An increasingly rare visit from the former Dublin resident, now Swiss domiciled Belfast troubadour Andy White’s brand of acerbic songwriting is always a welcome tonic in these troubled times.

Performing songs from Rare, his recent album of previously unreleased material White and his lone guitar battled with a boisterous, post football match section of the crowd for the early part of his set. He eventually won them over however with his keenly observed songs of political and social commentary. Of the new songs, his critique of boom-time Ireland, ‘The Celtic Tiger Roars’ and ‘(England Died With) Bobby Moore’ written about Tory sleaze in the early 1990’s stood out. Another early rarity, ‘In Fairness Boss’ name-checks the televisual horror that was The Hitman and Her, a late night ’80s dance show featuring one Pete Waterman.

In between, he included familiar old favourites including, ‘In A Groovy Kind of Way’, ‘Street Scenes From My Heart’ and ‘Looking For James Joyce’s Grave’. Meanwhile his debut single and the song that first brought him wide attention, ‘Religious Persuasion’ rings as true today as it did back in the mid-’80s. “Someone’s got to stand up or nothing’s gonna change, ‘till religion is rearranged.”

White on target!