be hippies in here it’s so quiet’. Their sound is, at points, abrasive punk with a healthy dose of harsh gritty reggae. With Tessa (Pollitt, Original member) on bass and Paul Cook’s daughter (Hollie) on keyboard they are a mix of punk old and new. But they also knew their audience; a healthy selection from their 1979 classic ‘Cut’ were in abundance. ‘New Town’ opened the set, whilst ‘Shoplifting’ and ‘Typical Girls’ received loud cheers of recognition. However, amazingly, new tracks like the bitter ‘Partner from Hell’ and the saucy ‘Lazy Slam’ (”Don’t wake me, just take me”!) firmly held their own. The predictable climax of ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’ and ‘Babylon’ proved popular but the crowd got an extra bargain as Ari Up came back out and gave a retake of ‘FM’ as well as a short acapella set. These resurrection tours may not be likely to garner them a massive pension, but their set and songs are as fresh (and timely) as when they were released. Surely if it wasn’t for bands like the Slits and X-Ray Specs it is unlikely you would have modern artists like Fulham fan Lily Allen.
Track listing
1) New Town
2) Partner from hell
3) Grown Ups
4) Shoplifting
5) Typical Girls
6) Fade Away
7) Lazy Slam (Don’t wake me Just take me)
8) Cry
9) F.M.
10) I Heard It Through The Grapevine
11) Reject
12) Vindictive
13) Babylon
14) FM
Highlight track - amazingly one of the new tracks - 'Lazy Slam' !
Dublin, Crawdaddy
6th May 2010
View: Off centre, middle, but free to wander anywhere!
The shambolic but loveable reformed Slits came to Dublin with their peculiar brand of feminine reggae punk. The very small crowd led Ari Up (complete with flamboyant headpiece) to declare ‘we could be hippies in here it’s so quiet’. Their sound is, at points, abrasive punk with a healthy dose of harsh gritty reggae. With Tessa (Pollitt, Original member) on bass and Paul Cook’s daughter (Hollie) on keyboard they are a mix of punk old and new. But they also knew their audience; a healthy selection from their 1979 classic ‘Cut’ were in abundance. ‘New Town’ opened the set, whilst ‘Shoplifting’ and ‘Typical Girls’ received loud cheers of recognition. However, amazingly, new tracks like the bitter ‘Partner from Hell’ and the saucy ‘Lazy Slam’ (”Don’t wake me, just take me”!) firmly held their own. The predictable climax of ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’ and ‘Babylon’ proved popular but the crowd got an extra bargain as Ari Up came back out and gave a retake of ‘FM’ as well as a short acapella set. These resurrection tours may not be likely to garner them a massive pension, but their set and songs are as fresh (and timely) as when they were released. Surely if it wasn’t for bands like the Slits and X-Ray Specs it is unlikely you would have modern artists like Fulham fan Lily Allen.
Track listing
1) New Town
2) Partner from hell
3) Grown Ups
4) Shoplifting
5) Typical Girls
6) Fade Away
7) Lazy Slam (Don’t wake me Just take me)
8) Cry
9) F.M.
10) I Heard It Through The Grapevine
11) Reject
12) Vindictive
13) Babylon
14) FM
Highlight track - amazingly one of the new tracks - 'Lazy Slam' !
Blown away, by stornoway.

Stornoway
Crawdaddy
16th April 2010-04-16
Like troubled diva Whitney Houston, the Oxford Quartet Stornoway were not to be confined by this week’s volcanic dust clouds (or was that the Celtic trophy cabinet being cleaned?). They came to Dublin to a warm, receptive crowd (including a number of their proud family members). With not even an album release to their name yet (they signed to 4AD last month) it is fair to say that the majority of tonight’s Crawdaddy crowd were here based upon Stornoway’s performance on Later with Jools Holland earlier in the year. Their waifish, very English nasal vocal and light folk is reminiscent of Noah and The Whale, whilst the trendy use of the banjo in the vein of Mumford and Sons, is of the moment.
Their opener, ‘We Are The Human Battery’, with its witty observations on modern society, was a great ice-breaker before launching into the better known recent single – the absorbing ‘I Saw You Blink’. Their sound is intricate pop folk in the style of university angst laden intense chin strokers, but it is really brought above the mundane by the unusual and distinctive voice of lead singer Brian Briggs.
Part way through the set the truly exceptional song (and surely the next single?) ‘Fuel Up’ proved a popular choice with the crowd. Although Brigg’s brother (and trumpeter) was unable to make it over for the gig, they did have fifth member, violin player Rahul, at their disposal and put his sound to good use in ‘Cold Harbour Lane’.
The inevitable encore – surprisingly and effectively with the sound system off and just acoustic – added to the intensity of the evening, but as the lead singer himself conceded, it was depressing that their cover of Black Box’s ‘Ride On Time’ received the biggest cheer of the night.
Whilst this is not going to set the world alight, they proved popular and their talent shone through which will garner support for their debut album – due out next month.
Highlight track - Fuel Up!
