De Barra’s has been the breeding ground for great new talent time and again over the years. Indeed, in recent years alone, W&H have first clapped eyes and ears upon the likes of Vertigo Smyth, Gavin Ryan and The Mandolas on this very stage, so it’s no great surprise that we should have yet another epiphany tonight.
OK, perhaps Cork quartet THE SHAKER HYMN aren’t quite at the epiphany stage yet, but it’ll come soon enough. I know little in terms of hard facts to date, though I do recognise their guitarist Robbie Barron from John Blek & The Rats and once again he proves himself to be a player of invention and taste tonight.
So what’s the deal with these guys? Well, The Shaker Hymn are four power pop/ roots-inclined types, leaning broadly towards the USA, though they have a versatility that’s clearly all their own. They are tight and accomplished throughout their 30-minute set and while I’m new to their material, a shimmering, Big Star-ish affair called ‘Caroline’ immediately stands out. What I can say with some clarity is that they are already fully-formed and inching towards fantastic. I hope to see them again soon.
GRANT HART, of course, is a man whose legend still casts a long shadow. The former drummer/ co-vocalist/co-songwriter with illustrious Minneapolis hardcore punk/pop trailblazers Hüsker Dü, his post-HD catalogue (with Nova Mob and as a solo performer) may be rather less celebrated than Bob Mould’s, but it’s surely kept pace in terms of quality.
To the best of my knowledge, this is Grant’s first visit to West Cork and it’s something he seems keen to savour. He might seem a little eccentric and almost hobo-ish as he steps onstage dressed in braces and an ancient pair of jeans, clutching his well-worn Gibson semi-acoustic, but as soon as he tips his head back and leans, Lemmy-style into the mic, then magic happens.
Hart starts out with four well-balanced acoustic tunes, his keening vocal delivery as distinctive as ever on Hüsker Dü classics Flexible Flyer and a suitably fatalistic Pink Turns To Blue. He starts vigorously strumming a fifth as his band (three unfeasibly fresh-faced, but confident young shavers) nonchalantly step up to join him, plug in and – without missing a beat – kick into the driving, Velvets/ Patti Smith-influenced rocker ‘You’re The Reflection Of The Moon On The Water.'
It’s utterly exhilarating stuff and arguably the evening’s highlight, but much of what follows ain’t far behind. There’s (broadly) a set list, but Hart’s approach is spontaneous, allowing newer material such as ‘Radiate Away’ and the bittersweet chime of ‘You Don’t Have To Tell Me Now’ (from 1999’s typically unsung ‘Good News For Modern Man’ LP) to rub shoulders with a bang-on-the-money version of Hart’s evergreen first solo single ‘2541’ and a fraught, extended ‘She Floated Away’ with Grant stepping down and picking out the song’s kaleidoscopic, jazz-waltz riff from the floor below the venue’s low stage.
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Acoustic ‘Zen Arcade’ favourite ‘Never Talking To You Again’ gets a suitably venomous electric makeover, though the finale is provided by a punchy run through the defiant ‘Shoot Your Way To Freedom’ from 1994’s self-titled Nova Mob LP. It coaxes out an especially animated Hart vocal and hits home even without the stabs of brass that pep up its studio counterpart.
They’re called back for a well-deserved three-song encore. This, sadly, doesn’t include the robust version of ‘Intolerance’ stand-out ‘Now That You Know Me’ they were working up in the soundcheck, but a beautifully-poised ‘Morning Star’ ably compensates for its absence.
Grant Hart’s profile may have been lower in recent years – ten years elapsed between his ‘Good News For Modern Man’ and ‘Hot Wax’ LPs, - but with a new double set (based upon Milton’s Paradise Lost, no less) only just around the corner, it seems like we’ll be hearing a lot more from him soon. Shows of this calibre, meanwhile, can only remind the wider world that where Hüsker Dü was concerned, the songwriting silver was never exclusively reserved for Bob Mould alone.
Grant Hart online
The Shaker Hymn Facebook page
De Barra's online
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