2. Bell X1- Acoustic Tour- Ballybofey,Co. Donegal (18/10/15)
Bell X1 broughtsome muchneededcheertoa downcastDonegal onSundaythe 18th
of October
whentheirAcousticTourlandedinthe BalorTheatre in Ballybofey.
Disappointmentlingeredfollowingthe afternoonejectionof the national rugbyteamfromthe
WorldCup, butthe near capacitycrowd were sooncomfortedbythe welcomingsoundsof Paul
Noonan,DavidGeraghtyandDominicPhillips inthe intimate surroundsof the Balor.
At €30 a popfor a ticket,it’sunsurprisingthatalmost twohundredpeople packedthe theatreasthe
bandtook the stage justafter 8pm. Nostrangersto the live scene,or indeedDonegal(theyhad
recentlyspenttime recordinginnearbyTermin), the audience were treatedtothe rare sightof
frontman Noonantakingupdrummingresponsibilitiesforthe firstsongof the evening.
Indeed, thisAcousticTourseemstobe a “back to basics”of sorts.Supplementary musiciansusually
employed forliveperformances have beenshedinfavourof the original bandmembersroamingthe
stage to undertake differentrolesfordifferentsongs. It’sliterallymusical chairs.
An arrangementthatwouldusually be impossibleinalive setting,the relaxedethosof thistour
meansthat audiences canappreciate the true musical depthandskill of thiswell-establishedband.
Once the applause subsided,they launched withoutintroductionintothe shamelesslysweet“The
Upswing”.Thiswasfollowedup by “Take Your SweetTime”,abrand new songthat hadthe
audience settlingintotheirseats infull confidence of agoodnightahead.
Withfifteenyearsandeightalbumsundertheirbelt,BellX1exude complete confidence onstage.
Noonanmaintainsabreezyrapportwiththe audience,conversingabouteverything andanything,
includingthe facthe wasusinga Tupperware container of lentilsasa shaker. Thisinformalitymakes
it feel more like supportingclose friends thanwatchingone of Ireland’smost domesticallysuccessful
bands.
The firsthalf of the setcomprisedmainlyof new material,all trademarked byNoonan’s
unmistakeable liltcrooning overdreamy synthhooks.The bandmaybe accusedof playingit
excessivelysafe bytimes,andindeedalotof theirsecondarymaterial fallsdangerouslyclose to
meldingtogethersuchare the similarities.
However, afterthe shortinterval,the biggunscame out.
Crowdfavouritessuchas“Flame”,“The Great Defector”,and“Rocky Took a Lover” raisedthe roof
despite the acousticnature of the performance,and one can’thelpbutmarvel at Noonan’slyrical
prowess.One songinparticular,“HeyAnnaLena”,drew numerous roarsof laughterfromthe crowd
due to the quirkinessof the lyrics.
The delightfullycharming“Eve,The Apple of myEye”seemedtofinishoff the evening,until the
bandreturnedto the stage to performan impromptuversionof ChakaKhan’s“Ain’tNobody”.The
audience were captivated asbandmemberstookturnsto sing, andcertainly voicedtheir
appreciationasBell X1leftthe stage for the final time.
Thisback to basicsAcousticTour seemstobe a symbioticagreementof sorts.Allowingthe bandthe
returnto theirrootswithoutthe usual frillsof live performance,it’salsoajoyfor the audience to
witnesstheiradaptabilityandappreciate the strippedbacknature of theircatalogue.
(540 words)
3. Anne Enright- The ForgottenWaltz (Vintage,€8.99)
Gina Moynihanispurebred Celtic-Tigerstock;A twenty-somethingnewlywed workingforathriving
communications company.Herlife revolvesaroundmeetings,targets,after-workdrinksand
manoeuvringthroughthe egotistical social sceneof Dublin’saffluentmiddle-class.
Andit isat one of these gatheringsthatshe first setseyeson SeanVallely,hersister’sneighbourand
the eventual instigatorof herownpersonal recession.
Followinguponthe Bookerprize winningsuccessof TheGathering, Anne Enrightonce again
examinesthe lessappealingaspectsof the humanconditionasonlyshe can. The Forgotten Waltz is
an unflinchinginsightintothe self-absorbedmadnessof boom-time Ireland andthe subsequentfall
fromgrace, characterisedthrough the trialsandtribulations of ourprotagonist,Gina.
Love,morality,greedandrejectionall feature heavilyinthe convoluted narrative seenthrough
Gina’seyes. Embarkingonrecklessaffairwithamarriedman,Gina’sstory symbolises the rapacious
nature of a countryand itspeople beingcarriedawaywiththemselves onthe tide of wealth,told
fromthe frost-bittenretrospectof a snowyDublin deepinrecession.
Enrightdoesnot just commentate onthe social situationof acountry suddenlyobsessedwith
holidayhomesinBrittasbayand champagne socials.Inherinimitably candidway,she alsoportrays
the true cost of moral corruptionat a microlevel. Forinstance,the affairthatissocentral to the
narrative refusesto be reducedto the conventional lovetriangle, andEnrightmasterfully remindsus
of all partiesaffected bythisillicitliaison.
The sister,whounwittinglyuncoversthe secret; the husband,whose dull complacency isusedto
justifyGina’smarital lapses toherself;the wife,whomayormay notknow about herhusband’s
indiscretions;andthe youngdaughter,whounwittingly dictatesproceedings.
Enrightcasts an intricate andsometimesdisorientatingwebof narrativesthroughout TheForgotten
Waltz, imitatingthe confusion anddishonesty suchadultery brings.It’sabrutallyrealisticportrayal
of the conditionsthatbothinspire andcultivate these situations.
The characters are certainlycredible,eachfull of uncertaintyandweakness.Enrighttakesparticular
care incraftingthe central character of Gina,and the readercannot helpbut empathise with heras
herworld slowly disintegrates around,despite herself-servingbehaviour.She paintsapitifulfigure
by the novel’send,avictimof herownself-delusionand lackof self-esteemplayingout the endof
an exasperatedlove-affairthatneverfullymaterialised.
Othercharacters are notwithoutmeritthough.SeanVallelyis definitely noHollywoodheartthrob,
but Enrightillustrateshimascharismaticbusinessman whois fullyconfidentinhisself;perhapsa
true representationof the typical philanderer.Sean’sdaughterEvaisalsoa surprisinglysignificant
character, thoughherinfluence isfeltmore throughherabsence thanherpresence.
The jury isstill out as to whetherthisnovel will matchEnright’sprevioussuccess,butitiscertainlya
fittingsuccessortothe darklycomicenergyof The Gathering.Enrighthas the unique abilitytocraft
bleakhumouroutof the mostdesperate humansituations,and TheForgotten Waltzwill leave the
readercontemplatinglove,loss,hope,andthe bondsthatbindusall.
(524 words)