Crawdaddy
16th April 2010-04-16
Like troubled diva Whitney Houston, the Oxford Quartet Stornoway were not to be confined by this week’s volcanic dust clouds (or was that the Celtic trophy cabinet being cleaned?). They came to Dublin to a warm, receptive crowd (including a number of their proud family members). With not even an album release to their name yet (they signed to 4AD last month) it is fair to say that the majority of tonight’s Crawdaddy crowd were here based upon Stornoway’s performance on Later with Jools Holland earlier in the year. Their waifish, very English nasal vocal and light folk is reminiscent of Noah and The Whale, whilst the trendy use of the banjo in the vein of Mumford and Sons, is of the moment.
Their opener, ‘We Are The Human Battery’, with its witty observations on modern society, was a great ice-breaker before launching into the better known recent single – the absorbing ‘I Saw You Blink’. Their sound is intricate pop folk in the style of university angst laden intense chin strokers, but it is really brought above the mundane by the unusual and distinctive voice of lead singer Brian Briggs.
Part way through the set the truly exceptional song (and surely the next single?) ‘Fuel Up’ proved a popular choice with the crowd. Although Brigg’s brother (and trumpeter) was unable to make it over for the gig, they did have fifth member, violin player Rahul, at their disposal and put his sound to good use in ‘Cold Harbour Lane’.
The inevitable encore – surprisingly and effectively with the sound system off and just acoustic – added to the intensity of the evening, but as the lead singer himself conceded, it was depressing that their cover of Black Box’s ‘Ride On Time’ received the biggest cheer of the night.
Whilst this is not going to set the world alight, they proved popular and their talent shone through which will garner support for their debut album – due out next month.
Highlight track - Fuel Up!
Stornoway, not the Scottish version, the Oxford one, stupid!

Stornoway
Crawdaddy
16th April 2010-04-16
View: All over the small venue!
On the eve of Record Store Day, the up and coming folk/pop quartet Stornoway played an excellent intimate set at Dublin’s Crawdaddy. Following a popular performance on Jools Holland they whetted the audience’s appetite for the release of their debut album later in the year with some excellent self penned numbers including the haunting ‘Fuel Up’ and the single ‘I Saw You Blink’ (available, naturally, on 7” at the gig). The loudest cheer, but not necessarily the best song, was for their acoustic version of Black Box’s ‘Ride On Time’. However their own tracks, especially ‘Zorbing’ and the previously mentioned ‘Fuel Up’ certainly stood up for this sympathetic crowd. An excellent evening of song from this shy retiring set of Oxford musicians.
James Masterson
Track listing:
1) We Are The Battery Humans
2) I Saw You Blink
3) Fuel Up
4) Cold Harbour Road
5) Here Comes The Black Out
6) Clock ??
7) On The Rocks
8) Zorbing
9) (Monday night in june, should be sleeping ? still don’t feel)
10) ? Bouncing down the hall>? (for the drinkers in the audience)
Encore
11) Ride On Time
12) ???
Crawdaddy
16th April 2010-04-16
View: All over the small venue!
On the eve of Record Store Day, the up and coming folk/pop quartet Stornoway played an excellent intimate set at Dublin’s Crawdaddy. Following a popular performance on Jools Holland they whetted the audience’s appetite for the release of their debut album later in the year with some excellent self penned numbers including the haunting ‘Fuel Up’ and the single ‘I Saw You Blink’ (available, naturally, on 7” at the gig). The loudest cheer, but not necessarily the best song, was for their acoustic version of Black Box’s ‘Ride On Time’. However their own tracks, especially ‘Zorbing’ and the previously mentioned ‘Fuel Up’ certainly stood up for this sympathetic crowd. An excellent evening of song from this shy retiring set of Oxford musicians.
James Masterson
Track listing:
1) We Are The Battery Humans
2) I Saw You Blink
3) Fuel Up
4) Cold Harbour Road
5) Here Comes The Black Out
6) Clock ??
7) On The Rocks
8) Zorbing
9) (Monday night in june, should be sleeping ? still don’t feel)
10) ? Bouncing down the hall>? (for the drinkers in the audience)
Encore
11) Ride On Time
12) ???
Dolls Live

The NewYork Dolls
The Academy
20th April 2010
View: Centre front.
The punk pioneers returned to Dublin for another night of mirth and great rock ‘n’ roll music. Their sound is still a curious but terribly beautiful melee of The Shangri-Las and the embryo of punk. Tonight they blasted on stage with a storming rendition of ‘Looking for a Kiss’, a popular choice. However the mid set rendition of ‘Private World’ was greeted with little more than apathy and ambivalence. Unlike in London’s Koko the night before, the Dublin date featured no tribute to recently deceased Malcolm McLaren, though not surprisingly the set did feature the now standard tribute to Johnny Thunders ‘You Can’t Put Your Arms Around a Memory’, leading into ‘Lonely Planet Boy’.
