The Mahones / The Pogoes / Stiff Little Busker
live @ Voodoo, Belfast, 19/05/15
A wet and windy Tuesday night in Belfast and still over a week until pay day - not the most congruous combination of factors for going out to catch a gig. However, when an old flame and still good friend from University is back in the country - and, two mates are playing at that particular gig - and, you have already provisionally booked the following day off work, well, it would be a mortal sin not to make the most of such opportunities.
So, having made the decision to go out, we are soon disembarking from our taxi on Donegall Square whichever compass point we were on. It was good that the rain had finally abated, but the cold wind was still cutting through you and seemingly blowing from all directions. Although it was only a short stroll down Fountain Street to the venue, my companion for the evening decided to stop and look at nearly every shop-front and building, commenting on what used to trade there and the unedifying 'new' architecture compared to the 'old' buildings of Belfast yore. Just as I was beginning to empathise with a testicularly challenged brass monkey, we arrive at Voodoo's front door and make our way to the bar upstairs and setting for tonight's event.
Admission fee paid and pint-sized beverages purchased, we are greeted by tonight's 'host' Buck and have a short diatribe on how good The Stranglers were the other week (but then, as it was pointed out, I'm hardly going to have a bad word to say about them!!) Making our way through to a right sided standing position, half way from the stage, I catch a quick word with Aidan before he begins his stiff little busking and hence the entertainment begins.
Aidan 'The Doc' Doherty in his guise as The Stiff Little Busker, kicks off with a stiff little rendition of 'Nobody's Heroes'. For a solo performer armed only with an acoustic guitar, he soon has the crowd onboard, not only with a well concieved set list of songs, but his onstage repartee. His sweat-band protected arm strums out a masterclass selection of tunes from the 'Punk Rock Greatest Hits Songbook', including classics from The Buzzcocks, Sex Pistols and The Damned. A slight departure, albeit fitting given tonight's 'theme', sees an unconventional amalgamation - described as if Christie Moore joined Talking Heads - as 'Ride On' segued seamlessly into 'Psycho Killer'. Although unable to coax an unusually shy female vocalist to join him onstage for a duet, Aidan soon has the whole crowd accompanying him as he belted out RUDI's anthemic 'Big Time'.
Post set and outside for a smoke, we catch up with Aidan for a longer chat - once again The Stranglers pop up in conversation - in fact we got so caught up in the craic, we miss about half The Pogoes set.
Back inside again having refreshed our alcohol reserves at the bar, the crowd has increased a bit (but was by no means packed) so we are able to retake our previous position, and the stage has been overtaken by the multitude of band members that make up The Pogoes. Touting themselves as a Pogues tribute act, the band were trawling their way through a cover of a cover of 'Greenland Whale Fisheries'. Not being overly aux-fais with the majority of The Pogues back catalogue, most of the material played this evening was unfortunately somewhat wasted on me - 'Sally McLennane' certainly got some of the crowd singing along. I have known guitarist Lou from way back in his old Blue Jam and current No Mercy blues days, so it was weird watching the Keef Riff-chards alter-ego mundanely strumming trad. chords as a fiddle and mandolin take the lead. You could not fault them on their musicianship - long hours spent in dingy bars (I imagine), with pints flowing and penny whistles blowing - however tonight, the thing I found missing was someone to stand banging a metal drinks tray against their head. That would have made a great Pogues tribute.
Further replenishing of nicotine and alcohol leads on to tonight's headline act. The Mahones take to the stage and the audience moves forward - kicking off a night of Irish roots tinged punk rock, putting the Oi in Oi-rish - regaling us with tales of drunk nights and punk fights, being on the lash as guitar and accordian clash. A Heisenburg-hatted Finny on guitar and vocals holds centrestage, more often than not, duelling it out with his beautiful wife Katie Kaboom on accordian - disappointingly she had shorn her long black locks - but still looking hot in her shorts, knee-length socks and Converse trainers. Both are ably supplemented by a driving rhythm section - highlighted by Dom's effortless drumming, pounding out an impressive backbeat, single-handedly sounding like the massed percussive ranks of a marching band.
Informing us that they just had to start the tour in Belfast and how much they love our City, the band motor through their set - the lyrics telling us high tales of hi-jinks, drinking with Shane Magowan to a soundtrack of Clash tunes and rare old, pissed up times on the Shakespeare Road. They gave it all they got and how they screamed and shouted it. Songs played tonight include 'Great Night On The Lash', 'Shakespeare Road', a thrashed up 'Wild Rover' with added Oi Oi's in the chorus and 'Give It All You Got'. Pared down to a four-piece and without any additional penny whistle or mandolin to augment, it allowed the band to pump up the punk - more undertone than wolfe-tone. And on that note - Buck is called up onstage to take over vocal duties as the band break into 'Teenage Kicks' - working particularly well with squeeze box runs.
Finny gives acknowledgement to tonight's support acts and to Katie who was suffering from having just had her wisdom teeth out. As if to prove the point she informs us that she has been deigned "a future Mrs Terri" (close Katie) even though already married. All too soon, it is the last song and 'Drunken Lazy Bastard' gets aired - complete with the opening riff to 'Alternative Ulster' inset neatly during the guitar solo.
Katie runs off stage to the merchandise stall for signings and photo-shoots as the remaining band members pack up the gear. We get a quick photo off our own as Buck kindly snaps us under the Voodoo logo behind the stage and allows me the opportunity to grab a quick word with Dom. As the crowd disperses and we finish off the last dregs from our plastic pint pots, we are eventually politely ushered out into the cold, dark Belfast night , to make our way homeward. Thank goodness I don't have work in the morning.
