Sunday Service (The Unholy Gospel Band and Ludwig O’Neill)

A sunny Sunday afternoon in Belfast, there’s a nip in the air that belies the bony hand of winter that’s still to loosen it’s grip on Springs spry wrist. I make my way into town on the faithful 6a, from the Cregagh road down into city centre, not many folk on the streets, but that’s to be expected on Our Lord’s day, the day of rest.
I’d heard there was a band worth checking out down at Aether and Echo (formerly The Deer’s Head), a Gospel band. Two o’clock it started, an early one for me so I’d made sure to take it easy on the sauce the night before, even so I was still in two minds as to whether to go or not, I’d had a long week and was a tired boy. But up I got, fired on last night’s clothes and marched to the bus-stop. Today I’d decided I’d stick to the soft stuff so I make my way to the bar upon entry and order myself a pot of tea. The band are setting up, I take a seat near the front of the stage, my view only partly blocked by a stubborn pillar. I notice a tall, long-haired fella chatting to a few of the punters nearby, he shoots me a friendly ‘hello’ as I take my seat and it’s only then, looking up, that I realise it’s Cormac Neeson of The Answer, a thoroughly dead-on fella who was kind enough to chat with me for a good twenty minutes about blues harmonica about five years back, when my eyes were a little wider. I wondered what the man was doing here, shouldn’t he be off touring the world or something? I thought no more of it and got lost in a book — something to do with Karmic Law, a Hare Krishna monk had handed it to me after a nice conversation on the dangers of Astral Travel — anyway… You can imagine my surprise and delight when the man himself took to the stage! I couldn’t believe my luck. I immediately texted two old friends who were big fans like myself.
I’d seen The Answer a few times and always remembered Neeson as a firecracker of a performer, I began to rub my hands in delight! The band started up and eased into a beautiful version of “I Shall Be Released”, a Dylan number, though their rendition owed more to The Band’s original recording, complete with lush four-part vocal harmonies. Excitement set in as I sat in my seat, the realisation of seeing Neeson perform in this kind of setting starting to hit home. Next up was a smooth soul number, the title of which I am unsure, but a good rip; after that the Gershwin classic ‘Summertime’, the band backed Neeson well as he played with tonal nuance and phrasing, even adding a third verse – ‘Sometimes I feel like a motherless child,’ a lyric that dates right back to the old negro spirituals, very fitting, a nice touch. Pastor Neeson continued to add to his gospel preacher credentials with some great between-song-banter, building a great rapport with the crowd that ranged from ageing rock n’ rollers to middle-aged normals to babyfaced suit-wearing strangers like myself.
At one point I thought he was about to launch into a Van Morrison number when he introduced the author of his next song as ‘one of Ireland’s leading spiritual visionaries,’ only for him to follow up with ‘and he goes by the name of Bono.’ They proceeded to do a moving take on ‘Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,’ the lyrics imbued with great passion on Neeson’s part.

(I realise at this point I should probably mention some of the other band members! You must forgive me for gettng carried away.)

