|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Punters at the Fleadh sweltered in the heat on Saturday past, but didn't seem to mind - the music was second to none, and the atmosphere crawling with excitement. L.A. Livingston and Heather Higgins were there to see - and hear - for themselves
Heather Higgins' observations:
Ronan Keating played a blinding performance at this years 10th anniversary Fleadh. It is fair to say that the audience would not be the normal crowd Keating would play to - most of the ticket sales would have been for the Pretenders, Elvis Costello, Van Morrison, and Shane McGowan, to name a few.
But Keating held his own and, after a couple of technical problems, he had even the hardest of cynics won over and singing along to his first solo release When you say Nothing At All, from the hit film Notting Hill.
However, a few 'true' Ronan fans (myself included) were screaming like school girls at the front of the stage, and this only added to the atmosphere. The only hush that came apon the crowd was when Keating sang This Is Your Song, a track written for his late mum Marie, for the first time. The emotion was plain to see on his face as he sang this sure-to-be hit.
Keating shared his all-to-short 15-minute slot by singing These Days with Brian Kennedy, a song which will also be released later this year.
When Keating came on stage he told the crowd, "It's weird on my own, I keep looking for four other guys behind me."
After seeing Keating perform at the Fleadh in front of 30,000 plus people (most of whom would not be considered his greatest fans) he proved that there is certainly life after Boyzone, for him anyways.
One of the many highlights of the festival was Shane McGowan and the Popes. All Fleadh veterans will be familiar with McGowan and his performances, but this year it was different. He and the Popes headlined the second stage and it was absolutely packed; there was thousands of people jostling for position the whole time they were on stage. It was very difficult to see, but you could certainly hear. MacGowan sounded surprisingly clear and belted out crowd favourites including Dirty Old Town, Bottle of Smoke and some of his newer titles.
Earlier in the day Galway's Saw Doctors played on the main stage but they failed to satisfy some of the crowd. This I don't think was their fault; it was just that they followed two brilliant performances from Barenaked Ladies and Afro Celt Sound System, the best set of the day.
The Saw Doctors played some oldies including N17, but stuck mainly with their newer work and this was what failed to please the crowd.
All in all it was a very good day; I was a little apprehensive going in as I felt that the line up was not as strong as other years, but I was wrong and it turned out to be a brilliant day, and it was well worth the hangover.
And now a word from L.A. Livingston . . .
As a first-timer to the fabled Fleadh, I was prepared for good music, long queues and huge crowds. I wasn't disappointed. The biggest problem was deciding which acts to see - with three tents full of good acts, the choice was difficult. I know I missed some great ones, but it's like having to choose between cherry cheesecake and chublic and punters. Colin Reid and Paddy Casey graced stages two and three. Very different from each other in style and content, but both equally talented, Reid and his instrumental guitar eased listeners into the day. Casey, in top form, engaged the crowd with his affable manner and stellar choice of self-penned songs.
On the main stage, Altan tried their hardest to get the crowd into a traditional music frenzy, and indeed, some obliged by demonstrating their Irish dancing skills, but the heat was too much to expend any amount of energy. That is no reflection whatsoever on their performance; Altan remains one of Ireland's finest traditional music bands, and are a treat in concert.
Of all the bands on at the Fleadh that day, the highlight - and most entertaining - for me was the back-to-back sets of Afro Celt Sound System and the Barenaked Ladies, both of whom had energy to spare, and fairly made the stage (and the crowd) come to life.
Afro Celt Sound System, with their multi-instrumental set and colourful costumes, were, to say the least, amazing, infectious and energetic. Their eclectic sound is a hybrid of Celtic and West African influences, and they put on a really great live show. As do the Barenaked Ladies, who can only be described as eccentric.
Although at one point it looked as if the bubbly Canadian band would lose the crowd's interest, they reached out with their wacky lyrics and catchy tunes and dragged the punters back in again. One Week, their UK hit, and It's All Been Done, their new single, both from their latest album Stunt, were on the set list, as were songs, including Brian Wilson and If I Had a Million Dollars, from their debut album, Gordon. Most amusing was the rap medley of Top 40 hits they ended the set with, as well as an attempt at Irish dancing by lead singer Steven Paige, and an on-the-spot If You're Irish and You Know It (Raise Your Hand), a cleverly devised and spontaneous jingle that had the audience in stitches.
Elvis Costello performed his set as a duo with Steve Nieve on piano, performing that fabulous track, She, from the Notting Hill soundtrack, as well as older stuff like The Angels Want to Wear My Red Shoes. He reappeared later with Van Morrison and Chrissy Hynde in the Pretenders' finale.
Ron Sexsmith, although low on stage presence, is high on talent; as a singer, Sexsmith's voice falls into that Leonard Cohen/acquired taste category, and as a songwriter, he just falls into the Leonard Cohen category - brilliant. Strawberry Blonde, I Seem to Recall and Different Time were among the songs he sang to an appreciative crowd (who counted at least a couple Barenaked Ladies among them).
Ardal O'Hanlon wrapped up the third stage with a hilarious set of comedy encompassing everything from cheetah races to being heckled by his two-year-old son. The crowd loved it, and then promptly left to catch Shane MacGowan and the Popes on the second stage.
The Pretenders ended the day for me. Chrissy Hynde has really still got that rock-chick image happening, and as a rock band, The Pretenders are good. Hynde was virtually gushing over the chance to sing with Van Morrison and Elvis Costello, who appeared late in the set. The last star on the set with the band was Hynde's husband, as the couple were celebrating their anniversary on Fleadh day.
As the sun set on the 10th anniversary of the Fleadh, and the last strains of music wafted away in the cool night air, the sunburnt and revelling crowd made their way out of Finsbury Park no doubt anticipating next year's celebrations of Irish music and culture.