Stronger new tracks like ‘We Are All In Love’ and ‘Dance Like A Monkey’ featured and were warmly received, proving the new albums certainly still have some of the old magic. Though there were some curious omissions, ‘Human Being’ the most obvious. Overall a great set from the living legends, who seem to enjoy their new found status – and the success of great songs new and old.
1) Looking For a Kiss
2) Cos I Sez So
3) We r In Love
4) Private World
5) No business? No boy got no business
6) My boy?
7) Mystery Girls (Sylvain intro and Drum solo)
8) Dance Like a Monkey
9) Gotta Get Away from ? ..
10) You Can’t Put Your Arms around a memory
11) Lonley Planet Boy
12) Pills
13) Bo Diddley
14) Trash (both versions)
15) Jet Boy
Encore
16) Personality Crisis
New York's Finest

The NewYork Dolls
The Academy
20th April 2010
Old School BBC Disc Jockey ‘Whispering’ Bob Harris famously laughed and called them ‘Mock Rock’ – but they were ahead of their time. That was some thirty seven years ago. They opened tonight’s set with their classic anthem from the time ‘Looking for a Kiss’ and didn’t let up for the whole evening.
Curiously, despite it being a small crowd of presumably devoted fans, older classics like ‘Private World’ were greeted with only muted applause and the tribute to recently deceased Malcolm McLaren on the English date didn’t seem to travel across the water. Instead Johansen light-heartedly berated Irish Existentialism midway through the set! Unfortunately at points it felt like just ‘another night of the tour’: ironically it wasn’t until the 2006 single ‘Dance like a Monkey’, exactly half way through the set, that the small crowd itself visibly came alive. Though the muted audience certainly didn’t detract from the enjoyment of those few at the front, (myself included).
Not surprisingly their set standard dedicated to Johnny Thunders ‘You Can’t Put Your Arms Around a Memory’ was met with exuberant cheers, though David Johansen himself really seemed to enjoy singing their rendition of ‘Bo Diddley’, betraying his old roots influences. Indeed the track has not been a regular staple in the live set since the reformation. The climax of the show included both the new reggae and old rock versions of ‘Trash’ blended together, before a rocking version of ‘Jet Boy’ topped off a great set; it was just a shame that the encore was only the classic ‘Personality Crisis’. But after a thundering set of well selected classic tracks old and new everyone went home happy.
The Academy
20th April 2010
Old School BBC Disc Jockey ‘Whispering’ Bob Harris famously laughed and called them ‘Mock Rock’ – but they were ahead of their time. That was some thirty seven years ago. They opened tonight’s set with their classic anthem from the time ‘Looking for a Kiss’ and didn’t let up for the whole evening.
Curiously, despite it being a small crowd of presumably devoted fans, older classics like ‘Private World’ were greeted with only muted applause and the tribute to recently deceased Malcolm McLaren on the English date didn’t seem to travel across the water. Instead Johansen light-heartedly berated Irish Existentialism midway through the set! Unfortunately at points it felt like just ‘another night of the tour’: ironically it wasn’t until the 2006 single ‘Dance like a Monkey’, exactly half way through the set, that the small crowd itself visibly came alive. Though the muted audience certainly didn’t detract from the enjoyment of those few at the front, (myself included).
Not surprisingly their set standard dedicated to Johnny Thunders ‘You Can’t Put Your Arms Around a Memory’ was met with exuberant cheers, though David Johansen himself really seemed to enjoy singing their rendition of ‘Bo Diddley’, betraying his old roots influences. Indeed the track has not been a regular staple in the live set since the reformation. The climax of the show included both the new reggae and old rock versions of ‘Trash’ blended together, before a rocking version of ‘Jet Boy’ topped off a great set; it was just a shame that the encore was only the classic ‘Personality Crisis’. But after a thundering set of well selected classic tracks old and new everyone went home happy.
John Butler Trio

John Butler Trio
The Olympia, Dublin 8th April 2010
View: The Stalls
There is a genuine sincerity about John Butler’s roots performance – an unassuming but talented musician he can make his assorted guitars sound diverse. His intricate fretwork on his alma mater, the instrumental ‘Oceans’, captivated the crowd and was a highlight of the show. However tracks from the new album (April Uprising) also featured heavily – including the two recent singles the classic rock (Chilli peppers esque) ‘One Way Road’ and the power punk of ‘Close To You’. Bursting onto the stage with the classic ‘Used To Get High’ the set, nearly two and a half hours in total, kept the whole audience thrilled from beginning to end. Butler’s sincerity is infectious and the sentiment he achieves in songs like ‘Losing You’ (dueting with Mama Kin) is heart breaking. Whilst the token drum solo (Nicky Bomba) and particularly the mediocre bass interlude (Byron Luiters) lost the crowd at points they did not detract from a great evening of well crafted tunes excellent executed.
1) Used to Get High
2) Betterman
3) Revolution (new album)
4) Better Than
5) Don't Wanna See Your Face (new Album)
6) Treat Yo mama
7) Take me
8) Losing You (with Mama Kin)
9) Ocean
10) Ragged Mile (Spirit Song) (new Album)
11) Zebra (became an anthemic singalong. )
12) ?