On guitar we have a fellow named Andy, a very very good player, a cut above most rock players, alot of jazz and obscure folk in him. A great soloist but truly comes into his own as a rhythm player, always supporting the song, whether he’s punctuating the groove with short chordal stabs or weaving pagan spells with his strange arpeggios, this guy is a bit of a master, wresting searing tones from his telecaster, he picks up the slide at one point and his touch is expert, he makes it talk. On keys is Claire McCartney, a good player(though sad to say her playing gets lost a little in the band’s heavier moments) and a great singer with pure voice and a deep, steady vibrato. On the sticks is Micahel ‘The Mad Monk,’ a very groovy player who plays right across the kit and picks things up when that intangible telepathic magic starts to happen, hammering his drums with great ferocity when called upon. An unassuming chap clad all in black by the name of Eamon holds down the low end, feeding the groove steadily, nothing too flash, but fully capable of a melodic flourish here and there should the notion take him.
The band is tight and loose, well rehearsed yes, but relaxed enough to let the thing flow; they play off eachother well and during a number of songs ascend into some kind of dynamic groove, driving the thing forward then taking it down to a whisper, teasing the listening, demanding all their attention before firing back into it again at full tilt. Other songs in the set included ‘California Dreamin’, more fine harmonising; ‘Personal Jesus’; ‘Oh Happy Days’, Gregory Porter’s ‘Liquid Spirit’ and an absolutely storming version of Jackie Wilson’s hit ‘Higher and Higher.’ Neeson’s vocals throughout were rangy, soulful and well-phrased with some deep impressive vibrato; and the ability to apparently hold a note for as long as he wanted. I once heard someone describe him as having ‘the voice from hell,’ I’d find it hard to disagree though I must say that at times today his voice was very much heavenly.
My one criticism of the gig would be that they were perhaps a bit too heavy for what is supposed to be a ‘Gospel’ band, then again, they are the ‘Unholy’ gospel band and maybe a voice like Neeson’s demands or encourages that kind of backing. For a Sunday afternoon I would’ve preferred something a little more laid back, more subtlety, more ensemble playing and maybe more of an effort to capture the essence of those old Gospel songs. But! That is just my personal taste.  All in all a good gig, one well worth checking out if you like your music, especially soul and blues with a hard rock edge. You can catch The Unholy Gospel Band at 1-4pm every Sunday at Aether and Echo.

Next up was Ludwig O’Neil at the Landsdowne Hotel, eight of the clock. In between times I’d rustled up a vegetarian pasta meal, a colourful wee dish with cutesy button mushrooms, blushing little cherry tomatoes, mad-hot chillis,  flavoursome garlic and the might scallion!
I’ve known Ludwig for a wee while and he’s a great fella, no pretence about him whatsoever, just straight down the line good people. He’s a fantastic singer: not just somebody blessed with an aesthetically pleasing sound, but a man who knows how to use his voice, how to maximise emotional impact. A folk-singer really, with a great feeling for blues, soul and country – it all blends nicely into his singular style. Think of a half-decent guitar-player with a rich daddy: he plays a custom Les Paul through an all-valve amp, but can only do so much with it; no, this guy can really play his instrument. And ok, it might not be a Les Paul, but that’s a common sound anyway, no, this man has carved out the resonant body of his instrument to unique specifications.
The crowd is middle-aged mostly, engrossed in their company, many missing out on the great music being played, (I wrote a quick poem about them, check it out below!) but there are enough interested listeners to make this a worthwhile gig for the player, enough for him to invest a reasonable amount of himself in the music, and that’s what makes it.

Red-faced old men in jeans
Their shirts tucked in
Standin’ round
Havin’ the craic
On a Sunday evening

Nursin’ their pints
Taking their time
They’ve plenty of it

First half of the set is mixed up nicely, some good country stuff, a bit of Irish folk, a wee tribute to Bowie and Nirvana(I’ll let you work out the track!) and a nice blues to round it off. Second set kicks off with another blues and continues with a few old favourites, the pints have been well got in by this time and the punters are ready for the likes of ‘The Gambler’, ‘Country Roads’ and the never-failing ‘Wagon Wheel’. Lucky for those with tired ears, the man playing has a great ability  to kick a played-out number in the ass, giving it a well-needed jolt; he can take a melody and twist it just enough so that it’s fresh but still recognisable.
His rhythm-guitar playing is great, reminiscent of a roaring jetski bouncing and crashing over the waves; no, a 2-stroke scrambler, firin’ down a potholed lane, full rip.
Vocal phrasing is very satisfying for the close listener, there’s a well-disguised jazz element and a range of tones utilised effectively. He truly comes into his own during the country songs, he can wail like Hank Williams and leave a delightful curl at the end of a phrase a lá Van Morrison.
The man’s refreshingly unaffected, his between-song banter natural, he’s salt of the soil.
Every time he plays a song it’ll be different, just like a great artist might paint the same scene day after day, the light and shade will always vary.
To conclude, a great evening’s music from a man whom I consider to be among Belfast’s very best singers – you can catch Ludwig and lead guitarist Brendy Faulkner at Madden’s bar this Saturday night, the 16th.