Review of Lisa Hannigan and James Vincent McMorrow at The Button Factory on December 8th 2011
Review: Greg Synott
Photos: Derek Kennedy
It can be a rare treat to win tickets to a gig; it is an even rarer treat to win tickets to a gig where two of Ireland’s finest musicians at the moment would take to the same stage. As soon as I heard whispers of James Vincent McMorrow and Lisa Hannigan playing an intimate show in the Button factory, it was not long before I was vying for every opportunity to win tickets. These were tickets that could not be bought, only chance, and entering every available competition online.
This night was all thanks to the Meteor Choice Music Prize and is definitely building up for next year’s competition when the shortlist is announced in January. Stuart Clarke of Hot Press fame hosting the entire night, which was broadcast worldwide via muzu.tv. Lisa Hannigan took to the stage first captivating the audience from the very moment she hit the stage.
For a woman who appears so fragile and delicate she has a presence like no other, a quiet confidence in knowing she’s good at what she does. Capturing the audience’s attention with her beautifully husky voice and her ability to not only master song writing but also every instrument she can get her hands on. And she’s funny, really funny; she knew how to keep the crowd laughing in between songs whilst making fun of her twitter enemy McMorrow and the overzealous photographer who took his place right at the front. Hannigan stands out on her own, easily capable of taking on the world, who knows maybe she’ll let James Vincent McMorrow hang around for another duet.
The show took a brief pause as Stuart Clarke took both Lisa and James on stage for a short interview, a moment that seemed more for the audiences watching at home than for the gig goers, many of whom took this interval to freshen their drinks.
James Vincent McMorrow took to the stage to booming cheers, no real surprise considering he’s been selling out venues all over the place in the last year. His début album ‘Early in the Morning’ is clearly attracting a dedicated fan base, many of whom seemed to be present that night. Apparently, just getting over a cold, hot whiskey was helping him charm the crowd alongside his shy but humorous manner; he knows how to appease the crowd in between songs. For anyone that has caught McMorrow live before, they knew how special it is to see him live. He is one of the few acts who consistently impresses on the live circuit and tonight was no different. He held the audience in his hand and wrapped them safely in his music, the highlight for me and many others according to twitter being ‘We Don’t Eat’, following which, I received several messages from friends watching at home reminding me how jealous they were, and jealous they deserved to be.
Anyone who was there knew how special an evening it was, nothing more need be said on it. Catch these two artists when you can and if it’s in an intimate setting all the better. Before I finish, I would like to mention their backing musicians. The musicians who joined Lisa Hannigan and James Vincent McMorrow on stage that night were incredible. Gavin Glass made an appearance with Lisa and one notable face on bass for JVM was Fergus Gleeson (son of Brendan) and although I never know most their names, the experience would not be the same without them.
