The Hearts’ return to the stage was always going to be special and there certainly was magic in the air as Donal Lunny, Davy Spillane, Eoghan O’Neill, Keith Donald, Matt Kellaghan, Noel Eccles, Anto Drennan and Graham Henderson took to the stage for the first of a four night stand.
Famously described (by Chris Rea, of all people) as a “Celtic Little Feat” all the elements that made the Hearts unique – namely their powerful synergy as an ensemble – were present and correct.
And while some might have preferred the earlier Christy Moore or Mick Hanly fronted line-up, there’s no doubting that the trad/rock supergroup’s most enduring legacy was their third album, the all-instrumental work, The Storm.
It was that album that made up the bulk of the set and there were audible gasps and howls of recognition as the familiar strains of tunes such as ‘The Lark’, ‘May Morning Dew’, ‘The Titanic’, ‘Tribute To Peadar O’Donnell’ wafted from the stage. There was still room for tunes such as ‘McBrides’ from their eponymous debut and a couple of newer pieces (one featuring special guest Kevin Glacken on fiddle). The years have been more than kind to the Hearts and apart from Davey Spillane’s shaved head and Eoghan O’Neill’s slim-line look nothing much had changed.
But what was truly remarkable night was their ability to click right back into gear, without missing a cue. The warmth of the reception they received spoke volumes about their place at the heart of Irish music. (The final night was filmed, presumably for a future DVD release, so if you missed out on this welcome gig you still have a chance to catch up with them.)