glasgowbury ’10: eagle’s rock1

The second stage in our Glasgowbury coverage is Eagle’s Rock: with a range of acts playing here, we’re spoilt for choice.

10.30 – 11.30 – Duke Special
9.15 – 10.00 – Joe Echo
8.00 – 8.45 – Lowly Knights
6.55 – 7.40 – Keith Harkin
6.05 – 6.35 – John, Shelly & The Creatures
5.15 – 5.45 – The Vals
4.25 – 4.55 – John Edgar Voe
3.35 – 4.05 – Paddy Nash & The Happy Enchiladas
2.45 – 3.15 – Silhouette
1.55 – 2.25 – Henrietta Game
1.05 – 1.35 – Jackson Cage
12.15 – 12.45 – Captain Kennedy

Duke Special: Peter Wilson revels in mystery and vaudevillian antics. While he may have been in the headlines during the past year for his ‘pledge music’ drive, Wilson appears to be flourishing in his new found musical independence. His latest release “The Stage, A Book & The Silver Screen” has garnered glowing reviews from critics and his live performances are guaranteed to entertain. An ability to create sugary pop songs with dark undertones or create drama with a simple piano chord is a rare occurrence in popular music these days, and Duke is a master of that art. With classic tracks such as “Freewheel” and “Our Love Goes Deeper Than This” in Peter’s repertoire, there will not be a dull moment. Perhaps there won’t even be a dry eye in the house.

Joe Echo: Ciaran Gribbin is one of the worst kept secrets in Northern Irish music. He’s worked with Deadmau5, Paul Oakenfold and Madonna to name but a few artists but the ex-Leya frontman’s solo material is something special indeed: with an iconic voice and an ability to fire out beautifully layered radio-friendly tracks on record he’s a solid bet. I’ve never had a chance to see Ciaran live, but from various reviews the words “loop pedal” stick out like a sore thumb. These can be hit and miss in a live setting and due to the intricate nature of many of Ciaran’s tracks there may be a lot of waiting around. Hopefully these fears are unfounded though. Check out “The Heart That Knows Desire” for a lovely slice of electro pop, fan favourite “Tilly’s Cowboy” and if you can find it Ciaran’s wonderful cover of “If I Were A Boy”.

(photo courtesy of Laura Robinson)

The Lowly Knights: The Lowly Knights are a band reborn. The choir may have left, but the outfit have emerged stronger and tighter than ever before. The handclaps are still there and the infectious choruses remain but the most recent EP from the Knights proves that the songwriting has come on in leaps and bounds. The alt-folk collective seem to channel the spirit of the Decemberists in their most recent material, with some lush tracks featuring impressive percussion parts. Check out the happy-clappy “Devotion”, the sombre “Hollow” and new track “Burning Powder” for a rundown of this cracking band. A sure fire hit at Glasgowbury.

Keith Harkin: I can only describe Keith Harkin as a man who mixes together Irish folk, Motown funk and Americana. He’s supported David Kitt and has toured all over North America as part of “Celtic Thunder”, Phil Coulter’s evil masterplan for the Irish to take over the world. He’s not my cup of tea, to be perfectly honest, but if you’re looking for an inoffensive musical act and enjoy Jack Johnson this may be right up your street.

(photo courtesy of Luis Aviles-Ortiz)

John Shelly & The Creatures: without a doubt, one of the best bands in Ireland. Named after two Irish homeless twins some of the band met in Germany, their debut album “Dinosaur” has been critically acclaimed by the Irish press and rightly so: it’s a beautifully written album that fans of Neil Young and REM will greatly enjoy. Chances are you will know at least one track by this band, as folksy number “Long May You Reign” was used by the Northern Irish Tourist Board in their most recent TV ads. They’re a band that can build up a beautiful melody and then explode with some jarring guitars to monumental effect. A certainty for a Choice Music Prize nomination, and one act you really have to witness live at Glasgowbury. Check out “Blinded and Cross” and “Killer” for just a brief taste of what the band are about.

