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Your Gateway to Music and More from a Christian Perspective Slow down as you approach the gate, and have your change ready.... |
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Since 1996 |
Your Gateway to Music and More from a Christian Perspective Slow down as you approach the gate, and have your change ready.... |
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Brian
Houston Live In Ballymena
A blistering rock performance by Belfast's Brian Houston was a very fitting launch of the excellent David McWilliams tribute album at the new Braid Arts Centre on Good Friday. Brought up in Ballymena's Rectory Estate, David McWilliams was top of nearly every pop chart in Europe in 1967 with what has become a classic of pop music, "Days Of Pearly Spencer," written about a tramp from Cullybackey. As a town we would find it hard to defend ourselves to the accusation of keeping our most successful musical son's name alive, but if we are in the future to repent and make amends, then the quality of what is done in McWilliams' name is crucial and, on launch night, Brian Houston showed the way. Brian Houston has been earning his crust playing across Northern Ireland for nearly 20 years, and the last five have seen him reach beyond local markets to Britain and America. His match fitness shines through. This man knows how to captivate an audience. Built on the most crafted of songs, he throws Elvis-like shapes, creates musical swoops and soars and captivates attention. His band are seasoned players but not of the session player variety. They are each artists and contributors in their own right and the eclectic mix of styles comes easy. "The End Of The Beginning" is the Van Morrison we wish we still had, "Sugar Queen" twists and turns, wrapping Tom Waits into a youthful alternative edge and "The Valley" brings in Gospel and folk and soul to a holy day. More important tonight, in the midst of making people aware of his own work, he gave a heartfelt, sensitive tribute to David McWilliams before performing "Days Of Pearly Spencer," making it just as essential 40 years later; a resurrection on Good Friday might confuse theologically but a resurrection just the same! The other main act was Henry McCullough, who showed all the guitar genius that took him from Portstewart to Woodstock as well as Paul McCartney's Wings, but sadly, he ran out of time and couldn't play his contribution to the album. A special mention for David McWilliams' daughters Meghan and Hannah, who opened the night with their dad's very first single, "God and My Country," which was reminiscent of the Indigo Girls being reminiscent of David McWilliams. The song, written in 1966, sounded even more prophetically relevant than ever. So the album got the quality launch it deserved. If you have any interest in music then it is an obligatory purchase, as is going to Brian Houston gigs when he is in town! A Tribute To David McWilliams, double CD, available TREVOR KEYS MUSIC, BALLYMENA; BERT MCCORMICKS BALLYCLARE; SOLSTICE COLERAINE; BOYLES SPAR, BALLYCASTLE; NO ALIBIS BOOKSTORE, BELFAST or by post (£12 includes P&P payable to David McWilliams Bursary Scheme) from Flamingo Street Productions, 14 Woodgrove, Woodtown Road, Ballymena BT43 5JQ. Steve Stockman 30 April 2008 Steve Stockman is the Presbyterian Chaplain
at Queens University, Belfast, Ireland, where he lives in community with
88 students. He has written two books Walk On; The Spiritual Journey of
U2 which he is currently updating and The Rock Cries Out; Discovering Eternal
Truth in Unlikely Music. He dabbles in poetry and songwriting and he has
a weekly radio show on BBC Radio Ulster (listen anytime of day or night
@ www.bbc.co.uk/ni/religion/rhythmandsoul). He has his own web page--Rhythms
of Redemption at http://stocki.ni.org . He also tries to spend some time
with his wife Janice and daughters Caitlin and Jasmine.
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