What a year it has been for Imelda May. From releasing her hugely successful album, Mayhem, to performing at the Grammy Awards to collaborating with the likes of Lou Reed and Jeff Beck... she’s had a spectacular 12 months, alright! Add to that non-stop touring, with high profile festival headliners around the world, plus countless TV appearances and the pride of the Liberties certainly appears to have the world at her feet. And what better way to round it off than with four sold-out shows in her home town, literally yards from where she grew up. To say there was a party atmosphere about the place would be an understatement. Imelda seems to brings out the sense of style in everyone. And while dressing up in a retro mode wasn’t mandatory, it was certainly the choice of many in the audience.
Imelda herself was resplendent in a figure-hugging canary yellow dress that wouldn’t look out of place on Mad Men, while the stage backdrop was one part juke-joint, one part 1950’s rock ‘n roll TV show, with a little bit of Vegas. After an impressive support set from surf-punkers The Mighty Atomics, Imelda took to the stage and rocked the house from the off, with favourites like ‘Big Bad Handsome Man’ and ‘Johnny’s Got A Boom Boom’ prompting an outbreak of jiving in the stalls.
“Do yiz want to hear some more rockabilly?” she asked at one point to an overwhelmingly positive response. Cue a storming version of Johnny Burnette’s classic ‘Train Kept A Rollin’. Sadly guitar legend Jeff Beck, who was due to make an appearance, was snowed-in at Heathrow. In fairness no-one really cared. With guests like The Dubliners and Sharon Corr on hand, there was more than enough to satisfy everyone.
She can rock and she can roll but she can also swoon and with its jazzy rhythm and muted trumpet, ‘All For You’ is a terrific ‘Stray Cat Strut’ style mid-tempo number while her gorgeous ballad, ‘Kentish Town Waltz’, is on a par with The Pogues’ ‘Rainy Night In Soho’ in its evocation of ex-pat loneliness in London. Terrific.