I’m pretty sure we had all persuaded ourselves that through a massive collective effort of goodwill we could prevent the inevitable, but on August 16 we learned it wasn’t to be. The death of Ronnie Drew has drawn tributes from all around the globe and, fittingly, from every generation.
Blessed with one of the most distinctive and magnificent voices this country has produced, Ronnie had at various points in his solo career experimented with a variety of styles: his non-Dubliner records were often jazz-inflected in an attempt to push his vocal envelope. He never appeared too bothered about staying within his comfort zone, either musically or otherwise, and would try anything once.
That bravery was part of his make-up yet it was with The Dubliners that the fire truly burned. The Dubliners started as The Ronnie Drew Band and although for long periods of its existence it has continued without him he has always been an essential part of its DNA. Partly, of course, it was the nature of the material. The songs he sang as part of The Dubliners served him, by and large, far better than anything he did solo. If you look at footage of The Dubliners at the height of their powers, there’s a stateliness about Ronnie Drew perhaps best seen in the footage of The Dubliners and The Pogues performing ‘The Irish Rover’ on Top Of The Pops. As The Pogues run through their punk moves and Shane MacGowan snarls and slurs through his verses, The Dubliners are tempted into throwing a few shapes of their own. All the while the man in the centre, hands thrust into his trouser pockets and starched shirt collar turned up, trumped them all with the arch of an eyebrow.
A bundle of positive energy to the end, I had never for a minute thought he wouldn’t beat it. I almost fell over when I heard the news of his passing. He has also left a magnificent legacy, inspiring artists such as Damien Dempsey. Doubtless there will be musical tributes aplenty – let’s hope they have the same spirit that he always had.
The world can’t stop, of course, and there is plenty of music with which to celebrate the vibrancy that marked Ronnie’s spirit. Music Network is presenting a nationwide tour under the banner ‘The West’s Awake’, which features the combined talents of four of the finest singers working in Galway at the moment. Sisters Cora and Breda Smyth, who have both performed extensively as part of Michael Flatley’s Lord Of The Dance are collaborating with ex-Lunasa guitarist Donogh Hennessy and singer Pauline Scanlon. Hennessy and Scanlon have been working together since her 2004 debut Red Colour Sun but the recording in Nashville of its follow-up Hush has given them the opportunity to work with some great players in the Americana traditions. The Smyth sisters collaborated on an album featuring a collection of tunes many of which are recent compositions, while Cora has since released a solo album with an eclectic take on where Irish music stands at the minute.
The tour kicks off in the heart of the West with a concert in Ballina Arts Centre on Wednesday September 17. The following evening it moves on to Thurles Source Arts Centre and on Friday September 19 the four will be in the Ionad Cuturtha in Baile Mhuirne. Saturday September 20 sees them move on to the Mermaid Arts Centre in Bray and on the Sunday they are to be found at Anaverna in Ravensdale, Co. Louth. The Dublin show takes place in the Coach House, Dublin Castle on Tuesday September 23 while the following evening sees them in Navan’s Solstice Arts Centre. The Dock in Carrick-On-Shannon is the venue for the penultimate show of the tour on Thursday September 25 and fittingly the tour draws to a close in Connemara with a show at the Alcock and Brown Hotel in Clifden on Friday September 26.