Luka Bloom @ Séamus Ennis Cultural Centre, Naul - May 2009

Séamus Ennis Cultural Centre, Naul
Saturday, 2 May 2009Support by Michelle Ann Kelly accom. by Ciara Brown

Séamus Ennis Cultural Centre - "old" looking building with a thatched roof but there's something about it that makes me wonder if it's actually all quite new. The venue hall itself is a "barn-like" structure behind the SE centre with a courtyard between the two. The hall is long and narrow with stage at one end. Stage door at the back opens straight out into an alley, with a drop of about two feet. Michelle Ann and Ciara (support) climbed in bravely in their heeled sandals. Luka was better prepared - he bounded up and in, tea mug in hand and nary a drop spilled.

Lovely summer evening when we started - what a shock it must have been when he left the stage the first time, to open that door straight into a downpour! He said afterward that it seems every time he plays MONSOON, it begins to rain before the show has ended. Happened in Australia on a couple of occasions. Wishes he'd sung it in Melbourne, though it's more than just rain they need there.

The stage lights were really dim and apparently couldn't be turned up - so Luka asked if we minded having the lights kept on over us as well. Because of course "it's more fun with the lights on"(!)

SETLIST:
1. I Am Not At War
2. Tribe
3. I Love The World I'm In
4. Primavera
5. Make You Feel My Love
6. June
7. City Of Chicago
8. No Matter Where You Go, There You Are
9. See You Soon
10. Eastbound Train
11. Love Is A Monsoon
12. Rainbow Day
13. Everyman
14. Lord Franklin
15. Acoustic Motorbike
16. Sunny Sailor Boy
17. You Couldn't Have Come At A Better Time
- Encore -
18. I'm On Your Side
19. Diamond Mountain
20. I Need Love
21. Black Is The Colour

Luka told a few stories from the Australian tour - though not the one about nearly drowning!

There was the time he persuaded Conor and the roadies to give him a few minutes to say goodbye to a particular beach before moving on to the next town/gig.... He stood just barely into the water, waves lapping his ankles, with his head tilted back and his eyes closed.... only to get splashed to his waist by a rogue wave! So in the next town he spies a sign saying "SALE" in a clothes shop window, goes in and is flicking through the rack of shorts, when a young sales woman steps up beside him, puts her hand on his shoulder and says: "awww, had a little accident, granddad?"

Straight-talkin' Australian women. Even more so than Irish women - apparently (!)

No Rudy tonight - but the Lakewood stepped in quite ably!! Great to finally hear it after being teased by its silent presence several times.

No EXPLORING THE BLUE / TE ADORO / GONE TO PABLO or FIRE. The Lakewood sounded great though for all the Rudy songs he did play e.g. EVERYMAN, I'M ON YOUR SIDE, MONSOON, ACOUSTIC MOTORBIKE, SUNNY SAILOR BOY, YOU COULDN'T HAVE COME...
And we had RAINBOW DAY and BLACK IS THE COLOUR.
Plus LORD FRANKLIN (signature tune of Micheal O Domhnaill, guitarist with the Bothy Band) -- which Luka said he learned recently out of love and respect for Micheal but has never played in public before.

Oh, and JUNE - first time I've heard this live - it's never been a particular favourite but this was gorgeous.

Then I NEED LOVE - so many cat calls, wolf whistles, ribald comments! About two-thirds through, Luka just bust up laughing! I wasn't sure if he would (or could) continue but he bravely pulled it together - and then used the long "make-yourself-seen" space, not to give long searching stares, but to give back as good as he'd been getting!!

Altogether the evening was a bit more saucy (!!) than usual...
Although, as always, a totally Class Act. Great songs, great spirit, great show.

(Originally published 2009 at http://www.rbergholz.net/lukabloom/review/fanreviews9.htm#020509a)