Brilliant or what! John Spillane live @ The Seamus Ennis Cultural Centre

 

This Saturday night I’ve been tempted outside the city to hear John Spillane live at the Seamus Ennis Cultural Centre in The Naul. The trip is not a surprise to my friends as his last album “The Gaelic Hit Factory” is one of my favourite albums and my copy of the cd is worn out from constant play. 

John is on tour at the moment in advance of his latest album and so treated us to a selection of his new songs. I can't wait to get a copy of the album so that I can listen again. John is a consummate story teller and each song is a gem. His songs are sharp, perceptive and witty. He writes about ordinary things like the weeds at the side of the road, to the extraordinary. He even strings together the titles of Irish tunes which makes an amazing song.

His delivery is brilliant and often hillarious. He is a terrific song-writer and entertainer. I loved the chilling "The Mad Woman from Cork", the brilliantly hillarious "Lovely Ballincollig" which goes no way at all to making up for "Johnny don't go to Ballincollig". Just as well they love him in Cork. The excellent "Orca Orca Killer Whale" written about the day the whales visited Cork city and sadly one whale perished. Who else was going to write that song? Naturally, I requested "Luíonn mo Ghrá", and he obliged plus he sang a couple of other songs from his last album "The Gaelic Hit Factory".  "Luíonn mo Ghrá" is my current favourite song.

For my mind, John Spillane embodies all the best qualities from our Irish culture of the Seanachaí (the Storyteller) and Sean-Nós (Old Style singing) with a shot of modern Irish culture thrown into the mix. Another one straight into the back of the net for the Gaelic Hit Factory. Brilliant or what ! Brilliant I say.

Do yourself a favour, if John Spillane is performing anywhere even remotely close to you, go see and hear him. 

Caroline Brady, out & about in The Naul, Co. Dublin Saturday 16th February 2008