Farrell Spence: Live at De Barra's 26 March 2009
Country-tinged Canadian Troubadour Plays Memorable Irish Gigs
Mar 26, 2009
Located in the heart of West Cork, De Barra's pub (www.debarra.ie) is an important stopping off point on the Irish small venue circuit. Late Jimi Hendrix Experience bassist Noel Redding lived in the vicinity and played shows to delighted audiences during the '80s and '90s.
The homely atmosphere remains to this day, with the venue keen to nurture singer/ songwriters at a grass roots level. The splendid Sitting Room sessions take place every Wednesday night and the usual audio paraphernalia such as mike stands, amps and monitors share the low stage with a book case, standard lamps and a comfy two-seater settee.
DeBarra's Sitting Room Sessions Nurture Great New Talent.
Wembley Stadium it ain't, but that's the point. It's a great little venue, offering crystal clear sound and easy interaction between band and audience. It's an ideal setting for a performer like Farrell Spence. Her folk and country-influenced confessionals have a sparse, ghostly grace which is merely accentuated by the intimacy of the room.
Since arriving from Vancouver, Spence has hooked up with two talented local musicians. Lead guitarist Eoin O'Regan's Gibson Les Paul adds subtle, fluid colour to Farrell's sparse acoustic guitar. David Murphy's spectral pedal steel, meanwhile, is truly evocative, bringing the lonesome trains and remote plains of Spence's songs vividly to life.
Farrell Spence's A Town Called Hell Debut Album is an Undiscovered Gem.
Two songs from A Town Called Hell(www.farrellspence.com) lead off. Tell It To Someone Else is a shivering song of love and betrayal. I Drink, meanwhile, sounds stately enough on the surface, but its' subject matter (domestic violence) lends it a much darker hue.
Spence sings with an eerie dignity reminiscent of both The Cowboy Junkies' Margo Timmins and Emmy Lou Harris, yet she never sounds derivative. She even turns in a poised cover of Harris's Evangeline complete with spot-on three-way harmonies which is more than capable of standing on its' own two feet.
Covers of Wayfaring Stranger and Emmy Lou Harris' Evangeline
The relaxed setting and attentive audience take the less-familiar songs to their hearts too. Finely-crafted new tunes like Song To The Sea and You Can Sleep On My Floor happily rub shoulders with the Town Called Hell selections and well-placed traditional songs like Wayfaring Stranger. All sound otherworldly and special and are received warmly.
Farrell Spence's profile is still relatively small in Europe, but her Irish sojourn is winning her long-term fans. She has a haunting quality all her own which hints at longevity and suggests shows of this nature will become a thing of the past as her popularity grows. Discover her before she moves to the next level.
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