The East side of Belfast city may not be as associated with traditional folk in the same way as the West but undoubtedly the area around the docks has long been buzzing with sea shanties and dockers’ songs throughout the years and the pre-war music halls would have thrived bringing contemporary music to the masses.
In recent times, the level of music and art on show out East has declined somewhat although there have been undoubted successes like Duke Special or Brian Houston who’ve been relentlessly bettering the scene round here. We’re not quite back at the giddy heights of Van Morrison’s Them but it’s babysteps we’re taking and tonight we’ve got a festival and a superb lineup of artists helping us on our way.
East Belfast Arts Festival
We’ve arrived and nestled comfortably into the back row of the Strand Cinema, it’s starkly contrasting black and red backdrop and art-deco flooring giving the whole place the feel of a pre-war Berlin cabaret club. Mike Donaghy is already on stage and midway through a set of upbeat folk tunes. His backing band are Border Crossing perhaps a little reminder that the similarities between Belfast, Northern Ireland, Berlin and Germany run deeper than art-deco carpet and decent music halls. The whistle player is a joy to watch, fast fingered, energetic and tuneful. Tonight, Mike has brought two bassists and between them and the kick pedal there’s a firm Irish heartbeat beneath every melody. ‘The Whiskey Song’ reminisces of good times spent with the electric bassist. If the lyrics are to be believed he drinks until the afternoon. On this form he could play all night.
Katie & The Carnival are the least folky of the evening’s entertainers. Tonight they’re travelling light with only Katie Richardson on guitar and vocals and a harpist accompaniment. The songs are stripped back to their most natural states allowing Katie’s distinctive vocal to take centre stage. It’s borderline Grand Ole Opry in the best possible way and yet there lingers that feeling that we’re in a blacked out cabaret cellar somewhere in the Berlin underground experiencing something great, unique and something that for now we seem to be sadly keeping a big secret.
Perhaps that German vaudevillian experience is heightened by the fact that Katie of Carnival fame has recently returned from a writing and performing break to the German capital as has Alana Henderson who nonchalantly ushers in a set of fine alternative folk tunes with only the bowed tones and quirky plucks of the cello to accompany her vocal. Easing us in with ‘Song About A Song’, we’re already comfortable. It’s something of a story time. For a relative newcomer to the scene, Henderson is completely at ease on stage weaving anecdotes between tunes and taking us on a quirky little wander through the inner workings of her mind. ‘Wax and Wane’ sounds massive despite the solo performance. Maybe a backing band could make it great. But maybe it’s beautiful just as it is.
It’s always great to see two strong female performers doing something a little different but it’s all been rather intense. Until Master & Dog arrive that is. They used to be John Shelley and the Creatures and were known for their track ‘Long May You Reign’; in fact their still known for it and there are a few smiles of recognition and tapping toes around the venue when it makes an appearance mid-way through their set. There are no superstars or egos in this band with Phil, Walter and Ger sharing vocal duties and stepping up to front the four piece at various stages of the night. Things take a slight turn for the surreal when Walter introduces Emerald Armada as another Belfast band, namely Amidships, and frantically digs himself into a huge awkward on-stage hole. Other band members seem unable to help him back out and the air of mildly embarrassed comedy lingers throughout the rest of the set. Thankfully the tunes do most of the talking though.
It’s our second Emerald Armada show of the weekend and the boys are sounding equally good on the small stage as they did at Harvest Festival the night before. They’ve loosened up the vocal chords with a few room temperature beers and the harmonies are even more intense in the confined space of The Strand. With an EP to be released on 26th October, there’s a smattering of new material for the East Belfast crowd. Tales of mountain hikes, drunken nights and trips to see Jurassic Park are woven into a rousing indie-folk set. Musically the band has come on leaps and bounds in the last year but old favourites like ‘I Don’t Mind It’ and ‘Spark It Up’ still get the feet stamping and the faintest hint of a Sunday night singalong.