The Pine Lodge is something of a hidden treasure on the Irish gigging circuit. Situated high up on a large outcrop of rock and surrounded by ancient trees and breathtaking views of the sea, it’s located in an obscure town land some miles from Carrigaline in County Cork, but has become a necessary pilgrimage for the discerning concert goer. While we’ve not frequented it so much of late, you will find live reviews of performers as disparate as The Soledad Brothers, Chris Mills and Willard Grant Conspiracy dating from memorable nights at this fine little venue if you trawl through the W&H archive.
It’s the ideal place for DAVID HOPE & THE HENCHMEN to stop off for an intimate show to promote their excellent debut EP ‘Hell or High Water.’ Received enthusiastically at W&H Towers, it’s a fine statement of intent, but merely the tip of the iceberg where the band’s song-writing skills are concerned: a fact that’s again only too apparent during their two generous one-hour sets tonight.
Previous outings have found The Henchmen in full sonic battle regalia, but tonight there’s no rhythm section in sight and the group’s core trio – David Hope, Eoin Jordan and David Murphy – are seated in a semi-circle, making eye contact and playing in a primarily acoustic format. The stripped-back format works a dream and with the trio swapping guitars, bouzoukis and mandolins to suit the needs of the songs, it’s clear we’re in for a treat yet again.
As is fast becoming the way with all Henchmen gigs, tonight’s show is an embarrassment of riches. Gritty self-penned tunes like ‘Chasin’ Time’ and the fantastic railroad hobo blues ‘On That Train’ rub shoulders with a brace of choice covers (a languid ‘I Shall Be Released’ and a wonderfully laid back take of Robert Johnson’s ‘Love in Vain’) while the infectiously folksy ‘Broomfield Bound’ and the jazzy ‘Strange Night’ both display an admirable desire to stretch and absorb different styles into the band’s potent brew of Roots and Americana.
|
The second set further ups the ante. The political smoke and mirrors of ‘Cloak & Daggers’ comes back to back with a killer version of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Atlantic City’ while an impassioned version of the single ‘Hell or High Water’ finds David Hope’s fantastic vocal bleeding with loss and hurt. The defiant mood continues, taking us to down the wire courtesy of a fiery ‘These Days’ which is surely a contender as the band’s next single (or track to download if you really must).
Tonight, then, might have been a relatively low-key and relaxed outing for David Hope & The Henchmen, but they approached it with the same verve and skill you’d expect from them on a much bigger night out. That they are one of the best Folk-Roots outfits right now is undisputable, so see them pronto. While you can still get up close and personal.
David Hope & The Henchmen on MySpace
David Hope & The Henchmen Facebook page
|
