"Is Eileen in the room?"
A recurring theme of this gig was a chance meeting between Lewis Barfoot and Kings Heath resident Eileen in the hours before showtime. Their brief encounter stirred Emerald Isle emotions and a singing of 'The Galway Shawl'. The meeting had a sad twist of loneliness, yet its warmth set the tone for the welcome this singer-songwriter received from a first visit to play Birmingham. The upshot was Eileen hadn't taken up the offer of a guest ticket. Those who were present had an extensive exposure to a musician on a mission, a person rich in creative artistry and someone right on the point of audience engagement.
Straight out of the gates, this London Irish-cum-current Cork resident exposed an identity via a vest plastered with the ironic motif - 'more dogs, more blacks, more Irish'. Politics with a small 'p' thread through the songs, stories and ethos, though shades of beauty from an elegant voice enabled a variety of moods. However, impassioned justice was never far from the surface.
The crux of Lewis Barfoot's musical odyssey is a decision to seek her Irish heritage through relocation and a deep dive into its folk scene. This has been driven by years of imposed suppression and a growing desire to revel in one's roots. Understanding this mission is core to grasping the mettle of motivation and how you can draw the dots of where many of the songs come from. Innate talent and an enthusiastic drive help propel the impetus as well as drawing on an impulsive presentation persona from many years working in theatre. Lewis Barfoot - the entertainer - is certainly a take from a first impression.
A post-gig check into the back catalogue sparked memories of many significant songs heard. From the latest album HOME, impactful works such as 'Women of Ireland', 'Dublin City Bells' and 'Rock Me in the Ocean' were sprinkled among a couple of joyous sets. Other interesting setlist additions were show opener 'Blow the Wind Southerly' and its traditional counterpart 'Eileen McMahon' alongside the New Zealand-inspired original 'Taranaki'.
Song mode constantly switched from seated to standing and acoustic guitar to unaccompanied. A couple of plays on the shruti box increased the folk vibes. The evening reached maximum poignancy in the final throes with thoughtful empathy for the Palestinian plight locked into an emotional song.
Whether interpreting key songs of the past or conjuring original ones from a inquisitive mind, a mix of folk, blues and jazz styles gently brewed. Imagined bigger sounds from a more populous stage setting were invited, though growth will have to be organic from a solo base as the listening venues of the British Isles mainland are navigated.
There was a lot to absorb from this first dip into Lewis Barfoot's musical world. There wasn't much left off the table. Piecing it together formed a simple jigsaw of one person revelling in a road of discovery. Ample listening pleasure flowed from a dream morphing into the realm of live music reality. Feeling part of the process was a given with cathartic inspiration spontaneously filling the air.
Eileen missed a good one. Maybe one version of 'The Galway Shawl' was sufficient for her on the evening.