The temple bar trad fest was on in Dublin over the past few days. It seems to be getting bigger and better every year and this time around it didn’t disappoint.
The line-up this time began with a lovely relaxed piping recital by the renound Uilleann piper Mick O’Brian. HE played in city hall for 45 minutes to a room filled with people who genuinely appreciated pure Irish traditional music. Mick is a versatile musician and he seems to be comfortable playing in any setting but he excels when letting his pipes reach their full potential by filling a particularly big room such as that in Dublin’s city hall. His masterful playing of the chanter, drones and regulators is why Mick can captivate an audience for 45 minutes when playing solo. Yes, you read correctly. He had no backing at all. It was just him on his own on stage for 45 minutes. If I had one complaint for this gig it would be that the volume of the amplification could have been increased a lot more. It didn’t do his playing any favours. The highlight was the slow air he chose at the start. I have a recording of that somewhere so check back for an update to this post in a day or two. He also played a tune, or a combination of tunes called the fox chase. This is probably the most complicated arrangement to play on the pipes but showing his skill yet again, he pulled it off easily.
The second gig on Wednesday night was in the idyllic setting of Christ church cathedral in Dublin city centre. From 8PM we were entertained for two and a half hours by the very interesting Safire and Michael McGoldrick. The night began with Safira and their very unique style. They play modern contemporary versions of classical and traditional music from around the world. Two sisters both playing the fiddle they bring a great energy to their performance. My personal opinion is that it wasn’t the time or place for their type of music but I’m very sure there’s a market out there for them. They have just returned from a year and a half in America and their style of entertainment and performance reflects this without a doubt. They use backing tracks for all of their pieces but they were so loud that it was impossible to hear where the backing track started and where it ended. It was impossible for me to determine what parts the sisters were actually playing because their music was so intermingled with the music played by the backing track. I If was sceptical I’d wonder if they were actually playing at all. I don’t want to be harsh or mean. I’m sure their great musicians but I would have liked them to demonstrate their music without the safety net of a backing track. Even for one tune. Finally, I would say that sex sells and it seemed that that’s the kind of thing they were trying to put out there so maybe I was completely clueless because although their dresses was described to me, I obviously didn’t get the desired effect. In saying that, a man sitting near me didn’t seem all that impressed either. Seriously, I know I’m being more negative than usual but I honestly wish them well. I would go to them again but only to give them a second chance as if I was in their position I wouldn’t like to be judged by the outcome of one gig.
The last performance of the night was by Michael McGoldrick on flute, whistles and pipes, John Joe Kelly on bodhran and Ed Boyd on guitar. A climactic thrill from the start to the finish this gig was something I had been looking forward to since the last time I heard Michael McGoldrick playing in a quiet venue during the Fleadh in August. Amazing! Shocking! Exhilarating! Brilliant! Energising! These are only some of the words that I would use to describe their performance. Every single one of them played well. By the time Jerry O’Connor joined them for a few tunes near the end of the gig the huge church was humming with the thrill of music. It was either the thrill of music or the feedback from the speaker in front of me. Either way, there was a hum or it wasn’t off Michael McGoldricks feet after he took his shoes off on stage. Sorry, you won’t get that unless you watch a few of the videos on this post. John Joe Kelly’s bodhran solo lasted about five minutes and he captivated and ensnared every single person for every single second of it. The applause given after it reflected it and Michael even commented afterward that it was without doubt the best response John Joe had ever received after a solo. I personally think it was one of the best solo performances he’s ever given and he definitely deserved the recognition.
It was lovely to hear Michael McGoldrick on pipes for a change. He only played a set of two tunes but it was still a rare pleasure. Did you know he is a lefty? Forgetting his amazing talent for playing, he has an even more amazing talent for picking tunes. The tunes he played on the pipes were excellently chosen and the change between each tune was just perfect.
We didn’t get back until 1AM on Thursday morning and getting up for work was very difficult but I still feel energised and yes, although some will laugh, even inspired after listening to such brilliant music played by master musicians.
On Saturday we travelled to Dublin to take in more music from trad fest. Saturday was more sessions than gigs though and it was nice to visit the Palace bar in Temple bar to play music with people from all over the country. The best thing about this kind of event is tunes are heard that are more prominent in other parts of the country but are almost forgotten in Dublin and Louth.
One of the best things on Saturday night was walking around Temple bar between sessions and finding a group of young teenagers sitting on the steps of Temple bar square playing a few tunes. A few feet away, a young girl of no more than six was playing a few tunes as well. I love to see that kind of thing. Young kids enjoying the friendly atmosphere and getting fun out of the music.
Again, please remember to check back soon. It takes a while to prepare each video so I haven’t got them all done just yet but I’ll upload as many as I can over the next few days. You can also visit my Youtube channel for more videos.
