The launch event for the 'Live at Foxrock Folk Club' took place on Tuesday night in Whelan's and it was a great night. There were lots of 'Foxrock Folks' (as Luke Kelly called us all those years ago), i.e. those of us who were on the committee and organised the club, including my brother Phil, Una, Clodagh, Rick, Pete, Carol, Ray and Roddy and there many more who would liked to have been there.
By happy coincidence, Tuesday night would have been Luke Kelly's 75th birthday so I was delighted that two of his brothers, Jimmy and John, were able to attend. There were also a number of family members of the artists involved including Brian Fry's daughter, Emma, and Red Peters wife, Frances.
Many of the organisers and participants in the early Dublin folk club scene came along and there were people who had set up and played in the Dublin Ballad Club, the Coffee Kitchen, the Universal, the Auld Triangle, the Neptune, the Green Linnet and the Swamp. Some of these people continue to play in present-day clubs such as the Phoenix and the Tarred and Feather Club and at sessions throughout Dublin.
Leo O'Kelly gave an entertaining presentation on the folk club scene of the day and his first appearance at Foxrock which involved a birthday cake, two young women and the opportunity cost of having to fulfil his engagement at the club. He then played a beautiful, recently written song which related to the equal marriage debate and joined with Sonny Condell for a wonderful version of Sonny's classic song from the early 70s, Time is Like a Promise.
Gerry Doyle, one of the lead guitarists from the classic acoustic Blues group, the Dirty Dozen, remembered the early blues scene in Dublin. He recalled being telephoned out of the blue by Red Peters to join his band and the sessions with international blues greats, such as Big Boy Crudup, that were organised by the creative and greatly missed Larry Roddy. He then played a sweet version of Dylan's Don't Think Twice and the other Dirty Dozen guitarist, Johnny Norris, arrived just in time after work to demonstrate his undiminished guitar-playing skills on Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out.
Throughout the evening a number of tracks were played from the CD and on the sound system of Whelan's they came across brilliantly. Credit for this must first be given to the 15-year old schoolboy, Kevin McCann, who made the original recordings on his reel-to-reel tape recorder, and by judicious placement of the two microphones managed to get a excellent stereo sound. The tapes were then put on CD by Johnny 'Oldhitz' Hughes in Newcastle upon Tyne, who took great care to preserve the original material. Finally, the CDs were restored and mastered by sound engineer (and jazz drummer), Adam Sinclair, again in Newcastle, to produce the final tracks that are of very high quality but maintain the live feel of the original recordings.
Many thanks to all who attended and participated to make it such a special occasion.
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The famous poet once said "never try to recapture that first fine careless rapture" - but this was an unique exception to that rule .... a night of a multitude of memories that drew the mind back into a special scene that will live with us, that were lucky enough to inhabited it, forever! Well done Jeremy and Co. Rosaleen RyanStewart
ReplyDeleteHi Rosaleen,
ReplyDeleteI was delighted you were able to get to the launch and that so many others from the early folk and blues scene were there. It was a great night and lots of lovely music and stories. The more I explore and hear about the early clubs, the more I realise how special they were and I know that for many The Coffee Kitchen lives on in their memories.
Jeremy