Over the years, given its brief, the Vibe has necessarily been a mixed affair. This, the 25th such event, was a six-hour Lynott extravaganza, undoubtedly one of the best since its inception.
Gnasher (featuring Jimmy Coup from Andrew WK’s band) kicked off the evening with a belter of a set, including a stellar ‘Baby Face’ and a beguiling ‘Showdown’.
Other early highlights included the Conor McGouran Quartet who blasted through a high octane ‘Bad Reputation’ and ‘Opium Trail’. Conor and Mark Bolton’s twin guitar attack was certainly a sight to behold.
During quieter moments Mark Dignam admirably tackled ‘Fatalistic Attitude’, Leanne Hearte charmed with ‘A Tribute To Sandy Denny’ and BP Fallon recited his spoken word tribute to Philip.
Mama’s Boy Pat McManus stole the show, however, with his eyewatering guitar work on ‘Parisienne Walkways’ and ‘Róisín Dubh’ (complete with fiddle intro). His mile wide grin and obvious enthusiasm whipped the crowd up into a mini-frenzy. He bid us adieu with his own ‘Needle In The Groove’.
The Hoodoo Rhythm Devils took to the stage next and treated us to an array of classics which also included Glen Hansard guesting on a powerful ‘Jailbreak’. Hats off to axemen Brian Grace and Phil Edgar and vocalist John Conlon (an uncanny Lynott sound-alike). If you closed your eyes you could have been in the Rainbow in 77!
Eric Bell arrived to effusive applause. A surprisingly adept vocalist, he wowed with several Decca-era favourites such as ‘Ray-Gun’ and ‘Look What The Wind Blew In’. ‘Whiskey In The Jar’ caused a mass singalong and a boisterous ‘The Rocker’ illustrated his masterful guitar prowess.
Following an address by Philomena, Brian Robertson’s band showcased some songs from their new album (a choice that was decidedly not popular with some of the audience) before switching to Lizzy mode. A raucous ‘Don’t Believe A Word’, ‘Rosalie’ and ‘Are You Ready?’ brought the evening to a close.
A fitting tribute.