13) Drum solo
14) One Way Road (new album)
15) Close To you (new Album)
16) What You Want?
17) Bound To Ramble
The Olympia, Dublin 8th April 2010
View: The Stalls
There is a genuine sincerity about John Butler’s roots performance – an unassuming but talented musician he can make his assorted guitars sound diverse. His intricate fretwork on his alma mater, the instrumental ‘Oceans’, captivated the crowd and was a highlight of the show. However tracks from the new album (April Uprising) also featured heavily – including the two recent singles the classic rock (Chilli peppers esque) ‘One Way Road’ and the power punk of ‘Close To You’. Bursting onto the stage with the classic ‘Used To Get High’ the set, nearly two and a half hours in total, kept the whole audience thrilled from beginning to end. Butler’s sincerity is infectious and the sentiment he achieves in songs like ‘Losing You’ (dueting with Mama Kin) is heart breaking. Whilst the token drum solo (Nicky Bomba) and particularly the mediocre bass interlude (Byron Luiters) lost the crowd at points they did not detract from a great evening of well crafted tunes excellent executed.
1) Used to Get High
2) Betterman
3) Revolution (new album)
4) Better Than
5) Don't Wanna See Your Face (new Album)
6) Treat Yo mama
7) Take me
8) Losing You (with Mama Kin)
9) Ocean
10) Ragged Mile (Spirit Song) (new Album)
11) Zebra (became an anthemic singalong. )
12) ?
13) Drum solo
14) One Way Road (new album)
15) Close To you (new Album)
16) What You Want?
17) Bound To Ramble
The Waterboys do Yeats......

The Waterboys present: An Appointment with Mr Yeats.
The Abbey Theatre
Setting romantic Irish poetry to music is hardly something new for Mick Scott, but an entire evening threatened to be an artistic indulgence too far. He has been here before when in 1991 at the same venue he performed at the Yeats International Festival and even since the first formation of The Waterboys ‘The Four Ages of Man’ and ‘The Stolen Child’ have featured in their sets. However tonight’s show featured extracts from over twenty five of Yeats’ poems and plays, spanning both famous and lesser known works. With all the energy and excitement of The Waterboys and the dark and mystic lyrics of ‘Ireland greatest poet’, Mike Scott, Steve Wickham and a host of international musical talent gave this intimate setting an exciting night of high art successfully blended with music. “My purpose isn’t to treat Yeats as a museum piece, or to be slavishly respectful, but to connect with the soul of the poems - as they appear to me - then go wherever the music in my head suggests; and that means some surprising places”. Indeed surprises included an exciting 12 bar blues for ‘The Lake Isle Of Innisfree’ , a track Judy Collins had most recently put to music recently at the National Concert Hall as well (though Scott pronounced it correctly!). Their interpretation of ‘The Mountain Tomb’ was very Van Morrison-esque (himself another of many performers inspired by Yeats), whilst the follow up track ‘Mad As the Mist and Snow’ (which also inspired Bono), was an orgy of Rock sound. During this song it was surprising that Steve Wickham and Trombonist Blaise Margail came out in masks from the Abbey store cupboard, but managed to maintain the authenticity of the night’s performance.
The White Birds, which really worked as a rock song, included a fiddle sound that perfected the seagull but also featured in its bridge lines from the play The Shadowy Waters. Mike Scott’s style and rasping vocal make everything sound like the Waterboys but he looked stern and conscientious throughout, constantly set concentrating on the lyrics and, nervously spinning his wedding ring. Not quite aloof he was determined to give a warm set and do his hero justice. It was a shame that ‘A Faery Song’, though popular with some, seemed more fitting to an Enya set, for the first climax. However for the second encore he threw aside Yeat’s work specifically and gave more familiar The Waterboys tracks an airing. ‘Don’t Bang The Drum’ proved a popular choice, whilst the only real climax to the evening could be his tribute to artist genius in general ‘The Whole Of The Moon’ and as he proved Yeats was no one of these.
Waterboys line-up for An Appointment With Mr Yeats are Ash Soan (drums), Marc Arciero (bass) and Ruby Ashley (oboe). They will join Mike Scott, Steve Wickham, Joe Chester (guitar), Katie Kim (vocals), Simon Wallace (keyboards), Sarah Allen (flute) and Blaise Margail (trombone).
1) The Hosting of the Sidhe
2) Love and Death
3) News for the Delphic oracle / ? (Like something out of Peter and the Wolf)
4) the song of the wandered aengus (inspired by greek folk song but sounded more like it was inspired 80’s pop ballad – with slightly off kilter timing to make the lyrics fit the music.)
5) A full moon In march
6) Down by the Salley Gardens
7) Sweet Dancer
8) The White Birds (really worked as a rock song) – fiddle perfected the seagull sound.
