I’m very fond of Ireland, having some Irish (and Scottish) roots and having spent some time working over there in Galway (also Lurgan a couple of times).
In 1996, when the Galway Festival was on, I bought a ticket to see The Dubliners, knowing not too much about them apart from them having performed with The Pogues doing the Wild Rover. They had a new singer called Paddy Reilly and as soon as he started singing, I realised that he was a man with a big voice. It turned out that he was already a balladeer of much repute and he had made the song “Dirty old town” his own. The Dubliners made a great backing band for him!
The band were incredibly warm, relaxed and talented, indeed I went out into the town and bought several of their back catalogue the following day. Their most haunting song was the fields of Athenry and when I hear it it still gives me goose bumps. (It is one of Paddy’s from 1982).
They also performed a new song loosely based on the old washerwoman brought up to date which they called Miss Zanussi! Here is the original.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
say no more..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrwqLhhsMEU
oh crikey, I just found one featuring Steve Earle, who did the original track with Sharon Shannon. Much Better
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7-PM_4aeE4
Highly recommended; the “Diamond Mountain Sessions” by Sharon Shannon & Friends. Came out about 1993/4; summat like that
Cheers for that, just watched/listened with cans on in preference to Wii Fit in the background.
I’d not heard of her. I take it she doesn’t sing.
No, she plays the squeezebox and arranges all the rest. Very good.