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John Murry at the Pepper Canister Church, Dublin on 23rd February 2014

Heroin addiction, a drug related brush with mortality, homelessness and divorce. Folk rock troubadour John Murry has suffered for his art more than most but the theory goes that the best art is that suffered most for. His sold out show at The Pepper Canister Church on Sunday night certainly gave credence to the belief, with the Mississippi native treating the crowd to an astounding performance that no one in attendance will be forgetting in a hurry.

Given his beleaguered past it’s somewhat fitting that the third and final date of John Murry’s mini Irish tour should take place in a church. His lyrics certainly carry a confessional tone as the singer recounts his troubled past with heart-on-sleeve honesty. “Off of 16th and Mission/I took an ambulance ride/they said I have shoulda died” he croons on the sweeping piano-driven ballad Little Coloured Balloons. A haunting ten minute magnum opus detailing his near fatal overdose, the song is a modern classic and is the night’s stand out track.

It’s not the only highlight of the set. Opener The Ballad of Pyjama Kid is a delightful slice of Americana that lies somewhere between Wilco and Nick Cave. Southern Sky is similarly rootsy but with an added fuzzed out psychedelic tinge. Things We Lost In the Fire and California are two other highpoints. The former starts slowly before building to a grungey, guitar-driven climax, the latter is a sun-kissed southern groove that sees Murry direct his ire at the vanity of Californian life.

Musically, Murry’s backing band adopt a solid rather than spectacular approach tonight. They keep things simple rarely veering from the time-worn conventions of Americana. It allows for Murry to take centre-stage and demonstrate his vocal prowess.  He does so with considerable style too. His vocals on the aforementioned Little Coloured Balloons are absolutely stunning, delivered with a force of emotion very rarely heard. He repeats the trick on tonight’s final song, a rousing rendition of The Band’s The Night They Drive Old Dixie Down.

A triumphant end to his Irish jaunt, the only negative about this gig is the chances of seeing Murry in a venue this intimate again are slim. Bigger things are to come for John Murry. The only mystery is why they haven’t come already.

John Murry Photo Gallery

Photos: James Murray

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