(photo courtesy of Stefan Duerr)

The Vals: To say the Vals were heavily influenced by the Beatles certainly wouldn’t be an understatement. However, they’re far from a tribute band, and they’ve certainly got their own take on things. There’s a little bit of the Who in there, there’s a little bit of Donovan, but they do their own thing reasonably well and are certainly enjoyable live. I’ve always been a fan of trumpets and the Vals seem to share that passion as track “Light Shine Down” features the brass instrument prominently, as well as a hook laden guitar riff. “Smile” is an upbeat little number that certainly wouldn’t be out of place on a Ocean Colour Scene record. Good clean fun.

John Edgar Voe: to be perfectly honest with you, I’m not going to make my mind up on an act that I haven’t had the pleasure of watching live and has a solitary track available on the internet. However, due to the MySpace mentioning possibly the greatest genre ever created (that of Fermanicana) I’ll just post the advertising blurb that’s available. John Edgar Voe is the latest musical venture from Martin J Corrigan (Alloy Mental, Corrigan). In a shift towards the country end of the spectrum, in?uences include Woody Guthrie, Thomas Jefferson and John Prine. He has joined forces with Charlie Mooney (Desert Hearts), Robyn G Shiels, James Heaney (St Dudes) and Ben McAuley (Three Tales) to sing songs about women, ?ghting, jail, death, drinking, God, freedom, larceny and love. Martin is currently working with producer David Holmes on a debut album.

Paddy Nash and the Happy Enchiladas: It’s tough to make political commentary into catchy songs, as antidisestablishmentarianism is tricky to throw into a rhyming couplet. Paddy Nash and the Happy Enchiladas seem to have a real knack for that particular job though. Not content with simply writing the election campaign song for Eamonn McCann, they even managed to create a funky little Bruce Springsteenesque number in “Billy Bragg Jeans”.  It’s a cracking song that could provoke a real singalong at Eagle’s Rock, with well thought-out lyrics and that lovely saxophone solo included in proceedings. Could be a nice surprise.

(photo courtesy of Dave McClean)

Silhouette: after releasing one of the best singles released so far this year in “Volume Destroyed”, Shauna Tohill is one of the most hotly-tipped local musicians around. Similar to Rams’ Pocket Radio, Silhouette creates dramatic attention seeking orchestral pop that grabs you by the neck and instructs you to listen. It’s hardly a surprise that there’s a crossover in membership of the two acts. With influences ranging from Tori Amos to ELO, Shauna creates a sound that’s bursting with passion, as she combines a clear love for classical music and punk in order to create some of the finest pop songs I’ve heard in a long time.

Henrietta Game: this fourpiece from Dublin take the good bits from bands such as Final Fantasy then combine them with The Frames. When it works, it works well, but it can be hit and miss. Track “The Last Thing” is a success story, with a sweet duet cast against a background of glockenspiels, pizzicato violin and carefully crafted musical layers.  ”Running Out Of Time” doesn’t quite pull this off (it sounds overwhelmingly cheesy and sentimental) but on the whole it’s a pleasurable experience.

Jackson Cage: if country music is your bread and butter, Jackson Cage will be right up your street. With whisky-sodden vocals, honky-tonk piano and harmonicas that make you yearn for the good ol’ days back in the Midwest the seven piece have roots (no pun intended) in Dylan and Van Morrison without question. Check out “A Hard Night in the Kitchen”, a free download on NIChart.

Captain Kennedy: rounding up the Eagle’s Rock selection is Captain Kennedy. Like a more laid back Mumford and Sons, they sport in Ciaran Lavery a strong singer who embraces his own accent (a welcome surprise in this genre). Most of the tracks are a little too quick to be ballads and a little too slow to be footstompers, but Captain Kennedy seem to bring something refreshing to the Americana genre instead of just motoring on autopilot. Check out “Stretch That Penny” on their MySpace as a small taster of what they’re capable of.