Mark Geary (with support from Ann Scott)
Whelan's, Dublin, 23 April 2004
As always with a Mark Geary show you are treated to something extra special,
extra wonderful and extra personal. But never should it get so emotional as it
did at the Whelan's show. Whelan's on a Friday night is the last place you would
think of a crowd with teary eyes. The reason for all this was the tragic death
of Mark's nephew, Paul McDermott, just twenty-four hours before the gig. His
website pleaded with the crowd 'to be extra gentle'. 
The
evening began with the ever-impressive Ann Scott filling the support slot. Her
angelic voice and well-crafted songs brought her to the attention of the crowd.
Songs such as 'Whistle Tom', 'To Adore' and 'Madness' reveal the raw talent that
she possesses. There are few who stand out considerably from the
singer/songwriter circuit but Ann Scott does almost with a halo upon her head.
She proved to be an excellent opening act.
And so came the main act with guitar in hand and a frown of seriousness. He
breaks into 'Gingerman' but looks very distraught. With the look of a man on the
verge of breaking, the crowd are almost stunned into silence. Then it's the
audience's participation on 'America' that finally breaks the ice. The
handkerchiefs could now be put away. For the show shifted up a gear. Each song
that followed was delivered with a passion that is familiar with every live
Geary performance. 'Suzanne' was bursting with rawness, 'Obi's Chair' had a
perfect blend of Geary and Scott on vocals while 'Sombrero' reached delightful
heights through its melody.
The real standout track of the evening was 'You're the Only Girl'. It will be no
great surprise if this will be the first single as it's radio-friendly, catchy,
upbeat and just a great tune. At this stage of the evening, Geary has become a
God with the audience preying on his every word. The last song of his set is
'Hold Tight', which swiftly moves like a poetic ballad. The singer/songwriter
then jumped into the crowd to engage with the audience as they repeatedly sang
the chorus with such grace.
Again, Geary didn't disappoint and gave the audience a show to remember.
Gareth Maher
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Indie Music Discussion board.