9) Inish Free The Lake Isle Of Innisfree a less than predictable 12 bar blues version of it, which got a laugh of recognistion and the loudest clap thus far. (Judy Collins recently put this to music at the Irish National concert hall as well)
10) The Mountain Tomb (Van Morrison esque)
11) Mad As the mist and snow ( orgy in sound – but the masks were a risk – from the abbey storecupboard!)
12) Supernatural Songs (Four Ages of Man) (with a stricking clock in the background, counting down to 2 minutes to midnight.
13) Before The World Was Made
14) September 1913 (really rocked out) snears “Romantic Ireland Dead and Gone with a chorus that really works on rock guitar.
15) An Irish Airman Forsees his death
16) Politics (60’s Pop Art in vein of Turtles – or given his own musical tastes Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich)
17) Kathleen Ni Houlihan mixed with The Blood Bond ‘let the earth bare witness’ (background footage of Iranians wearing the green in protest last year – more powerful than any folk singers tirade before a song)
18) A Faery Song (Enya eque climax unfortunately – but seemed popular)
Standing ovation seemed a bit ott.
19) A Song of the Rosy-Cross (achieved the folk sound of a session or a jig
20) The Stolen Child (started in wrong Key) (looked a bit strange with 3 members silhouetted behind the back curtain)
21) Don’t Bang The Drum (proved a popular choice)
22) The Whole Of The moon (a rousing and appropriate climax to an evening in honour of a genius)
The Abbey Theatre
Setting romantic Irish poetry to music is hardly something new for Mick Scott, but an entire evening threatened to be an artistic indulgence too far. He has been here before when in 1991 at the same venue he performed at the Yeats International Festival and even since the first formation of The Waterboys ‘The Four Ages of Man’ and ‘The Stolen Child’ have featured in their sets. However tonight’s show featured extracts from over twenty five of Yeats’ poems and plays, spanning both famous and lesser known works. With all the energy and excitement of The Waterboys and the dark and mystic lyrics of ‘Ireland greatest poet’, Mike Scott, Steve Wickham and a host of international musical talent gave this intimate setting an exciting night of high art successfully blended with music. “My purpose isn’t to treat Yeats as a museum piece, or to be slavishly respectful, but to connect with the soul of the poems - as they appear to me - then go wherever the music in my head suggests; and that means some surprising places”. Indeed surprises included an exciting 12 bar blues for ‘The Lake Isle Of Innisfree’ , a track Judy Collins had most recently put to music recently at the National Concert Hall as well (though Scott pronounced it correctly!). Their interpretation of ‘The Mountain Tomb’ was very Van Morrison-esque (himself another of many performers inspired by Yeats), whilst the follow up track ‘Mad As the Mist and Snow’ (which also inspired Bono), was an orgy of Rock sound. During this song it was surprising that Steve Wickham and Trombonist Blaise Margail came out in masks from the Abbey store cupboard, but managed to maintain the authenticity of the night’s performance.
The White Birds, which really worked as a rock song, included a fiddle sound that perfected the seagull but also featured in its bridge lines from the play The Shadowy Waters. Mike Scott’s style and rasping vocal make everything sound like the Waterboys but he looked stern and conscientious throughout, constantly set concentrating on the lyrics and, nervously spinning his wedding ring. Not quite aloof he was determined to give a warm set and do his hero justice. It was a shame that ‘A Faery Song’, though popular with some, seemed more fitting to an Enya set, for the first climax. However for the second encore he threw aside Yeat’s work specifically and gave more familiar The Waterboys tracks an airing. ‘Don’t Bang The Drum’ proved a popular choice, whilst the only real climax to the evening could be his tribute to artist genius in general ‘The Whole Of The Moon’ and as he proved Yeats was no one of these.
Waterboys line-up for An Appointment With Mr Yeats are Ash Soan (drums), Marc Arciero (bass) and Ruby Ashley (oboe). They will join Mike Scott, Steve Wickham, Joe Chester (guitar), Katie Kim (vocals), Simon Wallace (keyboards), Sarah Allen (flute) and Blaise Margail (trombone).
1) The Hosting of the Sidhe
2) Love and Death
3) News for the Delphic oracle / ? (Like something out of Peter and the Wolf)
4) the song of the wandered aengus (inspired by greek folk song but sounded more like it was inspired 80’s pop ballad – with slightly off kilter timing to make the lyrics fit the music.)
5) A full moon In march
6) Down by the Salley Gardens
7) Sweet Dancer
8) The White Birds (really worked as a rock song) – fiddle perfected the seagull sound.
9) Inish Free The Lake Isle Of Innisfree a less than predictable 12 bar blues version of it, which got a laugh of recognistion and the loudest clap thus far. (Judy Collins recently put this to music at the Irish National concert hall as well)
10) The Mountain Tomb (Van Morrison esque)
11) Mad As the mist and snow ( orgy in sound – but the masks were a risk – from the abbey storecupboard!)
12) Supernatural Songs (Four Ages of Man) (with a stricking clock in the background, counting down to 2 minutes to midnight.
