Last Days of Dalymount

Last Days Of Dalymount

words: Corey Grange

Well, Dalymount (as it is), it was lovely knowing you. Not that I'm much of a football fan, but these gigs were a lovely way to end the current iteration of Dalymount Park. I caught the Saturday gig, as that lineup was the one to catch. No Johnny Logan or half of Fontaines spinning records for me. Róisín El Cherif, Brian Brannigan with Paul Page (amongst others), Gemma Dunleavy (yup de flats), Bricknasty (meh but talented) and John Francis Flynn (tall)?!? The 'Special Guest' never materialised but Cormac Begley joined the lineup too (Shlap Hendrix, as myself and Bren Berry christened him on the night). Róisín El Cherif stunned the crowd with her originals and her astounding covers of 'Running Up That Hill' and 'Black is the Colour'. Cormac Begley maestroed the ever-loving jaysus out of his concertina, much to the audience's delight. Gemma Dunleavy's energy may have been too much for this particular audience, but her set was good craic (particularly love her drawing attention to the case of Terence Wheelock. Heartbreaking and unjust). Brian Brannigan and Tony Barrett are spellbinding together. 'The Dealers' may be one of the best Irish songs of all time. Throw Paul Page into the mix and 3 Whipping Boy songs, after 7 A Lazarus Soul tunes? Tears were shed. I wore my Whipping Boy longsleeve for a reason. Tour together, lads, we need it. Bricknasty aren't my cup of tea at all, but funny lads nonetheless. JFF half-blinded me with a supernova of a lightbulb behind him but I won't hold it against him (he'd snap me like a twig, I'm smarter than that). Great times, great people, great balls of fire.

Original Whipping Boy guitarist Paul Page (in red) with Brian Brannigan (A Lazarus Soul) on vocals, Tony Barrett (Sack) on second guitar, Anton Hegarty (A Lazarus Soul) on bass and Brian Gallagher on drums.

Roisin El Sharif