Berube Communications

RECENT LIVE REVIEW

The Pale @ Annesley House, North Strand, Saturday 17th December '05

Dropped into the Annesley House on Saturday night to witness the second coming of the well established live reputation of that ever popular late 80's and early 90's musical phenomenon around Dublin and further a field called The Pale. It was a cracking carefully crafted performance from the three musicians on stage who clearly take their job to entertain very seriously, to a full house with many of the original vintage following in
attendance.

Nowadays, original members Shane Wearen on various Mandolin's and Electric Fiddle, Matthew Devereux on Vocals, small bodied Taylor Acoustic Guitar, Drum Loops and Samples are joined by multi instrumentalist singer songwriter producer Jimmy Nail look-alike Colm Querney son of the excellent blues bass man and vocalist John Querney.

Its a high energy well structured in yer face fused brew of amazing musical styles and traditions, Eastern Block Folk, Ska, Mod, Urban Reggae, R&B, Northside Blues literally something for everyone in the audience all topped off by the funny antics and humour of Coolock front man Matthew Devereux.

Matthews's strong lyrical epics of life on the Northside have become anthems for the audience delivered on a bed of very diverse innovative, instrumental textures and big chorus sections with each number getting straight to the point. Matthew is a natural on stage, charismatic, jumping around the stage demanding the audience's attention looking like the amphetamine-popping hip hopping over opinionated Jimmy the Mod from
Quadrophenia.

Very much mavericks in the cradle of Dublin's scene first time around and way ahead of their time Shane Wearen ushered in a whole new style of music for the mandolin and demonstrates on stage the vast possibilities of the mandolin with his dazzling virtuosity, melody, harmony, complex vocabulary and combination of styles flourishing even more proficiently after the dark years in between.

In the same way that The Chieftains draw on the styles that grew from theroots of various cultural musical traditions, The Pale's music draws you in with the same warmth and immediacy in Mandolin maestro Shane's expansion of that often subdued instruments repertoire.

Adding some new fingerprints to The Pale sound on stage was Colm Querney on spidery bass played very much like a lead rather than rhythm accompaniment alternating with an acoustic guitar played with a subtle, nimble wrist movement creating layers of compelling minor rhythms full of fresh rootsie variety and colour and great rhythm flexibility.

The rebirth of The Pale is in full blossom with a growth spurt honed by experience and time where the members now collaboratively take chances to push the music in new directions and let the beauty of the old songs shine through beautifully with the myriad of cultural influences present seeping into the mix like osmosis.

As poet Brendan Kennelly puts it "All songs are living ghosts that long for a living voice".

Crowd favourites like Small Town, Good Ship, Final Garden and Church of Bones are tastefully arranged contemporary grooves of neo spirituality and themes, like the pre Celtic tiger economic desperation and emigration and teenage migration, that seen Matthew spinning around to his mates in Coolock on his BMX only to be informed that they were settled in Australia and Germany and other far flung destinations in search of a future with potential, lyrics written with a real and potent ability creating vivid interpretations of the human landscape around him.

In his lyrics as subjective as words can be is friendship and hope challenged by the unsweetness of life and the horrors of hypocrisy in the need to have faith in something bigger than ourselves yet the disillusionment with clericalism on the ground floor. On stage Matthew has an expressionism that is full of gestures giving his words power, real introspection and virility not afraid of ridiculing himself, grabbing the attention, challenging the witty hecklers with intensity in his performance.

The Pale is a wildly entertaining genre bending ride through endlessly groovy songs devoid of walls or barriers that satisfy and surprise because of the smart layered, carefully constructed production values. An eclectic mix of visually emotive lyrics married to a dynamic assortment of acoustic guitar and mandolin influences and arrangements that tease the taste buds in a very spontaneous mix.

Songs are revealing intimate incredibly raw and heartfelt vignettes of life in Ireland over the past generation that are human, alive and full of conviction presented dramatically by Matthews's forcefulness and self
mocking humour.

