Misery for the masses
Star Chamber
Download (for now)
Derek Barter appeared in a recent dream of mine. I was hosting a podcast based on the Irish rock scene of the 80s and was discussing my cassette tape of the Subterraneans live in the CIE hall. Derek played guitar in the Subterraneans. Theirs was a sound of doors creaking. Jazzy and strange.
Derek then went to spend some time in the Knocking Shop with Seamus Duggan. The two are back together briefly for this collection of tracks. The songs are the brainstorm of Seamus and Dave Connolly. The duo swapped ideas electronically culminating in this record.
Duggan’s voice is one of a poet less than a singer. There’s a haunting feel as he delivers words to Connolly’s guitar. Sometimes there’s rhythm, others it is some notes being plucked while Seamus details his verbal tales.
The origins of this lie in the pandemic, and the free time it created. Sharing musical and lyrical ideas Séamus and Dave built up a body of work which seemed to fit together. When Nora and Pete then got involved these sketches grew into this, a collection of songs that echo and reflect each other.
niallhope
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