The Band From County Hell

THE BAND FROM COUNTY HELL

Duffys 11th October

Woke up this morning still reeling from the phenomenal party at Duffy's Bar last night... how the hell do you describe a night like that? Maybe just to say that The Band From County Hell were in town will explain it all...

If you like your celtic music gentle and romantic, this was not for you.. .if you like it played with energy, passion vibrancy, fun you will have had a ball! The band play high powered celtic punk... think the Pogues on speed... and you may get the idea..

From the first second the band throw the kitchen sink in with a totally infectious high octane tune set followed by the songs. They said that in honour of playing in an Irish Bar they would be including some traditional tunes and Pogues songs in the set... which they did with tremendous style...

With powerful bass and drums propelling the beat the line up of superbly played electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin and banjo merged in joyful sound with the terrific vocals to deliver a totally irresistable whole. This is not music you can possibly sit down to!!

After a couple of original songs up popped "The Irish Rover" and "Streams of Whiskey" during which the audience singing along reached a peak... and so the set continued... The second half started with "Can't Help Falling in Love with You" followed by "My friends call me Elvis" and continued with a host of phenomenal pieces including "Sick Beds of Cuchulainn" and moving on to "Dirty Old Town" which had the audience singing the first verse before the band joined in repeating the first verse and completing the song... even these "quieter" songs had riotous instrumental passages between verses... the set ended with a, to me at least, unlikely but wonderful version of "I Dont Want to Talk About Tt"... after which of course more powerhouse celtic punk including a final encore of the beautiful ""Parting Glass"... which you havern't heard like this before... a gentle verse followed by the highest octane version of the song ever which had the audience reeling and bouncing even more...

From the first notes of this gig the whole audience was moving.. bouncing, dancing, reeling around... it was simply not possible to sit and even the most devout "sitters" were up and moving within seconds... the most compelling dance music around... absolutely joyful exhilarating evening and such a fantastic atmosphere throughout... surely the best craic in town...

and at the end.. as the final line... "Good night and joy be to you all"

Absolutely wonderful night.. wonderful music.. .great craic and totally exhilarating and joyful...

Lets hope the band come back before long...

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