The Divil is Dead

Last night was billed as a London-Irish Psycho Ceilidh, so it was with some nervousness that I approached Neck's gig at The Man on the Moon.

How wrong I was. Instead of the plastic paddy Oirishness that seems to be everywhere these days, this London-based five-piece have a very strong grounding in the Irish trad music scene. This is most seen in their electrically-charged cover versions of The Fields of Athenry and quite a long set of original reels and jigs.

The Irishness seemed forced in a couple of places, as the second generation Dubliner, Leeson O'Keefe, used the phrase "Right so" before ever speaking and didn't seem to be able to count beyond, "a h-Aon, do, tri, ceathar," but all in all it was like a very good ceilidh band with distorted guitars.

Highlight of the night was a long encore of McAlpine's Fusileers with the opening verse of The Divil is Dead thrown in for good measure. It took me a while to realise I wasn't at the Archway as we came out the door.

Very recommended.