For some with the perfect combination of talent and luck, bright lights beckon at the end of the tunnel of obscurity that is “local” music. Mark McCausland and Oisin Leech are The Lost Brothers and have long since been bathing in that light while songwriting stalwart Ciaran Lavery is well on the way in his role as a solo artiste.
The brightest lights, however, tonight are in The Errigle Inn at The Real Music Club where a slight over illuminance allows us to see the enraptured faces of the sizeable crowd gathered in the bar. The air is heavy with anticipation and though we haven’t quite left November behind, the rafters are heavy with Christmas decorations.
It’s a celebration of music we’re here for though. We’re enjoying intricately woven tales, minimalist arrangement and a real old time feel. There’s a relaxed late 50s and early 60s vibe to the tunes although with significantly more punters in their 20s and 30s than you find at the average country show. Perhaps it’s apt that The Lost Brothers wrap the night up with a melodic cover of Dylan’s ’Forever Young’.
None of us are getting any younger and with some heavy influence from the greats of country rock and roll, neither is the musical furrow ploughed by both acts on stage and yet, the sound remains fresh. ’Forever Young’ isn’t our only Dylan-esque moment of the evening. There’s been a cover of ’Corrina Corrina’ as well for the more ardent fan.
Ciaran Lavery
We kick off though with Armagh’s Ciaran Lavery who’s been racking up millions of plays on Spotify of late and rightfully so. Tonight’s set; short, sweet, humble and minimalist starting with ’Shame’ and taking us through most of his latest EP. ’Left For America’ has been one of the songs of the year on the Folk and Tumble stereo and doesn’t disappoint as Lavery rasps with Craigavon crackle over some delicately picked guitar.
That trademark vocal style reminds me of a documentary I watched last week, in which Lionel Richie attempted to re-record Kenny Rogers every time his voice broke in the session. Rogers put him in his place, telling him the break was in the right place at the right time and that’s what sets country and folk apart from over-produced pop. Most of my musical heroes are below average vocal performers but have songwriting talent and passion by the bucketload and The Lost Brothers are no exception.
The Lost Brothers
’Gold and Silver’ from their latest album ’New Songs of Dawn and Dust’ opens the set and instantly sets out the stall with subtle Simon and Garfunkel style harmonies before departing down an old-time country road. ’Now That The Night Has Come’ is right out of the Hank Williams songbook while new tracks like ’Poor, Poor Man’ and ’Solder’s Song’ lack some of the finesse of the recorded versions but sound almost hypnotic in their simplicity.
’I Can’t Go Home’ thunders along with that train-like chug of Cash at Folsom and the sixties swagger of ’Hey Miss Fannie’ keeps things bouncing along as the songs are interwoven with subtle merchandise plugs and tales from the road. ’Damn That Devil’ is preluded with a story of gambling promoters and backroom backgammon before ’The Goodbye Kid’, ’Stone’s Throw’ and ’Turquoise Sky’ round off the main part of the set.
And that brings us back to Dylan, back to ’Forever Young’ via the sounds of Hank and Cash, via Upstate NY and trails of the lonesome pine and whilst some of the hat tips are metaphorical, the merch is packed up into Chuck Berry’s actual old guitar case and Mark and Oisin hit the road again. Lost but perfectly fine where they are.