Germany, Holland, Belgium 2011.
Michael collected me at 8.30 am on Thursday 29th and we make our way to the Stena Seacat out of North Wall, Dublin Port. I love the way the on board traffic controllers park the vehicles, they remind me of the lads with the green cap bands that used to help us culchies park around Croker back in the old days. The promoter has us riding up front, no objections from me on that score. I fancied a quiet Welsh rarebit and a mug of espresso before facing the shed in Holyhead. Will them buckers haul us over the coals again? A grand gentle crossing with the Crosaire done and dusted on the Irish Sea (nt). Any way we pass through Holyhead harbour without any rozzer sticking his mush into the van and on up through Wales as we head toward The Pennines on a beautiful Indian Summers day. I love this drive. Used to be a ball breaker back in the 60s but the new Highway through North Wales is a beauty with the ocean on one side and hills, castles and RAF squadrons on the other.
Passing into England I begin to recognise many towns that once had Folk Clubs and I recall old friends whose faces I can still see but whose names I sometimes cannot remember. Runcorn where we supped some stuff, Chester where I came down with Kidney stones, Wigan where I played darts with Bruce Scott and Barry Halpin… Congleton, Hale, Bury, Heywood, Rochdale… now we’re heading up The Pennines and I’m singing “who wouldn’t be for all the world a Jolly Waggoner “. the rest of the team fly Aer Lingus and RyanAir to Hamburg but I have no time for that any more. I need to spend 30 hours getting to Hamburg or I wont feel any different when I get there. Nor do I want to be under RyanArrest having my totty weighed by Mick O’Leary and his stressed out Staff.
We arrive into Hull 4 hours before the SS Pride of Hull (of the P&O line) departs for Rotterdam. So what are we gonna do? We drove around the town centre for a while and I dreamt about Mike Waterson and Jock Manuel, Jules Pidd and Joe 90, The Rugby Pub and The Old Blue Bell, but I soon remembered that world is gone. We drove towards the Ferry port and I spotted an old graveyard with an open gate. We drove in and parked in the shade of ancient trees. We drank tea and ate sandwiches; we read gravestones and listened to Radio 4. We were at peace among the departed as mighty trucks droned towards Europe on a distant highway. we were first to board the barque, we checked into our cabins and soon we were sitting down to a good feed. Looking around the dining room I realised where the phrase “running a tight ship” originated. This was top scran served by men and women who seemed content to feed us long haul travellers. These people have a difficult and claustrophobic working environment, over and back and over and back, seldom leaving the ship, I suspect their living quarters are basic and cramped and, more than likely, they don’t have union support. It is humbling to receive such warm and courteous hospitality from people who work so hard to provide it.
I love to observe people, to imagine their lives, relationships, conversations and 12 hours on a Ferry is as good a place as any for such eavesdropping. It was a smooth crossing and I slept solid after spending some time shaping up songs in my head for the forthcoming gigs. No great alterations required, yet I know the sets will need consideration. There needs be a different pace and thrust… certain songs will not work whilst others will be brought back in and need refreshing. I got to work in my cabin and soon had different shapes emerging. After a good breakfast, again served by our new friends, we rolled off The Pride of Hull and tuned into Bridie von SatNav who began to guide us on our 450 km trip to Hamburg. We had Kraftwerk smoothing our path as we jostled along the highway through Holland and on into mighty Germany. Back again after a 4 year absence. 29 hours after leaving home we pulled up outside our billet in Hamburg and Paddy Doherty was there, as always, with everthing laid on for our sojourn. Paddy and I took a 5 mile walk around Lake Alster. One of my favourite walks, it gives a great first insight into the German Urban psyche. Then back to the Hotel where Declan had arrived in from Cork. After we unpacked we played songs for an hour and caught up with each others news.