His relationship with the audience is provocative and comedic finding himself fluent in the art of one liner put downs to anyone willing to put their hand out to be humorously slapped. Responding to a burly jest from an audience member that he might find his face dragged along the pavement, he disarmingly relied:"I suppose your gonna bash me now, Thanks life it's been nice knowing you."

If you like to wander into the musically unexpected every now and then, The Pale will satisfy your needs, that's for sure. Check out their site for gigs in Carlow, Galway and Mullingar and I'm sure it won't be long
before they are back in the Annesley House again.

This is such a small town

Someday you will find out

But you won't hear it from my mouth

But it happened hear be in no doubt

Right here in this small town.

Mick Kenny

------------------------------------------------------------------------

RECENT INTERVIEW

06 January 2006

The good ship sets sail as legendary Irish group look beyond The Pale
BY KEVIN MCGUIRE - The Galway Advertiser

DUBLIN BAND The Pale formed in 1990 featuring Matthew Devereux (vocals), Shane Wearen (mandolin), and Sean Molloy (bass).

Their debut album Why Go Bald? was self-financed and led to a cult following. For their second album theyreceived a loan from U2 manager Paul McGuinness and thus Happy Ring House continued their upward climb. Within a year they had signed to A & M Records and had massive success with singles 'Butterfly' and 'Dogs With No Tails'. In particular 'Dogs With No Tails' was a top 10 hit in Ireland, Turkey, and Israel.

In 1996 following legal difficulties with the record label Devereux and Wearen formed the group Produkt and released new material under many different guises. Towards the end of last year The Pale returned with their much-anticipated The Final Garden EP.

"The whole independent approach to the recording has been rewarding," says lead vocalist Devereux. "Unfortunately though Wendy, the greyhound featured on the EP art work, was hit by a car and now walks on three legs!"

Fortunately the EP in question has legs, and songs such as 'Church of Bones', 'Small Town', 'Good Ship', and 'The Final Garden' have become important parts of The Pale live set. The songs were first showcased when The Pale played support to Antony and The Johnsons at Vicar Street in Dublin. The soon to be Mercury Prize winner was so impressed with the showing by the Irish group that he wanted to join them.

"The first time we met Antony was when he stuck his head around the dressing room door and asked to join the group as the vocalist," said Devereaux. "I thought I was getting my p45 handed to me that night! During the support slot it felt like people were listening to every single note we played and every word we sang and as a consequence the songs have burned a little brighter ever since."

Over the course of the last few years Matthew Devereux and Shane Wearen have collaborated with a number of different artists and their main strength as a group is that they always think outside the box. In the past they have been described as 'Tom Waits on acid with a drunken Ukranian wedding band'. Their rebellious spirit comes through in their music and for Devereux a meeting with a legendary rebel some years ago was to leave a lasting impression. The rebel in question was the late great Johnny Cash. Matthew says "I worked for a country and western music establishment in Dublin in the late 1980s and I got the job of serving Irish stew to Johnny Cash.

He was playing some dates in the Olympia and during meal time he would insist that everyone say grace before meals. He was a very kind and generous man and he would give me £50 a night as a tip. Needless to say it was a great way for me to get more curious about his music. I remember I spent some of the money he gave me in tips on some of his records. Good businessman," Devereaux adds. "June Carter Cash used to pinch my cheeks as I was only 17 years old at the time. She would insist I sat down, have a soda, and tell her a little about myself. Johnny and June were a truly unique couple."

One thing that sustained Cash during his long career was his process of constant reinvention. It also seems that the process of reinvention is taking place with The Pale's new material. Many people will point to their early 1990s success and wonder whether the band can live up to those heady days, however, Devereaux insists: "The only thing we are thinking about is raising the level of the songwriting. We hope people in Galway come out to see our gig and we hope people get our new EP."

The Pale play Roisin Dubh tomorrow night in what is a highly talked about gig. The Final Garden EP is available now at Redlight Records and Mulligan Records. For more information on The Pale log on to www.thepale.ie

KEVIN MCGUIRE