Whatever decisions Brigid O'Neill has made in her time in music, few could match the bravery and appropriateness of stepping outside a comfort zone to reach new audiences. Possessing the talent and serving an exceptional new album smooths a process that is still fraught with challenges and the hurdle of raising your voice in a crowded room. On the evidence from the opening night of leaving her Ulster home to play a raft of new venues across the Irish Sea, the venture is set to succeed - give or take an element of luck that too often sits at the heart of commercial music. A decent turnout for an inaugural show at the Kitchen Garden gave this Co. Down native a warm and kind welcome that was replicated with a performance escalating the assured, confident and immaculate scale.
O'Neill brings a sense of warmth, sincerity and distinctive acumen to the wide reaching singer-songwriter style. The attributed comments of admirers echoes shades of folk, country, jazz and pop, all innate rather than concocted to meet a brief. The latest release TRUTH & OTHER STORIES evokes a myriad of styles and is the centre-piece of this tentative step into fresh waters. A step with the capacity to evolve into a leap once the word gets around and a wider roots community embraces the full effect of a Brigid O'Neill show.
There was a uniqueness about her guitar accomplice for this show. It was a case of keep it in the family when learning that Cian McGrory was her son. A team up making more sense once understanding the lockdown origin of the new album where many solitary hours were spent together honing a special collection of songs. Those enjoying the wealth of the recorded album had the pleasure of a full Nashville production steered by the astute and go-to producer Neilson Hubbard. Any danger of things falling too short in a stripped back airing evaporate when you realise how substantial the songs are. A fact glowing in credibility from a Birmingham audience position this evening.
The evening rolled out as three sets with Peet Jackson returning to the venue he visited in April to play a thirty-minute opening segment. This performance was on the eve of a new record and contained some familiar contributions recalled from his time opening for Bronwyn Brent. The standout remained the story song 'The Ghost of Myanmar', as on the whole, the audience were treated to some fine guitar playing and a vocal style leaving nothing on the table.
Two sets followed from the main act with an intention to mix things up via the bulk of the new album shared alongside samples of Brigid O'Neill's recording past. Life and career decisions impacted on the extensiveness of the latter, but there were still plenty of newly discovered gems from the 2017 album TOUCHSTONE; a pair of songs lifted from a 2014 EP including the title track 'Arrivals and Departures' and a stunning offering in 'Sisters Born Here' from the commissioned release INTANGIBLE HERITAGE. The latter was about a prison in Omagh and featured McGrory on uilleann pipes; a staple instrument from his alternative role in the traditional music scene,
While first and foremost Brigid O'Neill is a singer-songwriter, she used the first encore song to sing her version of the much interpreted 'Willie Taylor' from her homeland. This paved the way for one final farewell number in 'Iron in Your Fire' from the TOUCHSTONE album. It was this record that supplied an early song in the first set possessing an initial sense of backstory. An element to O'Neill's stage presence that measurably grew throughout the evening. 'Refugees' was the song that was inspired by the Syria crisis at the time, but sadly never loses relevance. On a lighter note, 'Amelia' from the new album soon followed with its heart warming sentiment of friends from afar.
Being smitten with the new album from its March release, meant high points rattled off as the show proceeded. A near perfect pop song in 'Live a Little Lie Oh' closed the first set. Maybe the Kitchen choir didn't reach the same level as one closer to home the previous week but small numbers can levitate to big effect. In the second half, 'Leaving' got a stunning rendition alongside the shared worries of never being able to put herself in the subject of the song. Great songwriters can overcome that barrier as witnessed this evening. The final two pre-encore songs probably crowned the show. There was no holding back on the audience joining in on closer 'Prayers', another infectious song awash with a fine melody and catchy chorus. From a personal perspective, the wait for 'Messy Path' was a long one. It came in the penultimate slot and oozed every ounce of its country class. The phrase 'channelling an inner Patsy' came from the stage. Maybe it was 'channelling an inner Brigid'.
So where next for Brigid O'Neill? For the 'living in the moment ethos', just experiencing a show free of any reflective faults is a starter. The true answer is in the ambition, drive and desire of the artist. It can't be reiterated more that all the factors are in place including an adoring audience waiting to be aligned. But we all know life doesn't always work like that. In a just world Brigid O'Neill will be one of the most well-loved and finest purveyors of UK Americana with an emerald twist. For now, conquering the Kitchen Garden will suffice.
