Caught Live: Villagers, London

Caught Live: Villagers, London
Caught Live: Villagers, London
A gig review by
10 May 2010
Artist page(s): 
Villagers
gig city: 
Date of gig: 
29 Apr 2010

While the book on Irish album of the year may have already virtually closed before hot favouite Villagers' release their highly anticipated debut Becoming A Jackel this week, many in the UK - including a certain Mr. Jools Holland - have also been taking note of the Dubliners' movements. Never one to miss a beat, Ragged Words were front and centre when Conor O'Brien recently brought his full band across the Irish Sea for the first time.

Villagers @ Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen, Monday, April 26
Appearing solo at the Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen due to problems with the band’s transport (“the wheel fell off the van”), Conor O’Brien treated the audience to the kind of captivating performance that graced the nation’s tv screens on Later...with Jools two weeks earlier. This support slot for the Shout Out Louds marked the UK launch of the single 'Becoming a Jackal' from the forthcoming album of the same name and during a compact set, O’Brien squeezed in seven songs from the new album, all of which grabbed and held the audience’s attention for the duration.
 
The Villagers’ mainman goes about his art with the minimum of fuss but the maximum of effort, displaying passion in abundance on tracks like 'To Be Counted Among Men' and 'Ship of Promises'. 'Becoming a Jackal' was the centrepiece of the show and the stand-out track on the night, after which O’Brien cranked up his stage presence a notch or two as he echoed his voice around the intimate venue from five feet behind the microphone on 'The Meaning Of The Ritual'. Stirring stuff.
- Eamonn Halpin
 
Villagers @ Old Blue Last, Thursday, April 29
Those of the assumption that Villagers are a thinly veiled disguise for their engaging and talented lead will be pleasantly surprised. On a balmy night that saw smoke rising over East London, the sold out Old Blue Last was treated to a host of intricate arrangements and propulsive rhythms that threatened at times to set the stage alight.
 
Elegant solo opener 'To Be Counted Among Men' was swiftly followed by the expansive 'Meaning Of The Ritual, a song that demonstrated not for the last time, the band's ability to build pure energy with their guitar and keys combination. Through this energy cuts Conor’s voice, a vital tool in the effectiveness of the outfit. Comparisons to the trembling Oberst, though obvious, are slightly misplaced in the flesh where the liberal use of a crisp and pure falsetto demonstrates a truly assured instrument at work.
 
The highlight of the ten song set was undoubtedly 'Becoming A Jackal', a song that navigates its way round complex images delicately assembled by the band. Others seemed to end without ever appearing to fully reach their potential with audience interest acting as an intriguing barometer. However closer ‘Ship of Promises’ brilliantly built to an emphatic climax and left Ragged Words in little doubt that with such clear talent, the Dubliners are soon to deliver.
- Stephen Jowett

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