It was certainly a night to remember when arguably the most enduring Irish band of them all took to the Dublin stage last December after an almost 30 year absence. Now, with this terrific live set there’s no need to forget that memorable evening – it’s all here, making up 29 tracks of Horslips brilliance. From the opening strains of ‘King of the Fairies’ to the encore, ‘Shakin All Over’, several hours later, this double album also proves that we weren’t all dreaming – it actually did happen!
As anyone who was in attendance will attest, it was an emotionally-charged evening too, replete with excited expectation and perhaps no little trepidation. And while few had any doubts that they could pull it off, after all these years, it’s fair to say that fewer still would have expected the fab five to be this good. The performance was energy-charged and, in the heel of the hunt, they probably sounded better than they did in their heyday thanks to better technology. The set-list was comprehensive and crowd-pleasing, covering all stages of their original decade-long career. From the early days, they included favourites such as ‘Furniture’ and ‘Mad Pat’ and the gentle folk of ‘Faster Than the Hound’ while the new wave, power-pop of ‘The Man Who Built America’ showcased their transformation into a straight rock and roll band in their later years. Highlights are way too many to list, but no surprises that the place erupted during long-time live faves such as ‘The High Reel’ and ‘Trouble with a Capital T’, while the roof nearly lifted off when Johnny Fean began the opening riff to the band’s best known number, ‘Dearg Doom’
The only quibble is with the title, which should probably read Live In Dublin, but that small moan aside, this is as good as it gets. Now where’s the DVD?
The Power and the Glory indeed!
KEY TRACK: ‘DEARG DOOM’