MULLY 21/05/15
So, having made the decision to go out, we are soon disembarking from our taxi on Donegall Square whichever compass point we were on. It was good that the rain had finally abated, but the cold wind was still cutting through you and seemingly blowing from all directions. Although it was only a short stroll down Fountain Street to the venue, my companion for the evening decided to stop and look at nearly every shop-front and building, commenting on what used to trade there and the unedifying 'new' architecture compared to the 'old' buildings of Belfast yore. Just as I was beginning to empathise with a testicularly challenged brass monkey, we arrive at Voodoo's front door and make our way to the bar upstairs and setting for tonight's event.
Admission fee paid and pint-sized beverages purchased, we are greeted by tonight's 'host' Buck and have a short diatribe on how good The Stranglers were the other week (but then, as it was pointed out, I'm hardly going to have a bad word to say about them!!) Making our way through to a right sided standing position, half way from the stage, I catch a quick word with Aidan before he begins his stiff little busking and hence the entertainment begins.
Aidan 'The Doc' Doherty in his guise as The Stiff Little Busker, kicks off with a stiff little rendition of 'Nobody's Heroes'. For a solo performer armed only with an acoustic guitar, he soon has the crowd onboard, not only with a well concieved set list of songs, but his onstage repartee. His sweat-band protected arm strums out a masterclass selection of tunes from the 'Punk Rock Greatest Hits Songbook', including classics from The Buzzcocks, Sex Pistols and The Damned. A slight departure, albeit fitting given tonight's 'theme', sees an unconventional amalgamation - described as if Christie Moore joined Talking Heads - as 'Ride On' segued seamlessly into 'Psycho Killer'. Although unable to coax an unusually shy female vocalist to join him onstage for a duet, Aidan soon has the whole crowd accompanying him as he belted out RUDI's anthemic 'Big Time'.
Post set and outside for a smoke, we catch up with Aidan for a longer chat - once again The Stranglers pop up in conversation - in fact we got so caught up in the craic, we miss about half The Pogoes set.
Back inside again having refreshed our alcohol reserves at the bar, the crowd has increased a bit (but was by no means packed) so we are able to retake our previous position, and the stage has been overtaken by the multitude of band members that make up The Pogoes. Touting themselves as a Pogues tribute act, the band were trawling their way through a cover of a cover of 'Greenland Whale Fisheries'. Not being overly aux-fais with the majority of The Pogues back catalogue, most of the material played this evening was unfortunately somewhat wasted on me - 'Sally McLennane' certainly got some of the crowd singing along. I have known guitarist Lou from way back in his old Blue Jam and current No Mercy blues days, so it was weird watching the Keef Riff-chards alter-ego mundanely strumming trad. chords as a fiddle and mandolin take the lead. You could not fault them on their musicianship - long hours spent in dingy bars (I imagine), with pints flowing and penny whistles blowing - however tonight, the thing I found missing was someone to stand banging a metal drinks tray against their head. That would have made a great Pogues tribute.
Further replenishing of nicotine and alcohol leads on to tonight's headline act. The Mahones take to the stage and the audience moves forward - kicking off a night of Irish roots tinged punk rock, putting the Oi in Oi-rish - regaling us with tales of drunk nights and punk fights, being on the lash as guitar and accordian clash. A Heisenburg-hatted Finny on guitar and vocals holds centrestage, more often than not, duelling it out with his beautiful wife Katie Kaboom on accordian - disappointingly she had shorn her long black locks - but still looking hot in her shorts, knee-length socks and Converse trainers. Both are ably supplemented by a driving rhythm section - highlighted by Dom's effortless drumming, pounding out an impressive backbeat, single-handedly sounding like the massed percussive ranks of a marching band.
Informing us that they just had to start the tour in Belfast and how much they love our City, the band motor through their set - the lyrics telling us high tales of hi-jinks, drinking with Shane Magowan to a soundtrack of Clash tunes and rare old, pissed up times on the Shakespeare Road. They gave it all they got and how they screamed and shouted it. Songs played tonight include 'Great Night On The Lash', 'Shakespeare Road', a thrashed up 'Wild Rover' with added Oi Oi's in the chorus and 'Give It All You Got'. Pared down to a four-piece and without any additional penny whistle or mandolin to augment, it allowed the band to pump up the punk - more undertone than wolfe-tone. And on that note - Buck is called up onstage to take over vocal duties as the band break into 'Teenage Kicks' - working particularly well with squeeze box runs.
Finny gives acknowledgement to tonight's support acts and to Katie who was suffering from having just had her wisdom teeth out. As if to prove the point she informs us that she has been deigned "a future Mrs Terri" (close Katie) even though already married. All too soon, it is the last song and 'Drunken Lazy Bastard' gets aired - complete with the opening riff to 'Alternative Ulster' inset neatly during the guitar solo.
Katie runs off stage to the merchandise stall for signings and photo-shoots as the remaining band members pack up the gear. We get a quick photo off our own as Buck kindly snaps us under the Voodoo logo behind the stage and allows me the opportunity to grab a quick word with Dom. As the crowd disperses and we finish off the last dregs from our plastic pint pots, we are eventually politely ushered out into the cold, dark Belfast night , to make our way homeward. Thank goodness I don't have work in the morning.
MULLY 21/05/15