13) Before The World Was Made
14) September 1913 (really rocked out) snears “Romantic Ireland Dead and Gone with a chorus that really works on rock guitar.
15) An Irish Airman Forsees his death
16) Politics (60’s Pop Art in vein of Turtles – or given his own musical tastes Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich)
17) Kathleen Ni Houlihan mixed with The Blood Bond ‘let the earth bare witness’ (background footage of Iranians wearing the green in protest last year – more powerful than any folk singers tirade before a song)
18) A Faery Song (Enya eque climax unfortunately – but seemed popular)
Standing ovation seemed a bit ott.
19) A Song of the Rosy-Cross (achieved the folk sound of a session or a jig
20) The Stolen Child (started in wrong Key) (looked a bit strange with 3 members silhouetted behind the back curtain)
21) Don’t Bang The Drum (proved a popular choice)
22) The Whole Of The moon (a rousing and appropriate climax to an evening in honour of a genius)
Don't Be Too Unthankful ........

The Unthanks
Whelans 28th March 2010
View: Centre, back, in front of the mixing desk.
English Folk revivalists The Unthanks (as they are now known) brought their blend of the new infused with old folk to a sell out Dublin gig. Cost meant that they were stripped down from the British mainland tour but that didn’t effect the quality of their set.
An excellent and humorous A cappella version of ‘Where’ve Yer Bin Dick?’ held the crowd’s attention whilst a fantastic rendition of the song ‘Lucky Gilchrist’ included a Northumberland clog dancing interlude. Their interpretation of Nick Drake’s ‘River Man’ was popular with most of the audience, even those who didn’t recognize it, whilst their biographical ‘The Testimony of Patience Kershaw’ was as harrowing as the studio version. This was their biggest gig in Ireland to date but despite the fact that they have 3 albums out they played for just a little over an hour and this felt too short. Unfortunately the end of the set was also hindered by some painful feedback (the kind that pierces the ear drums through the teeth and down the back). But let’s not let that detract from a great gig by these consummate carriers of the flame for modern English folk.
James Masterson
Tracklisting
1) Twenty Long Weeks
2) Sad February
3) Lucky Gilchrist (tap dancing interlude)
4) Annachie Gordon (E chord capo 3rd fret)
5) Guard Your Man Well, (Off mike) hymnal qualities
6) The Guys came you …. ?? ???
7) Anne Briggs song ? Living By The Water
8) (Accapella ) Where've Yer Bin Dick
9) The Testimony of Patience Kershaw
10) River Man (N Drake )
11) Sexy Sadie (serious feedback)
12) Penguin Café Orchestra homage (written by Linda / Belinda?) Blackbird
13) Betsy Bell
14) Happy Birthday (for mum)
15) Here’s The Tender Coming
Whelans 28th March 2010
View: Centre, back, in front of the mixing desk.
English Folk revivalists The Unthanks (as they are now known) brought their blend of the new infused with old folk to a sell out Dublin gig. Cost meant that they were stripped down from the British mainland tour but that didn’t effect the quality of their set.
An excellent and humorous A cappella version of ‘Where’ve Yer Bin Dick?’ held the crowd’s attention whilst a fantastic rendition of the song ‘Lucky Gilchrist’ included a Northumberland clog dancing interlude. Their interpretation of Nick Drake’s ‘River Man’ was popular with most of the audience, even those who didn’t recognize it, whilst their biographical ‘The Testimony of Patience Kershaw’ was as harrowing as the studio version. This was their biggest gig in Ireland to date but despite the fact that they have 3 albums out they played for just a little over an hour and this felt too short. Unfortunately the end of the set was also hindered by some painful feedback (the kind that pierces the ear drums through the teeth and down the back). But let’s not let that detract from a great gig by these consummate carriers of the flame for modern English folk.
James Masterson
Tracklisting
1) Twenty Long Weeks
2) Sad February
3) Lucky Gilchrist (tap dancing interlude)
4) Annachie Gordon (E chord capo 3rd fret)
5) Guard Your Man Well, (Off mike) hymnal qualities
6) The Guys came you …. ?? ???
7) Anne Briggs song ? Living By The Water
8) (Accapella ) Where've Yer Bin Dick
9) The Testimony of Patience Kershaw
10) River Man (N Drake )
11) Sexy Sadie (serious feedback)
12) Penguin Café Orchestra homage (written by Linda / Belinda?) Blackbird
13) Betsy Bell
14) Happy Birthday (for mum)
15) Here’s The Tender Coming
Luka, what a blok-a
Luka in Bloom

Luka Bloom
The Button Factory 26th March 2010
People had travelled far and wide for tonight’s gig. As well as fans from Holland and the UK Luka himself paid tribute to people from New York, Germany and even Longford. A simple but ornate stage for this one man show was a far cry from the band and guests Bloom had when performing on the larger stage of the National Concert Hall late last year. Perhaps to be expected, the track list was very similar to that show, but with enough new material to keep the audience excited.
