Christy almighty!

There was a time not too far back when it seemed that we might be losing Christy Moore from the frontline of the Irish music scene, but last year’s scintillating album Burning Times and several recent sell-out gigs at The Point in Dublin, followed by the magnificent live CD and DVD mementos of those gigs, has put Christy back centre stage.
And that’s how it should be. For such recent milestones remind us that when it comes to having his finger on the pulse of contemporary Ireland, the man from Kildare is way ahead of the pack. After all, which Irish performer would have the wit, the wisdom and the courage to perform a song like ‘Casey’ with its pointed references to the obscene, yet ironically comical, pretensions of the Eamon Caseys and Michael Clearys who dwell in our midst?
Burning Times features a sublime tribute to the Cork music scene in 'Magic Nights In The Lobby Bar', written by local heroes John Spillane, Ger Wolfe and Ricky Lynch. It also contains the most political batch of Moore recordings for years, ranging from his acclaimed rendering of Bob Dylan’s ‘The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll’ to provocative songs by some of the best songwriters on the planet, including Phil Ochs, Richard Thompson, Morrissey, Natalie Merchant and Joni Mitchell among others. In Moore’s unique interpretations, those songs appeal across genres and borders, stir hearts and consciences, and can tickle funny-bones and get toes-a-tappin’ too.
For Christy’s influences can be heard all over contemporary Irish music, from the work of established acts like John Spillane and Damien Dempsey to relative newcomers such as Ann Scott, Shaz Oye, Roesy, Ger Wolfe and George Murphy.
Articulating the importance of Christy Moore as a cultural icon, The Edge proffers: “When you think about Irish music, and the greats who have left their mark on it over the years, and you come to the modern era, you think about Christy Moore. There is no one like Christy Moore. You might start comparing him to Woody Guthrie or Jacques Brel, but in the end it’s only when you hear Christy that you really get it. He is totally unique."
A Christy Moore gig can run the full gamut, from jokey asides and witty banter with the audience to rousing singalongs and anthems of deep emotional resonance. Asked to describe how he feels performing a song like ‘The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll’ he told Hot Press in a recent interview, “Some nights I get really angry singing that. The sheer injustice of it all. That one man aged 24 could be so confident that he would get away with murdering this poor black woman. It still happens today. It happens in Ireland. That’s where the anger comes from. It’s as much about what’s going on today as about what happened 40 years ago.”
As to why he dedicated the Burning Times album to Rachel Corrie, an American activist ruthlessly killed in Gaza, he explained: “It was just the sheer image of an Israeli earthmover driving across a woman armed only with a megaphone. It’s a powerful image of the times we live in.”
Christy has never been behind the door when expressing his views about contemporary Ireland either.
“I believe we’re heading towards some kind of precipice, and the whole country operates now purely on gain and commerce and profit. Nothing is done any more for the good. The Dundrum Shopping Centre was not built to provide what people need. It was built entirely for people who are already very wealthy. That’s what I have the problem with,” he said.
Much of the credit for Christy’s recent renaissance must be handed to his musical sidekick Declan Sinnott whose tasteful contributions to a Moore live show can best be sampled on the DVD Live At The Point. He never intrudes but is always there to provide a supportive role and to create the mood for Moore’s robust, yet sensitive, voice.
So prepare to have your toes, hearts and consciences given a stretch of overdue exercise now that Christy’s back in town. But I’d be careful about clapping in the wrong spots if I were you!