A new day, a new tour. back in Hamburg 4 years on and its so good to be still able to do this; to roll into a great city and to have a thousand people show up to hear these songs. A modern venue in the centre of town, all mod cons and the dreaded a/c… we got a hot welcome and settled in to the work…
Nancy Spain
Ordinary man
Burning Times
Motherland
Black Colour
Chicago
Pity Poor Immigrant
Missing You
Well below the valley
Raggle Taggle
Only our Rivers
Hiroshima
January man
Shovel
North and South
This is The day
Allende
Quinte Brigada
2 Island Swans
Back Home in Derry
Ride On
No Time For Love
Hurt
Cliffs of Dooneen
Lisdoonvarna
Folk Tale
Bright blue rose
John O’Dreams
Biko Drum
Sunday Morning Hamburg and I move slowly around Lake Alster one more time. Sitting on a wall I watched people enter the water at the Hamburg Kanoe Club, all ages in all sorts of boats. I saw an ancient lady being helped into her canoe and away she went out onto the lake of sailing boats, pedallos, canoes, kayaks, ducks and geese. Not a cursed jet-ski in sight, not a speed boat to poison the day… walkers, joggers, cyclists, picnicers, lovers, prams and grey beards all celebrating this October Summer day. I am still purring from last night’s fun as I turn my mind to Bochum some 200 miles south of here. Back to my room, a quick shower and a quick few songs before packing the bags and clambering aboard the wagon.
Into Bochum at 4pm and a good sound check. Declan has begun playing a keyboard and now he has arrived with a Bouzouki which we may bring into the set tonight. The addition of the keyboard on the “Well below The Valley” brings this classic timeless song back into the set once more. I first performed it back in 1973 and since then it has been one of my favourite songs to sing. The bouzouki will soon find its way, lovely to sing to that sound again and Declan has immediately taken to it. He never ceases to amaze me, how he can pick up an instrument and begin to unravel its secrets so quickly. The venue in Bochum was large and lifeless at soundcheck, a vast empty space. When we walked onstage at 8 o’clock it had been transformed by an air of excitement and expectation. The gig ran beautifully, both of us felt that there were high points, that we had played a good gig.
Wise and Holy Woman
January man
Companeros
Burning Times
How Long
Chicago
Missing You
Black Colour
Ordinary man
Well Below Valley
After The Deluge
Quiet desperation
Smoke and Whiskey
Motherland
Back Home in Derry
Beeswing
Corrina
Quinte Brigada
Ride On
Lisdoonvarna
Victor Jara
Biko Drum
Hattie Carroll
Cliffs of Dooneen
Nancy Spain
After a grand bit of Wuppertal Goulash and Gutersloh apple juice we took off down the Autobahn with Kraftwerk and hastened towards Amsterdam, getting in at 2 am. The pillows were fluffed and the hot water bottles in place as we settled down after a good days work and play.
A free day in Amsterdam. For 3 hours I walked to, from and around Fondel Park, a beautiful oasis in a dangerous city. I managed to avoid cars, trams, buses, horses, bicycles, skaters and skateboarders only to get run down by a pedestrian. Years ago I spent my free days and nights here in the bars and hash dens of Amsterdam… much safer places then walking the pavements. Some of the cyclists are like stasi on wheels! It is a lovely park to wander about, all human life is there. I love this city. I have never been in any of the Galleries or Museums but it’s nice to know that they are there. I love the mix of Amsterdam, I love the cycling ethos. Great to watch two Rozzers on horseback going yakkity yak around the park oblivious to the world around them. Then I came across a crime scene that was different, hundreds of sightseers with phones and cameras, so much audience it was impossible to figure out what went down. It may well have been a confused (visiting) pedestrian run down by a cyclist busy reading his/her emails. A dinner of cous cous and strong coffee and now I await Declan, we will top off the free day with a few tunes and a bit of banter “Pedal On Pedal On Pedal On”.
Word has come from Vancouver that Doug Lang’s mother has passed. We send him our condolences. Doug is a singer and songwriter who posts the most beautiful videos on our sister site. He takes songs and illustrates them with photos. His montages can be found at 4711ers.org (scroll down to “off topic but musical”). He has introduced us to many’s the gem. His mother had been ill for some time and was a good age, neither of which will lessen the pain of her passing.