Apart from the healthy selection of cover versions the show was in essence almost a greatest hits set to promote his new stripped down album (Dreams in America). Classics included his fantastic interpretation of the standard ‘Make You Feel My Love’ whilst the self penned romantic ballad ‘Primavera’ highlighted the versatility of Luka’s voice and guitar playing, with the performer excitedly conceding ‘that’s the best intro to any song I’ve ever performed’.
It was also an evening of surprise covers by fallen greats, including a fantastic, though almost note prefect version of John Martyn’s ‘May You Never’. Another track he claimed to have learnt only weeks before (it has of course been covered by his brother Christy previously) was a heart wrenching version of Ewan MacColl’s ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’. This, compared to Johnny Cash and George Michael (amongst many many others), really brought it back to its original roots. Whilst an excellent version of ‘Lord Franklin’ (aka ‘Lady Franklin's Lament’), a surprise on his new album, proved popular and well received, though was very similar to the many other versions out there.
A refreshing current trend, especially amongst the folk fraternity, is that of skipping the formalities of an ‘encore’ in favour of squeezing in an extra track. This was gratefully received and resulted in a surprise outing for ‘True Blue’.
Overall the set was excellent with an intimate collection of songs well selected and thoroughly superbly executed. An enjoyable evening of classic tracks, that were both Luka’s own and, perhaps more importantly, an interesting selection of covers that he made his own, brought this evening well above average.
Look-a- He's In Full Bloom (ha ha, bonk)

Luka Bloom
The Button Factory 26th March 2010
View: Centre Front row, balcony
An international crowd gathered in the intimate setting of Dublin’s Button Factory (formerly the Temple Bar Music Centre) for a great night of song from Luka Bloom. He always puts in a thorough set with a thoughtful selection of tracks, and even just by himself onstage tonight it was no different. The set list and simple stage design were very similar to last year’s Concert Hall, but the performance was stripped down to complement his new album of acoustic reinterpretations. That did not mean a sombre affair. Tracks like ‘Love Is A Monsoon’ and his version of ‘I Need Love’ gave us an equal share of raucous fun. Whilst his own usual standards including ‘No Matter Where You Go, There You Are’ and ‘Exploring The Blue’ were interspersed with tracks new to him including a note perfect version of John Martyn’s ‘May You Never’ and the folk standard ‘Lord Franklin’ (or ‘Lady Franklin’s Lament’). All in all, a thoroughly entertaining evening of song from one of Ireland’s greatest modern day song smiths.
Track listing
The Button Factory 26th March 2010
View: Centre Front row, balcony
An international crowd gathered in the intimate setting of Dublin’s Button Factory (formerly the Temple Bar Music Centre) for a great night of song from Luka Bloom. He always puts in a thorough set with a thoughtful selection of tracks, and even just by himself onstage tonight it was no different. The set list and simple stage design were very similar to last year’s Concert Hall, but the performance was stripped down to complement his new album of acoustic reinterpretations. That did not mean a sombre affair. Tracks like ‘Love Is A Monsoon’ and his version of ‘I Need Love’ gave us an equal share of raucous fun. Whilst his own usual standards including ‘No Matter Where You Go, There You Are’ and ‘Exploring The Blue’ were interspersed with tracks new to him including a note perfect version of John Martyn’s ‘May You Never’ and the folk standard ‘Lord Franklin’ (or ‘Lady Franklin’s Lament’). All in all, a thoroughly entertaining evening of song from one of Ireland’s greatest modern day song smiths.
Track listing
- Diamond Mountain
- Primavera (‘best intro of any song I’ve ever performed’)
- Make You Feel My Love
- Tribe
- See You Soon (heard on Ronan Collins rte day before)
- City of Chicago (songs like fishing on a river – Dylan upstream cos he never lets good ones back in)
- No Matter Where You Go, There You Are
- Bog Man
- First Time Ever I saw your face (Debut performance)
- Peace On Earth (instrumental)
- Here and Now ,
- Exploring The Blue
- Gone to Pablo
- The Acoustic motorbike
- Lord Franklin ( aka Lady Franklin's Lament)
- May You Never (John Martyn)
- Monsoon
- I’m On Your Side
- Sunny Sailor Boy
- You Couldn’t have come at a better time
- Ciara
- I Need Love
- Don’t Be Afraid of the light that shines on you
‘Encore’
- True Blue
- Footsteps (I could learn lessons of ancient race) ??????
- Beware My Love as you break the raging storm ??????
Send in the Clowns, Where are the clowns?

Judy Collins Live National Concert Hall
15/2/10
View: Centre Front of Balcony.
The radiant septuagenarian Judy Collins gave a dazzling performance as a fitting climax to the end of her tour of the British Isles. With Jo Stafford to John Denver, Steven Stills to folk trad all appearing in abundance in this full 2 hour set. A celebration of a career and performer who still has a lot to offer, this also showcased a few tracks from the forthcoming album (released the day she plays Glastonbury). If she plays ‘Weight Of The World’ there it should leave the crowd spellbound as it did tonight. But the old sat just as comfortably beside the new this evening – an acapella of ‘Blooming Heather’ was the first signs of the great voice this evening. A fantastic rendition of ‘Both Sides Now’ complimented ‘Amazing Grace’, a track which pleased the crowd immensely.
