Due to a deadly combination of prior commitments, ineptitude and bad luck, W&H had managed to miss out on covering the first three of the fortnightly "Showcase Cork" events, designed to put local talent under the spotlight and provide punters with an enormously entertaining night out for the seriously reasonable sum of merely 5 Euros per head.
Still, better late than never, and indeed tonight did prove a terrific event, with an all-inclusive, small club atmosphere prevailing and the emphasis very much on quality songwriting throughout half hour sets from three very different, but equally intriguing acts.
First up were the curiously-monikered PROPHETS OF BOB. I do have an inkling of their name's source, but suffice it to say that it involves author Terry Pratchett and is far too convoluted to go into here. Anyway, a cool band will always transcend their handle, and The Bob do so admirably tonight.
Vocalist Anne Marie O'Sullivan starts out alone with just her trusty acoustic to help guide her through three warmly-received numbers, of which "Good Intentions" and the regret-fuelled "Unopened" sounded particularly memorable. She's soon joined by bassist Mark McClelland, guitarist/ vocalist Peter Hourihane and a drummer (I think) named John. He's only rehearsed with the band once, but does a fine job under the circumstances.
It's very early days yet for Prophets Of Bob and once or twice - not least during a questionable cover of Pixies' "Here Comes Your Man" - the nerves do get the better of them. However, even after only a handful of rehearsals they are getting things right with an agreeable semi-acoustic sound which was largely beguiling here. Comparisons are odious at this early stage and it's wrong to burden them with any as yet, but it's immediately obvious that in Anne Marie they have a potentially very fine vocalist indeed. Watch this space.
By comparison, STEVEN O'NEILL has been around the block a few times. He's previously worked the solo singer/ songwriter circuit in Paris and London - and recorded an album called "Pass The Magic" en route - and it shows as his experience helps him make the best of a crowd who foolishly talk through the majority of his performance.
Fortunately, the more discerning among us are rewarded with a slew of fine songs, such as the opening "Pass The Magic" and the amusingly wry "Girl Trouble" before Steven leaves us all too soon. Your reviewer's yet to hear him on CD, but tonight he works within acoustic frameworks veering from gentle and jazzy through to full-on power pop and sounds attractive whatever mood strikes. He's not afforded the reverence he deserves here and - unlike Mick Jagger or Tom Jones - gets rewarded with a woolly hat rather than bras from the crowd for his efforts, but he turns even this to his advantage, donning the hat to perform the closing "Girl Trouble" to his most concerted cheers of the evening. Not his ideal crowd, but no matter: we've certainly not heard the last of Steven O'Neill.
The evening, however, surely belonged to hard-working local heroes ELEPHANT. They've been making stealthy progress since W&H first spotted them six months back and have come on in leaps and bounds in the interim.
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Back in May they were still a sextet, but have since shed second singer Liz O'Dea to present the lean and hungry five-piece we see tonight. A healthy gigging schedule and sessions for a proposed debut album (due spring 2004) have clearly also boosted the confidence as Elephant tonight are tighter, far more focussed and are beginning to really live inside these songs.
Indeed, while six months back the embryonic band were full of promise, there were times when they did sound a bit too quirky, but tonight even the songs with a lighter, more obviously jazzy bent like "Sunday Morning" sound fresh and exciting, with vocalist Catherine Ireton really beginning to come into her own.
Besides, these days Elephant have bigger guns in reserve. Tracks like the bitter "Pop Song" have grown teeth, while they've learnt to really turn the emotional screw when attacking slower, more wistful material. Tonight, "Rocking Chair" and the sparse melancholy of "Marianne" are nigh on perfect. The latter may initially have recalled the sombre likes of Mark Kozelek or Will Oldham, but its' spare acoustic framework, minimal funereal organ from Michael John McCarthy and Ciaran and Catherine's gorgeously fragile vocals (not to mention that chilling "I don't think we'll see another summer" kiss-off line) ensure the last thing you'd accuse them of is pastiche. This is dangerously beautiful melancholy all of its' own design. The fact that you could hear a pin drop during its' execution speaks volumes in itself.
Elephant have further trump cards, of course. "Feedback Electric", with its' killer bassline from Keith O'Donoghue and Mary Ellen's samba backbeat finally get a coterie up and moving and by the time they summon the deep groove of the closing "Gordian Knot" they're receiving real hero worship. Not unfairly, I might add.
They return for a version of Dusty Springfield's "Son Of A Preacher Man" that's more chaotic and spirited than anything else, but it's still a fitting finale to what has been - by some way - the best performance this writer has yet seen them give. I would suggest you remember their album is due in March.
"Showcase Cork", meanwhile, will be returning to the Spailpin Fanac twice more before Christmas and is sure to be an important fortnightly calendar fixture in the area in the New Year. Housed in an excellent upstairs room with an atmosphere that reminded this writer of Manchester's legendary Band On The Wall Club, it's an event that's big on pushing the very best local talent and is an initiative W&H wholeheartedly support. If you're in or around the city, don't you dare think of missing out.
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