Kirwan has been in the process of writing a novel for some time now, adapting his play "Liverpool Fantasy" to prose format. In his words:

"Liverpool Fantasy imagines a world where the Beatles never 'made it.' John is unemployed, George a Jesuit priest, Ringo still drums with Gerry & The Pacemakers, Paul is a Las Vegas star, John's son Julian is a leader of the semi-fascist National Front. Without the Beatles there was no '60s, and the world drones on..."

CPW: You had to deliver the manuscript this week. Were you able to get it done?

LK: Yeah, it's done. Out of my system totally.

CPW: Are you glad to be done with it?

LK: Yeah, I didn't think it would take so long. Good to get the whole thing done. I started fifteen years ago.

CPW: That sounds familiar. It took me sixteen years to write my first one, and I didn't have a play to base it on. When does the book go to press?

LK: Mid-January. It has to go out as an iPublish book first.

CPW: I heard they've been having trouble getting the whole iPublish thing off the ground. They've promised lots of titles, but only managed to get a few out.

LK: This is their re-release, as it were. We'll see what happens.

CPW: Is it an e-book, or a print on demand?

LK: E-book and print on demand. But we're negotiating for a real…

CPW: I don't know. I think it's as real as you want to believe it is, no matter where you publish it.

LK: Yeah, well, the good thing is I worked with a really good editor. That was good. He was really good to work with, for me. I'd just been with the book so long, and the play so long, and it was just good to have someone come in and - even if I didn't agree with him - just say things, whether something was right or wrong.

CPW: Make you think about it a different way?

LK: Yeah, just in general. I realized you're back to the same thing - if you have a producer for a CD, you've got to do the same thing. You've got to figure out what are the good things and what are the bad ones, and not be afraid to say, "You're totally wrong."

CPW: Of course, you're dealing with some egos there, too.

LK: This guy [the editor] was remarkably un-egoish, which was great. He's a writer himself. Y'know, he didn't take it badly in any sense. Just on to the next thing…

There is an expectant air in the darkened club as the strains of Sean O'Riada's "Mise Eire" theme fill the room, and shadowy figures dart on to the stage. From my vantage point in the merchandise corner, I can see Kirwan picking up his guitar, echoing the chords in the O'Riada piece, distorting them slightly with some discreet whammy bar action; and then the powerful opening chords of "Big Fellah" fill the room, booming resonance through every cell of every body present.

The band is hot tonight, and Kirwan's duende is at full throttle. Soft-spoken and cheerful in conversation, he becomes a fireball of pure energy on stage. Tonight, instead of giving his usual one-hundred-ten per cent, he appears to be giving one-hundred-twenty.

So are the others. Andrew Goodsight is still missing. Remember: "You try and compensate for it somehow."

There are occasional shouts of, "Where's Andrew?" from the crowd, in between songs, but rather than answer, the guys keep compensating. And how!

I have always known Fred Parcells was an excellent trombonist, but tonight he is wailing solos like I've never heard before. Extended solos, and this is the sort of playing I'd love to hear more of in the future.

Saxman Geoff Blythe is his usual amazing self, playing up a storm, and when he isn't playing, he's doing shuffle-dance moves and staring out over the crowd with a completely deadpan expression that never fails to make me laugh.

Drummer Hammy is doing his thing, too, with exuberance, skill, and humor, grinning cheerfully at the audience as he plays.

Last, but certainly not least, is piper Joe Mulvanerty, who plays with a vigor that leaves one breathless. Tonight is no exception to that rule.

One-hundred-twenty per cent and rising!

Since I never did get to see the band play when co-founder Chris Byrne was still with them, I cannot say whether the extended instrumental sections in some of the songs were always part of a gig or not. I cannot make comparisons between how it was then, and how it is now. However…

There are long instrumental segments in each show now, musical duels between Blythe and Mulvanerty that make the hairs stand up on the back of each neck and primal howls rise from each throat. This is some awesome playing, and it gets more exciting with each performance. The two men take elaborate fight stances, back each other into corners, and play in each other's faces. I've seen Mulvanerty end up on the floor, flat on his back, laughing up at Blythe, fingers flying, not dropping a single note.

The only thing wrong with all this is it doesn't go on long enough for me. However, Blythe and Mulvanerty know what they're doing, and perhaps the rest of the audience really wouldn't want to watch this sort of interaction for hours, the way I think I would.

As for Parcells, whom I can't resist mentioning once again - words cannot adequately describe the way he shines tonight. I would love to see him run this free a lot more often.

If Andrew were present, he would be enhancing it all with his rock-solid bass lines, occasionally throwing in a musical quote from songs we all know and love. I miss hearing him insert Pink Floyd's "Money" and the Beatles' "Norwegian Wood", and seeing if I can recognize any "new" quotes. Well, there is always Next Time…

Black 47 has it all: superb musicianship, great rapport with their audience and each other, quality lyrics, and they are nice fellas, too. What more could an audience want?

My advice? If you ever have a chance to attend a Black 47 show, don't miss it!

***

For more information on Black 47, please visit: http://www.black47.com. On the opening page, click on the words, "official website". You will be taken to a comprehensive site, containing current Irish and world news, Kirwan's latest newsletter and an archive of past newsletters, a band biography, stories about the making of all the albums, a full concert schedule, information on Kirwan's solo project, "Kilroy was Here", and an active discussion forum.

Black 47 plays most Saturday nights in New York City, at Connolly's Bar, 121 W. 45th St. (between Broadway and 6th Avenue). Please check the band's schedule at: http://www.black47.com for all other show dates. Also, if you are coming from out of town to attend a show, best to call Connolly's ahead and be certain the band is playing. They go on tour from time to time, and on those occasions do not play their regular gig. The telephone number is: 212-597-5126.

To purchase a copy of Black 47's great new CD, "On Fire", or any of their other CDs, as well as Kirwan's solo CDs, click on the cover image below.

Click on the cover image on the Black 47 site page (in the upper right-hand corner), and you will be taken to a list of vendors. Please note that "Celtic TV" is now Black 47's official merchandise vendor.

NEXT

Pages 1 3 4 5

"Bad luck to yer Da..."

Photography Credits

1. Thomas "Hammy" Hamlin, by Guenter Friedrichs
2. Geoff, Larry, and Hammy, by Keith Warner
3. Black 47 in action, by Keith Warner
4. Fred Parcells, by Guenter Friedrichs
5. Geoff Blythe and Joe Mulvanerty, by Guenter Friedrichs
6. Larry, by Keith Warner