Reviews

Artist: Beoga
Venue: Irish Cultural Centre, Hammersmith
Town: London
Date: 21 Feb 09
Website: http//www.beogamusic.com

Walking from Hammersmith tube to I had to pass the Apollo where a lone ticket tout tried to sell me tickets for Riverdance. He would have been better off plying his trade a couple of hundred yards down the road as it was standing room only in the Irish Cultural Centre to see traditional (ish) 5 piece band Beoga. Boasting a pair of button accordions ("you can't have two people fighting over such a dangerous instrument") played by Damian McKee and Seán Óg Graham; fiddle - Niamh Dunne; piano - Liam Bradley and bodhrán - Eamon Murray, there are more than jigs, reels and polkas to Beoga.

Translated in English their name means "lively" and they live up to this for the majority of their two sets; "Jazzy Wilbur", "Antics" and, especially, "Fly Fishing" are all tracks that make you want to clap, shout and dance. For me though, they are at their best when Dunne sings. Versions of Paul Kennerly's "Mary Danced With Soldiers" and Clifford T Ward's "The Best Is Yet To Come" are both beautiful and "The Factory Girl" got the biggest cheer of the night.

After a 15 minute break allowed us to relieve, refresh and refill, Bradley and Graham returned to the stage starting the second half with the lilting "A Lovely Madness" before being joined by the rest of the band. The highlight of their second set was undoubtedly Murray's bodhrán solo. A four time All-Ireland champion, personally I'd have banned after the first win just so others could have a chance of winning. Even when the beater slipped and flew towards the front row he continued with his hand.

After this I would have thought that being anywhere near the front would have been a dangerous place to be, but a lassie braved it for the last track with dancing that would not have been out of place in the show that the tout was having trouble selling tickets for.

Set 1
Jazzy Wilbur
Mickey The Pipes
Mary Danced With Soldiers
Antics
Soggy's
The Incident
The Best Is Yet To Come
On The Way
Fly Fishing
Prelude Polkas

Set 2
A Lovely Madness
The Factory Girl
Solid Man
Boxy Set
Lamped
Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone
Bodrhan solo
The Flying Golf Club

Encore
BC Set
Trolleyed
Dirty Work

Words: John Hawes
Photo's: Douglas Coulter

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