What a week of music

By Diarmuid Comerford

What a week of music indeedy. Last Saturday we played a pop-up show in Bray on the seafront (see Richard's blog on that). My wife and I really love going to gigs, musicals, sessions and plays. Sometimes I can be dubious about the gig selections but I have never came out of one feeling anything other than soulfully nourished.

John Francis Flynn played in Visual, Carlow, a wonderful venue I had the pleasure of playing in last year, on Sunday night. He had an auld dose on him and even still, sang and performed brilliantly. He was accompanied by double bass and guitar, saxs, shakers etc. His songwriting is class and he brings trad/folk to another dimension. There wasn't a very big crowd which we couldn't understand (what is wrong with people?). John was just about to tell his audience a wee story about a song and some asshole heckler shouts, "just play the song". John was not impressed and neither were we. Again, what is wrong with people?

On to Cork City the following day to experience my first time at the Jazz festival. We brought our two youngest and they loved seeing various musicians and singers play with the house band in Crane Lane (such a great venue). Exposing our kids to live performances is so important to us. To see such masters of their instruments live is a joy. Great buzz altogether down there and we will definitely go again.

Hallowe'en night brought us to see Paul Brady in the Spiegeltent in Wexford town. If you ever get a chance to see a gig in this boujee circus tent, take it. Believe me it is a different music venue experience. We had never seen Paul live before and boy we were so glad we went. I knew a good few of his songs but hadn't heard others before. The genre/style shifting in his songwriting is truly admirable. The man is 78yrs old and my lord if I am playing and performing as good as him at that age I will be one happy man. When he told us about the likes of Cher and Tina Turner covering his songs my mind was blown. On the way home in the car we just had to hear Tina's version of 'Steel Claw'. Go listen to both versions now!

Another pop up gig for Foot Squeaker on Dún Laoghaire East Pier today really topped off the week. A beautiful place to play and lots of chatting to lovely listeners. Richard will fill you in on the full picture. And.....relax.