One particular topic of conversation may have taken up a lot of time around the pubs of Strabane over the past few weeks. A new topic began to be whispered around certain quarters at the beginning of last week. What began as a whisper went into overdrive last weekend, so much so that it rivalled that other big story on every pub drinker’s lips.
Could it be true? Could Paul Brady, the most famous singer-songwriter ever to come out of Strabane, be performing at the monthly Strabane Unplugged session which takes place in the All Stars Bar? Certain mobile phones never stopped ringing. Certain lips were sealed. It was a case of ‘come down and see for yourself’.
At an admission charge of just three pounds at the door one would be justified in dismissing the rumours; three pounds to see a guy who can count Bob Dylan, Tina Turner and Carlos Santana as three of his fans? Surely not! Yet the vast numbers that crammed into the All Stars before ten o’clock were not going to be denied.
Strabane Unplugged has always encouraged local artists who have not yet performed at one of the sessions to get themselves down there and up on that stage. At 10.30 on Monday night one local artist treaded the Unplugged boards for the first time. The rumours were true - it was Strabane’s very own Paul Brady.
After a roof-raising welcome in the sweltering heat of the packed All-Stars, he went straight into a solo set armed with just his acoustic guitar. What followed was an hour long delve into Brady’s back catalogue, taking in tracks off classic albums such as ‘Hard Station’, ‘Trick or Treat’ and ‘Spirits Colliding’. The crowd, which had in its rank many local musicians both young and old, looked on in awe as Brady illustrated his stunning guitar playing and flawless song-craft with all the ease of a man who has been doing it globally for decades now. Brady himself seemed at ease with what, for him, is a pretty scaled down show. He enjoyed the ‘in-yer-face’ intimacy that not even a venue like Dublin’s Olympia, which Brady always sells-out, could perhaps even rival. He was also buoyed on with the fact that sitting out there in the audience savouring the atmosphere was his father, Sean.
It was a sheer delight to hear classics like ‘Busted Loose’ and ‘The World is What You Make It’ in such a stripped down capacity. The crowd were especially vocal in their appreciation for Brady’s acoustic take on his 1981 classic ‘Crazy Dreams’, which saw everyone take to their feet at it’s conclusion.
Could it be true? Could Paul Brady, the most famous singer-songwriter ever to come out of Strabane, be performing at the monthly Strabane Unplugged session which takes place in the All Stars Bar? Certain mobile phones never stopped ringing. Certain lips were sealed. It was a case of ‘come down and see for yourself’.
At an admission charge of just three pounds at the door one would be justified in dismissing the rumours; three pounds to see a guy who can count Bob Dylan, Tina Turner and Carlos Santana as three of his fans? Surely not! Yet the vast numbers that crammed into the All Stars before ten o’clock were not going to be denied.
Strabane Unplugged has always encouraged local artists who have not yet performed at one of the sessions to get themselves down there and up on that stage. At 10.30 on Monday night one local artist treaded the Unplugged boards for the first time. The rumours were true - it was Strabane’s very own Paul Brady.
After a roof-raising welcome in the sweltering heat of the packed All-Stars, he went straight into a solo set armed with just his acoustic guitar. What followed was an hour long delve into Brady’s back catalogue, taking in tracks off classic albums such as ‘Hard Station’, ‘Trick or Treat’ and ‘Spirits Colliding’. The crowd, which had in its rank many local musicians both young and old, looked on in awe as Brady illustrated his stunning guitar playing and flawless song-craft with all the ease of a man who has been doing it globally for decades now. Brady himself seemed at ease with what, for him, is a pretty scaled down show. He enjoyed the ‘in-yer-face’ intimacy that not even a venue like Dublin’s Olympia, which Brady always sells-out, could perhaps even rival. He was also buoyed on with the fact that sitting out there in the audience savouring the atmosphere was his father, Sean.
It was a sheer delight to hear classics like ‘Busted Loose’ and ‘The World is What You Make It’ in such a stripped down capacity. The crowd were especially vocal in their appreciation for Brady’s acoustic take on his 1981 classic ‘Crazy Dreams’, which saw everyone take to their feet at it’s conclusion.
On a night of countless highlights perhaps the biggest was the classic ‘Nobody Knows’. The lush production of its 1991 studio version was replaced with just a six-string acoustic and that unmistakable signature vocal delivery that is Paul Brady’s and Paul Brady’s alone. Once again the reaction of the crowd summed up so much about how everyone present was feeling – glad that one of their own had come along to join in on what is now a monthly celebration of all that is good and great about Strabane as a town and a community. Paul Brady himself was proud to be a part of it and loved every minute. As was said when he was introduced to the stage – it’s always nice to get locals up on the Unplugged stage who haven’t been there yet. That tradition was maintained on Monday night in the finest fashion possible. Long may it continue.
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