I, being what they refer to as second generation Irish, love Irish surnames and their meanings and mine Sullivan or Ó Súilleabháin means hawk-eyed and Damien Dempsey, Irish singer and songwriter who mixes traditional Irish folk with contemporary lyrics to deliver social comment on the positive and negative aspects arising from Ireland’s Celtic Tiger society`s means proud or haughty. Well it shows that this is just a cod or a joke as haughty is the one thing that you can`t associate with one of the finest entertainers who has emerged from Ireland in the last two decades. To me he`s what John Lennon would refer to as a “working class hero.”
I had never caught “Damo” live before. I was offered a ticket by a local trad band years ago but when I arrived they disappeared so when the tickets went on sale for the Hare & Hounds, I made sure I bought a couple and it was a smart move as the gig soon sold out.
The lights dim and Damien with three supporting musicians Sean McKeon on uilleann pipes, Eamon de Barra on keyboards, whistle, flute and bodhrán and a fella on mandolin/banjo whose name sadly I didn`t catch proceed with what was one hundred minutes of songs, stories and music about everyday things like disused railway lines, beaches, parks and council estates which will have you singing and shouting along one minute and then almost reduced to tears in another.
I`m sure it was the rousing and uplifting `Hope Calling` and `Negative Vibes` that kicked off the show but i`ve been playing them that much recently it might have been my imagination. We enjoyed songs such as the anthemic `Almighty Love`, inspiring `Bustin Outta Here` and reflective `Patience`. In between these numbers Damo regaled us with stories of Dublin, his haircuts, his parents and people whom he knew along the way such as Shame MacGowan. The band playing flute, bodhrán and uilleann pipes along with the singer strumming his guitar share some more instrumental Celtic / traditional reels and jigs which The Chieftains, Moving Hearts, Altan and Lunasa would be envious of.
The fellas offered up a couple of cracking covers with The Pogues `A Pair of Brown Eyes` and `Rocky Road to Dublin` written by the Galway poet D.K. Gavan but made famous by The Dubliners. But for me it was songs such as `Apple of My Eye` about New York, the dreamy `Canadian Geese` about migration, the hopeful `Patience` and `Colony` about the legacy of colonialism that really hit home. There`s a track from Damo`s forthcoming album called `James Connelly` about the socialist and one of the leaders of the 1916 uprising whose execution site at Kilmainham Gaol and grave at Arbour Hill that I visited and a place that never fails to evoke an emotional impact.
The home stretch includes the moving `Sing All Our Cares Away`, the Pogues greatest love song with `A Rainy Night in Soho` a song that would draw blood from a stone before we are left to ponder on what we`ve witnessed for nearly two hours with `It`s All Good` a really heartbreaking but rewarding listen.
Well what can you say. I think having finally gotten to see this Irish troubadour it’s a case of Damien Dempsey is an artist to be witnessed and experienced in a live situation. It was a truly overwhelming experience and it`s only now the next day that I can truly appreciate not only the gig but this gifted artist`s performance. The last three dates of this brief soiree to the UK are sold out so it`s either a trip to God`s Country or await the next tour hopefully at a bigger venue in support of his forthcoming album. Here`s hoping.
