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Mairtin O'Connor Band

Venue: The Button Factory
Town: Dublin
Date: April 11th
Website: http://www.mairtinoconnorband.com/

It had to have been the coldest, most inhospitable night of the year, so compensation of some kind was called for.I was driving, so strong drink was out of the question, but the musical fare served up was more than fair recompense for the privations of getting to the venue.

A strong opening set from Ian Carr, John McCusker and Heidi Talbot set the scene for the evening's fare. Theirs is not a full frontal assault on the auditory senses, rather a welcome easing into things.Heidi's voice is a thing of rare beauty, gossamer fine, but capable-Bedlam Boys is a case in point-of going on the rip when it has to.Beautiful interplay between fiddle and guitar lynchpinned the piece, Carr's insistent rhythm driving things along.The version of Tom Waits' Time was as fine as bone china, each note hanging mesmerically in the air, while Start it All Over Again caused intakes of breath from much of the rapt audience.

Then on to the main turn, as Wheeltappers might say.Mairtin O'Connor's digital dexterity is no secret, and in surrounding himself with the likes of guitarist /vocalist Seamie O'Dowd, and fiddler/banjoist Cathal Hayden he has created the perfect alchemy, for neither are afraid to venture boldly beyond borders, while simultaneously keeping the entire affair grounded in the tradition.Every piece- most of them taken from the new album Going Places-is a standout, full of energy, light and shade, and an uncommon degree of generosity between the participants.Of particular note was a piece called Catwalk, played-Mairtin said-at a fashion show in Milan, where the basic hornpipe format was upgraded to swing jazz.Close your eyes , and it could have been the Hot Club De Paris.

For the Monaghan Jig, Cathal switched to banjo, and the resultant interplay-particularly between himself and Seamie -was straight from the top drawer.Key changes, and rhythmic variations held the interest to the last note .

Conor Byrne runs The Liffey Banks series, and his stewardship of same is an object lesson in how to do things.Artists and audiences are respected , and reciprocate by turn.The trio certainly gave it back in spades.Seamie's reading of Believe Me, Sligo by Thom Moore was beautiful entirely-oh, how he's learned to deliver a song-, and the night's closer, The Road West, all participants on afterburner, damn near took the roof off.

Was that the end of it?No chance.A manic, dervish like version of The Queen of Sheba was the obligatory encore, then all six musicians return to the stage for an affecting version of Song For Ireland to make going home in the rain more bearable.Do it again, knowing about the weather?Damn right we would.Brilliant stuff.

Oliver P. Sweeney