I have been thinking a lot of my own father in recent days. Andy Moore passed on October 8th 1956 when I was 11. These days he walks beside me and it feels good.
After The Carre Hall in Amsterdam
A bit tired tonight, bit of a chill in the bones, feeling a bit empty but enough left to write that it was a good night. The audience sang and requested songs like Yellow Triangle, Natives, Sonny’s Dream, Rory is Gone, they sang too as we played a two hour set…
Wise and Holy Woman
Natives
Quiet Desperation
16 Jolly Ravers
Biko Drum
Beeswing
Missing You
Chicago
Sonny’s Dream
No Time for Love
Yellow triangle
This is The Day
The Well below the Valley
The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll
Does This train stop on Merseyside
Weekend in Amsterdam
Quinte Brigada
Corrina
North and South
Ride On
Back home in Derry
Nancy Spain
Black Colour
Lisdoonvarna
Voyage
Rory is Gone
Cliffs of Dooneen
Haiti.
Don’t quite know where the last song came from, had no intention of playing it. We came back out for a second encore and were about to launch into an up tempo, sure-fire satisfier but, thankfully, Haiti started up instead and we nailed it. Wrote this song last year with John Spillane. It is on the forthcoming album “Folk Tale”. It’s always a buzz when a new song gets nailed in the live arena.
We met up with a team of 4711ers after tonight’s gig. It is always good to meet up with such a great group of listeners. They made for a happy gathering, it was icing on the cake at the half way point of our brief European Tour. My brother Andy was over from The Banks of The Lee, he brought me up to date with all the news from the Presidential elections and also the latest from our Rugby Squad way down there in New Zealand. Then back to the scratcher to rest up for tomorrow’s fun in Antwerp, Belgium…
(In Keith Richard’s book ” Life”…he writes “Sometimes people ask ‘ why don’t you give it all up’?
I don’t think they understand what I get out of this. I can’t retire until I croak. I don’t do this just for money nor am I doing it just for you. I do this for me.”)
Roma Theatre, Antwerp.
We just arrived into this splendid venue. Great vibe the minute we pass through the door. It is run by a volunteer collective and has that lovingly-cared-for-feel about the place. First thing I’m told is that I played here with Planxty over 30 years ago, but I have no memory of that gig. I do recall that 1979 tour was not always a happy one but we all survived it. Back to the present and I learn that Bill Haley played here, that man who turned my ear in The Palace Cinema, Newbridge in the late 50s. Laurel and Hardy apparently appeared here too as did a host of more recent luminaries. It is always interesting to tread those well trodden boards. Like Barrowland in Glasgow, each gig leaves a chord reverberating. There was a canteen beneath the stage and a home cooked meal had been prepared for us. We sat together and had our first full crew photo taken since Cardiff in 2004. I’m happy to say that the team remains the same: Paddy, Mick, Dickon, Davy, Geoff, Johnny, Declan and Christy.
We were visited by my son Padraic and Aleana Egan from Ringsend. It is always special to have family at a gig… they were both enthralled by the beauty of the Old Venue.
Ordinary Man
Natives
Quiet Desperation
Chicago
Missing You
Hiroshima
Shovel
Magdalene Laundries.
Quinte
Ride on
Smoke and Whiskey
Strange Ways
Brown Eyes
Biko Drum
Only Our Rivers
Little Musgrave
Allende
Well below the valley
Nancy Spain
No Time for Love
Black Colour.
Lisdoon
Burning Times
Haiti
Voyage
We struggled a bit with our sound on stage, everything had changed since the sound check. Thankfully no one seemed aware of any problems… this happens sometimes and it effects Declan and I differently. Bringing in two new instruments also effects the overall sound pattern but in a positive way. I found it more difficult then usual to leave the venue. It was such a welcoming environment that I wanted to hang on a little longer. However, the Stagecoach was waiting and the horses were getting restless….. ‘Twas time to move along, get along…
“I’m gonna saddle up the old grey mare, ride through the night without worry or a care.