It was a shame that she did make a couple of obvious mistakes; 12 string guitar on ‘Bird On a Wire’ and lyrically on ‘Oh, Had I A Golden Thread’ – but her professionalism and experience meant these hardly blemished a great evening of eclectic music from an exceptional musician.
James Masterson
15/2/10
View: Centre Front of Balcony.
The radiant septuagenarian Judy Collins gave a dazzling performance as a fitting climax to the end of her tour of the British Isles. With Jo Stafford to John Denver, Steven Stills to folk trad all appearing in abundance in this full 2 hour set. A celebration of a career and performer who still has a lot to offer, this also showcased a few tracks from the forthcoming album (released the day she plays Glastonbury). If she plays ‘Weight Of The World’ there it should leave the crowd spellbound as it did tonight. But the old sat just as comfortably beside the new this evening – an acapella of ‘Blooming Heather’ was the first signs of the great voice this evening. A fantastic rendition of ‘Both Sides Now’ complimented ‘Amazing Grace’, a track which pleased the crowd immensely.
It was a shame that she did make a couple of obvious mistakes; 12 string guitar on ‘Bird On a Wire’ and lyrically on ‘Oh, Had I A Golden Thread’ – but her professionalism and experience meant these hardly blemished a great evening of eclectic music from an exceptional musician.
James Masterson
Eddi and the Boys.

Eddi Reader Live
Button Factory Temple Bar 13th Feb 2010
View: Centre, back.
The cynical and always humorous Eddi Reader gave this loyal Dublin crowd a heart-warming intimate set with stripped down band. Her loyal songwriter and guitarist Boo Hewerdine plus her ‘current life partner’ John Douglas gave solid performances, as did other stalwart, Irish Accordian player Alan Kelly. However it was the relaxed Reader who gave us a healthy mix of Fairground Attraction tracks and solo hits, The set included ‘Patience of Angels’ and ‘Perfect’, but also the more bawdy and raucous Robert Burns songs such as ‘Willie Stewart’, complete with dubious highland jig. A surprise inclusion, as if to confirm her Nu folk status, was the good interpretation of Amy Winehouse’s ‘Love Is A Losing Game’ – which was unknown to most of the audience. Also a surprise was the inclusion of the superb ‘Kite Flyers Hill’. Her energy and obvious enjoyment can’t help but rub off – ensuring everyone left happy.
James Masterson
Button Factory Temple Bar 13th Feb 2010
View: Centre, back.
The cynical and always humorous Eddi Reader gave this loyal Dublin crowd a heart-warming intimate set with stripped down band. Her loyal songwriter and guitarist Boo Hewerdine plus her ‘current life partner’ John Douglas gave solid performances, as did other stalwart, Irish Accordian player Alan Kelly. However it was the relaxed Reader who gave us a healthy mix of Fairground Attraction tracks and solo hits, The set included ‘Patience of Angels’ and ‘Perfect’, but also the more bawdy and raucous Robert Burns songs such as ‘Willie Stewart’, complete with dubious highland jig. A surprise inclusion, as if to confirm her Nu folk status, was the good interpretation of Amy Winehouse’s ‘Love Is A Losing Game’ – which was unknown to most of the audience. Also a surprise was the inclusion of the superb ‘Kite Flyers Hill’. Her energy and obvious enjoyment can’t help but rub off – ensuring everyone left happy.
James Masterson
Chieftains and Mr Strong Silent Type Cooder

The Chieftains and Ry Cooder: The San Patricio Showcase.
28th January 2010
RTE Studios, Dublin
View: Centre middle, sitting next to Mr Peace Love and Understanding, Nick Lowe!
Focusing on the Mexican/American War of 1846 – 1848, and more specifically the Irish Regiment San Patricio, the new concept album from the Chieftains and Ry Cooder received its first Irish outing at RTE’s Radio studios. From it we were given traditional songs of the period along with other, more recent, gems.
Tracks like the vibrant and melodic ‘La Iguana’ were excellently executed and fun in the Irish trad vein, whilst more solemn and sombre tracks like ‘March To Battle (Across The Rio Grande)’ complemented the musicianship of all involved. Indeed the wealth of instrumentalists used for the performance was astounding – we had a bagpipe, harp and ‘Mexican’ trio Los Cenzontles plus a California Dance troupe. The formidable Ry Cooder’s presence was understated in performance as the Chieftains hosted an evening of song and dance on their home turf. (The debut show had gone to Glasgow a few nights before). The cool, calm, collected Ry Cooder strummed away quietly and only really interjected noticeably with ‘The Sands of Mexico’ vocal of his own song, a celebration of the Irish Contingent in the war. The album due in March promises to be a successful collaboration like their last (the Grammy Winning The Long Black Veil).