I have to confess that I am not familiar with Damien Dempsey’s music – I knew of him vaguely as one of our standing army of singer-songwriters but couldn’t name you a song of his. However, when a friend offered me a ticket to go and see Tales from the Holywell at the Abbey based on his life and featuring his songs I went along mainly because it was directed by Conor McPherson whose Girl from the North Country (based on Dylan’s songs) I had enjoyed. This however turned out to be a much different kind of production. Instead of dramatised scenes accompanied by songs, we got Dempsey himself telling the story of his life and stopping occasionally to sing songs accompanied by a very accomplished quartet of musicians on violin, double-bass, keyboards and drums. He’s a personable, entertaining guy with a good stock of mildly amusing stories. His life was not as hard scrabble as his working-class hero persona might suggest. Both his parents worked and he attended a third-level college. He had a comfortable upbringing, even if it was in Donaghamede, which is hardly the Gorbals. But that’s alright, most successful artists, writers and musicians have a well-polished origin story that often strays from reality. His anecdotes and stories were not enough however to carry the evening for me. My main problem were his songs and his singing. He has a strong voice but with a limited range - it was frequently flat and out of tune, more shouting than singing occasionally. The songs themselves were often banal with clichéd language and commonplace rhymes. Best listened to in a crowded pub after a few pints I suspect. The sentiments expressed were admiral, but their mediocrity left me completely cold. (He’s no Richard Thomson nor indeed Teddy Thompson). However, I was pretty much alone in this regard as the packed audience greeted every song with ecstatic applause and in between hung on his every word as he told the story of his life. Fair dues to him for parleying a modest talent into a successful career. His amiable manner and impressive communication skills suggest to me that he’d make a good radio presenter – but of other people’s songs.
