The Barbican in London have announced a special performance in their Autumn schedules by Paul Brady and Andy Irvine of their groundbreaking album ‘Andy Irvine / Paul Brady’. Released after the duo formed in the wake of the breakup of Planxty, the eponymous album – which also featured ex-Planxty band mate Donal Lunny – has long been regarded as a seminal work of folk, and specifically Irish folk, and is notable for, amongst other songs, Brady’s version of ‘Arthur McBride‘ which would be lifted lock, stock and barrel by Dylan on his album ‘Good As I Been To You‘. The concert is in the main hall on the 15th of October.
That’s not the whole of the album by any means – there are tunes that fly along at an incredible pace, there are songs of soldiering revealing rogues and heroes in about equal measure and there’s even a talking horse that’s the underdog in a race but which “emptied their pockets on the plains of Kildaire”. Andy Irvine contributed one of his finest songs – the beautifully poetic ‘Autumn Gold‘ – to the album. Paul Brady and Andy Irvine are not seen together as often as would be wished for, and the promise of the whole of “the album” is nothing less than a huge bonus.
The gig is the first of what could be seen as an Autumn festival of folk and Americana at The Barbican. The next day sees Richard Thompson and his band in the Barbican Hall whilst Neko Case will appear on the 8th of November, and the Punch Brothers on November 16th.
