You’ll recall we’ve mentioned The Spook of the Thirteenth Lock gig at Triskel Christchurch, coming up on Thursday this week (reminder that there’s a fascinating interview with Allen Blighe of the band here, where Allen holds forth on corrupt politicians, 70′s Italian prog rock, folk music and writing in Irish, among other topics).
There’s also notable support on the night in the form of Barry McCormack. The ex-Jubilee Allstar produced one of my favourite albums of last year in the shape of Small mercies, an excoriating and frequently laugh-out-loud funny collection of self-deprecating folk-ish songs, conjuring Bob Dylan fed through a Pat McCabe blender. You can read a full review of the record on this link –
http://theundergroundofhappiness.blogspot.com/2011/11/barry-mccormack-small-mercies-hags-head.html
Just to set the mood for Thursday night’s proceedings, here are a couple of songs from the album set to film.
This video for Hard is the road may be downbeat monochrome (not surprisingly, as it recounts the aftermath of a train-track suicide), but the arrangement has lovely bittersweet colours provided by acoustic guitar and electric piano.
And here’s the Cork-themed I remember Kent Station, which relays the blackly hilarious story of a drunken dream featuring Father Mathew, before a defiant and redemptive conclusion.
Barry McCormack plays Triskel Christchurch on Thursday Apr 12th, with The Spook of the Thirteenth Lock
Small mercies is out now on Hags Head