I’m a messenger boy bringin my love to you” ( Christie Hennessy)
Back into Brussels after a decade or so. Last time I played this venue was 20 years ago. Tommy Gorman, then our man in Europe, organised a grand dinner for myself and my son Andy. Ancienne Belgique is the venue and we arrived here after a 3 hour jaunt from Amsterdam where we have been billeted for the past 5 nights. A grand night, we were visited by our agent, Paul Charles. It is always good to see him. He has been looking after our gigs outside Ireland for many’s the long year. He Writes books in his spare time. We met the promoter Pascal who booked me here 20 years ago, he must have been about 12 at the time! Had Karel in from Shanghai and The Tucson gang in from Arizona. Had listeners in from The Kingdom, from The Garden County, from Chile and Soltau, Ypres, Dranouter, Ghent, from all over the bleedin gaff. Out of Brussels and down the dual carriageway on the Honda 50 screaming towards Franfurt to be time for the match in New Zealand. We blew a gasket near the German border so we transferred to a Mercedes 600S driven by a chaffeuse in a leather uniform whose only knowledge of Ireland was Louis Walsh and Krystal Swing. We made it for the match which meant not getting to bed till 10am so I’m writing this in my sleep.
Wise and Holy
Allende
Burning Times
Biko
Strangeways
Chicago
Missing
Quiet Desperation
Viva
Beeswing
Ordinary Man
Broken Heart
No Time for love
Only our Rivers
Black Colour
Smoke and Whiskey
Well below Valley
Magic Nights
Shovel
Little Musgrave
Hiroshima
Ride On
Lisdoonvarna
It was a hot gig… half the audience were standing, some right close to the stage. I always love that energy, closeness, sharing, being able to see, have eye contact with listeners.
Last Night of Mid-West-Euro Tour. Niederhausen. (Close to Frankfurt)
Having miscalculated my wardrobe needs I had to do some hand rinsing today. The trauma of it all! A most disappointing result from New Zealand but I am proud to know those men and count some of them as friends. They have given us some memorable hours this past while, I look forward to meeting them again soon…
We arrive at tonight’s venue to hear the news that our truck has broken down on the bahn. A local PA system has been acquired and set up; we now sit here and hope that the instruments will arrive in time, that we will have our own monitor system. When something like this happens it is a good reminder of how good our road crew really are. This past 10 years everything has been in place when we arrive. The guitars are set up, bowrawn nicely firmed up, coffee on the bubble and canteen well stocked. Declan and I have a brilliant team around us. It’s only when we have a glitch like today that we focus on how good things really are on the road.
The truck has just arrived…
I dedicate tonight’s set to my Father, Andy Moore, who passed on this day, October 8th, in 1956 aged 41 years.
After The Deluge
2 Island Swans
Yellow Triangle
Haiti
Missing You
Black Colour
Missing You
Musgrave
Quinte
Motherland
Biko
Well below The valley
Natives
Corrina
Chicago
Ride on
Back home in Derry
Travelling People
Sacco and Vanzetti
Matty
January man
Ordinary Man
The Time has `Come
Lisdoonvarna
Nancy Spain
Folk Tale
Wise and Holy Woman
Hattie Carroll
Hurt
At 2 hours 10 mins the longest set of the tour…great audience.
Now it’s time to return to Ireland. Declan and the crew will fly this morning to Dublin, Cork and Shannon. Michael and I will head for Rotterdam. There will be time to reflect and to write on the road and sea, time to contemplate the return to home. Out on the road is sweet, getting to play the music and songs at the cutting edge, walking around these great cities, hearing the sounds, avoiding bicycles in Amsterdam, all these experiences are great but it is the return home that is the sweetest thing of all.
Some new sounds were achieved and we feel that we are playing well. These short tours are good for our spirit. We embrace the intense listening of our foreign audience. These 6 gigs have given us lots to think about. We have 12 days to reflect before we return to our homeland circuit with concerts in Limerick and Waterford and an album “Folk Tale” to release. A new challenge, a new page, more songs to sing upon this great tour…
Until we meet again. Best Wishes…
Christy.