Live Report: The Waterboys at Live At Leopardstown

These racecourse gigs in deepest South Dublin have become a must-see summer highlight over the last few years - a clever mix of big name homegrown acts and international outfits drawing the hordes in their thousands. Previous years have seen the likes of The Human League, Sister Sledge and Horslips wrapping up the summer season at Leopardstown. But tonight, it was turn of legends The Waterboys, who tick both boxes as “one of our own” and acclaimed worldwide.
The showers which fell in earnest earlier in the day disappeared for the evening and Mike Scott & Co took to the stage early for a lengthier-than-usual set, kicking off with a pair of classics from the early days. ‘Medicine Bow’ was a fearsome opening salvo, the band in terrific festival form from the out and the “big music” reverberating around the stands while ‘All the Things She Gave Me’ kept up the momentum making for a blistering start which was.
The familiar opening piano riff to ‘A Girl Called Johnny’ added even more fuel to their fire the current incarnation of the three decades old Waterboys arguably the strongest ever line up. With the manic Brother Paul Brown on Hammond organ adding visual showmanship as well as deep gospel textures newest member ex Picture House bass player Angus Ralston is now well bedded in. Scott’s vocals have rarely sounded more forceful while his sidekick Steve Wickham remains a force of nature on wild fiddle.
The set list didn’t make too many concessions to the fact that this was a more casual crowd than their usual audience but Scott’s more recent excursions into Memphis soul and country blues went down better than might have been expected; ‘If The Answer Is Yeah’, ‘Nashville Tennessee’ were highlights while the riffing, rocking ‘Long Strange Golden Road’ from Modern Blues was exceptional Meanwhile, Still A Freak’ from the same album has grown into a classic the Glam Rock textures.
Not surprisingly ‘The Whole Of The Moon’ and ‘Fisherman’s Blues’ had the camera phones out and voices raised but the death of Aretha earlier today wasn’t going to go unmentioned and Scott dedicated a lovely, ‘How Long Will I Love You’ to the Queen of Soul. The band are on fire right now – catch them as soon as you can.