This will be my first “official” folk review. I already wrote a little something about the concert of the Swedish folk band Garmarna in Sleidinge, but that doesn’t really count, since I missed most of the concert by being fashionably late. Therefore, I took all necessary precautions and arrived fashionably early this time.
The concert took place in “la salle Henry Le Boeuf”, the luxurious venue with beautiful acoustics in which the famous Queen Elizabeth contest is held each year. At first, being seated in an opera-like environment in order to watch a folk concert seemed very awkward to me. When I think of folk music, I think of pubs, beer, dancing and people shouting out from time to time. Of course I didn’t really care about the lack of beer, that’s more something for the male half of the audience to worry about, but being deprived of a space where you can actually dance, preoccupied me a lot. I can already tell you that my fear turned out to be groundless...
Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill
A huge empty stage with only two chairs and a couple of microphones was all Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill needed in order to keep the audience under their spell during the whole set. Martin proved to be a fiddle virtuoso, and it was quite impressive to see how Dennis supported him on his acoustic guitar. When Martin started playing his fiddle, he played it for a quarter of an hour on end, moving on from one tune to another. The fieriness with which he tapped the rhythm with his foot was touching and funny at the same time. I couldn’t help wondering how long he would be able to keep that up before having a cramp, but he didn’t seem to have any trouble with it.
I really don’t understand why people often have a low opinion of folk music. People listening to jazz or to classical music, are either regarded as intellectuals or very trendy people. People listening to folk music, however, are most often regarded as unfashionable vegetarians wearing goat’s wool socks. Now, when I hear a musician playing a classical violin, I can be very impressed, but when I hear someone playing jigs and reels on a fiddle, I find that even more impressive, if only because of the punishing pace of this kind of music!
Only a few times did Martin stop playing in order to have a nice little chat with the audience, which was visibly amazed and enchanted by the duo’s compelling performance. During one of these conversations he taught us something: the Irish live in a state of eternal melancholy alternated with short periods of joy. Luckily for us, their set was not really a reflection of this universal truth, for they mainly played joyful tunes, from time to time alternated by a sad one.
What struck me most during this concert was the way in which Martin and Dennis are geared to one another. Dennis watched his companion closely in order to be fully able to support him, which gave the concert a very intimate touch. So it was no surprise that, in the end, the audience once again treated the musicians to a very enthusiastic round of applause and asked them back on stage for a couple of encores. Before that, Dennis had already treated the audience to a "Mercy bowcou". You're very welcome Dennis, "Mercy bowcou" to you too!
Shantalla
Since I had already seen Shantalla perform twice before, I knew I could expect a band with an excellent live reputation, an ever so cheerful Helen Flaherty and four jovial musicians gladly willing to throw a party.
They certainly didn’t fail to live up to my expectations. Although the people forcedly had to stay glued to their seats, the band succeeded in capturing the audience right from the start. Just like Martin and Dennis did during the first part of the evening, they alternated cheerful up-tempo tunes and breathtaking melancholic songs. One of Shantalla’s great strengths is undoubtedly Helen’s voice, which is even more beautiful “live” than on CD!
Being deprived of showing their appreciation by dancing, people tried to communicate their approval by clapping along with the music, which did not appear to be all that easy. Sometimes the people at the back seemed to be located in another time zone: they completely clapped out of time. Could that be because the sound took so long to travel to the front? Or were they maybe clapping quicker than sonic speed? I wouldn’t know, but fortunately, the accordion player offered a helping hand in order to get the audience back in tune.
As a matter of fact, the way in which the band members interact with the audience certainly turns each of their concerts into something very special. When they are chatting to the audience, they really make you feel like you have been invited at their homes for Sunday afternoon tea! Yet, I did have my objections when Helen said something about sitting back and relax in “those comfortable seats”, for, during the break, I had seen many a man leaving those same seats in a completely wretched manner for lack of leg space!
One of the high points of the evening certainly was the sing-along moment “dadidoodledey dada dodeeda”, correct me if I’m wrong! The audience definitely impressed me (and the band!) with their singing talent, but, unfortunately, the end of the concert drew nearer. After a deafening applause, Helen came back on stage and sang, unaccompanied, a beautiful song called “John Anderson”. If that didn’t give you any goose bumps, you should probably go see a doctor. After that, the other band members joined her and it was party time again. They made a few more jesting remarks, such as “don’t forget, if you drink and drive tonight, be sure you have a car”. And to believe that there are people who wonder why I love folk music... I think it was on the tones of “The Rocky Road to Cashel” that we had to leave in order to catch our train.
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