Beoga in NZ

You remember the other week I posted the Kiwi albums I'd reviewed that I hated, right? And then after that I posted the Kiwi albums I'd reviewed that I loved, yeah? And just last week there was a final batch of Kiwi albums I hated; all from the terrible year in local music that was 2007.

Well, during all that digging around in the archives I revisited a few reviews - even digging out some albums to listen to for the first time in ages. I cranked up Todd Rundgren's Liars just last week. I still like that. I'm not sure if other people do. Do you?

Anyway, one of the reviews I found - and had forgotten all about - was for an Irish band, Beoga.

Click here to check out the band's MySpace page.

In a funny coincidence I see the band begins its tour of New Zealand today, extensively ploughing through the country for the rest of May and into June. Here are the dates:

May

19 NZ Auckland, The Kings Arms
20 NZ Hamilton, The Gallagher Concert Chamber, WEL Energy Trust Academy of Performing Arts
21 NZ Inglewood, The Fern Lodge,
22 NZ Wellington, The Ruby Lounge
27 NZ Gisborne, The Poverty Bay Club
28 NZ Hastings, Playhouse Theatre
30 NZ Christchurch, The Dux du Lux, Christchurch Folk Club

June

02 NZ Wanaka, Riverhouse Theatre
04 NZ Nelson, Ceol Aneas teaching weekend
05 NZ Nelson, The Theatre Royal Concert & Ceol Aneas
06 NZ Nelson, Ceol Aneas teaching weekend
07 NZ Nelson, Ceol Aneas teaching weekend

You can see it culminates with a few days as part of the Ceol Aneas Irish festival in Nelson.

I'll probably head along to the Wellington gig because I really enjoyed the band's music.

Maybe it's not all that much of a coincidence. But when I found out the band was touring I might have passed it over had I not re-read the review and thought to go back to the music. I really like Beoga's ability to offer traditional flavours but to really extend the palette; to daub in some world and country music motifs, always tracing around them still with the Irish folk ideals.

In that sense, they reminded me a bit of Gráda. In fact, I even said that in the review I wrote a couple of years ago.

Here's what I said about the band's album Mischief:

Beoga
Mischief

Following up on their debut, A Lovely Madness, Celtic-folk group Beoga have added Niamh Dunne's lead vocals and fiddle to the collective sound. The focus, on the instrumental tunes, is still the duelling accordions of Damian McKee and Sean Og Graham, with fine support from Eamon Murray's traditional Bodhran percussion and more experimental, worldly, Cajon playing. The reels have the sonorous lilt to them, rolling and undulating, weaving and stitching, melodic layers falling in on themselves. And the pop tunes, sung by Dunne, would appeal to Alison Krauss or Dixie Chicks fans, stretching into the wide open spaces of Americana, out and away from Celtic confines. The version of Steely Dan's Dirty Work is, somewhat surprisingly, particularly affecting, moving away from the wry humour of the Dan's motive and merely providing a lovely version of a super-smart pop song. Fans of Gráda would be wise to take a listen to Beoga.

And here's a link to the band's official site.

So, plenty of shows, starting with tonight. And plenty of links for you to see more from the band, including this live clip showing a pretty cool Bodhran solo. Will you go and see Beoga when they play your town? Have you seen them before?

And if none of that interests you and read this far - are you a fan of Todd Rundgren's Liars album?

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Blair   #1   05:48 pm May 19 2010

This I can abide by, a whiskey we will go, ok ok enuff of the irish generalisations cobba, i took ya land i'm only white there is no depression in nz once ya make ya money, oh thats true.

Don 1   #2   08:30 am May 20 2010

I would but I have an innate hatred of the accordion, the most pointless and vile instrument of all. The best way to play it is with a steam roller.

And whaddya mean "daub in...some country motifs"? Country is made from Irish music, it's hardly surprising there are similarities. Doesn't make it country (unless they've got a pedal steel guitar in there somewhere...)

Blair   #3   06:05 pm May 20 2010

Don't u mean ukelele orchestras for 30 bucks, inclusive please, give me a backyard and pino caloda and invite the neighbourhood over for a barby, unless ya neighbours dodge of course, bit like a ukelele orchestra.