Live Review - Printer Clips at Vicar Street

HP snapper Kathrin Baumbach caught the action on the night; check out the photo gallery here.

It’s official: Paul Noonan is some sort of genius. We knew of his musical talents long ago, of course, but a man who manages to get Gemma Hayes, Lisa Hannigan, Cathy Davey into the same room, and not only has his wife’s blessing but gets her to join in? That’s genius, right there.
This, then, is Printer Clips – acoustic balladry’s version of speed dating. The Bell X1 man holds down the fort, and invites a parade of talent to join him in performing delicate duets, which were committed to record earlier this year with the likes of Amy Millan, Martha Wainwright and Joan As Police Woman. On this occasion, it’s the Irish contributors who are called upon, in front of a packed-out, hushed-up Vicar Street.
First up is Gemma Hayes, who puts in the longest shift of the guests. ‘The Snowman’ sets a perfect tone for the evening ahead, while Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh’s violin cameo in ‘If I Had Your Grace’ adds something a little special to proceedings.
A quick substitution sees Cathy Davey replace Hayes, and the frankly hilarious ‘The Dolphins and the World’s Tallest Man’ breaks a certain tension. It’s not that it’s particularly awkward, but aside from applause at the end of each song there’s an eerie silence, and the rather melancholic nature of the material means that a bit of levity is readily embraced.
Normal service resumes with Danielle Harrison taking the stage for an impressive ‘My Rome Is Burning’, but it’s not long before the real trump card is produced. Lisa Hannigan has partaken in plenty of collaborations in her time, but her dusky alto could scarcely be more perfectly suited here; vocally, the two intertwine perfectly, while her wry delivery is ideal for Noonan’s lyrical wit. ‘Some Surprise’ is enchanting, and ‘Apparatchik’ concludes with an audience singalong of a lyric liberated from Banksy; “Laugh now but one day, we’ll be in charge”.
With wife Amy van den Broek, a heart-wrenching ‘Hole In Her Heart’ should probably have brought the night to a close, but a cover of Kate Bush’s ‘Cloudbusting’ – which gives a chance to see all the artists perform together – is too much to resist.
It’s not entirely clear how much mileage Noonan could get out of this project, but shared sparingly, there should be a few more special nights for Printer Clips in the future.