Return of The Swell Season

It was one of the best gigs of last year for me - The Swell Season in The Olympia.

Lottie, Anthony McG and me arrived just before the support act came on stage. There was a bit too long of a delay between the excellent Hare’s Corner departing and Swell Season taking to the stage, which quietened the crowd a little. Hansard et al didn’t get the rapturous greeting they deserved. Indeed, the first few songs, which were sweet and melodic, were met with applause and some polite whoops. But when they played their Oscar winning song, Falling Slowly, the mood turned and it became a night to remember. Falling Slowly was delivered with such passion and gusto that it was hard not to be drawn into the performance. From that point on, they had us in the palms of their hands.

In one of the greatest spontaneous moments from a gig that I have ever witnessed, Hansard began to tell the story of two young guys they met over dinner earlier in the day, who were going to be at the concert that evening. He fluffed his way through telling us, mixed up the lads names and eventually blurted out that the two lads, Kevin & Mark, played a bit of music. Half joking, he called Kevin and Mark up on stage and with some cheers and cajoling from the audience, the pair finally make it up. Hansard and the band leave the stage and the two lads are left wondering what song they should do as we all look on, slightly embarrassed for them, praying they wouldn’t make fools of themselves. We need not have worried. They belted out a great version of Bob Dylan’s You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere. Half way through the song the band slowly emerged back on stage to join in. It must have been such a special moment for the two young guys. They got the first standing ovation of the night and deservedly so. Fair play to them for having the courage and confidence to pull it off.

When I first heard Happiness at Oxegen, I wasn’t over-awed. It was a quiet song and felt too raw and simple. Hearing it again in The Olympia I wondered if it was the same tune - it had a haunting feel to it this time. Played in total darkness, except for the heavy drumming moments where the stage lit up with the drum beats like cracks of thunder and lightning - a great spectacle.

Introducing the song Once, we found out that John Carney was hiding in the wings. Too shy to play bass on stage, Swell Season play on without him and the crowd love it.

It would be easy to dismiss The Swell Season as just being Glen Hansard’s band. He does all the talking and most of the singing. But there is so much more to the band than that. Marketa Irglova’s incredible piano skills aside, her voice takes the harsh edge from his and provides perfect and hypnotic harmonies to compliment Hansard. It was only when she is left alone on stage though, that we discovered how truly beautiful her voice is. A stillness came across the Olympia as she sang. I began to think that we were getting two acts for the price of one in Hansard and Irglova. His voice is about passion, her’s sounds lovelorn and heartbroken. Gorgeous.

The debut album was a huge hit and on October 23rd, they return with their follow-up album, Strict Joy. The band, including members of The Frames, kick off their Irish tour tonight in Derry’s Millennium Forum, taking in Wexford, Cork and Ennis along the way, before finishing up in Dublin’s National Concert Hall. If these gigs are a fraction of last December’s Olympia gig, we will all be in for a treat.

If you can’t make it to the gigs and aren’t patient enough to wait for the new album, you can download In These Arms, a track from Strict Joy now at www.spinner.com.