No work and no play

One of the observations from the recent Music Seminars in Cork and Galway, as part of Heineken Green Energy, was that there's no let-up in the queue of artists, songwriters and others set on breaking into the music industry.

Unfortunately, not even the finest minds in the business have devised a convincing way of telling those who need to be told that they have no hope whatsoever of getting anywhere, not necessarily because they don't have the talent, but because they have no notion of what a career in the business entails. Many don't even have the necessary determination, ambition, drive or energy to reach the lowest step on the ladder, never mind to the giddy heights of fame.

As a panellist on various seminars I have repeatedly been torn between a reluctance to dampen the enthusiasm of young musicians while at the same time not wishing to encourage them to waste the next ten years discovering what is patently obvious right now.

Perhaps fellow panellist Tom Dunne hit the target best when he argued that most musicians would be better off staying in the amateur field and having fun, and forgetting about the long-term career bit if they don't have the suss and the rest of it to make it happen.

At least 95% of budding musicians and songwriters currently touting their wares around Ireland will probably have given up in frustration within five years unless they give themselves a serious injection of reality, and even that may not be enough for many.

All that said, the trip brought the expected collection of worthy demos which in themselves were a credit to the efforts of their creators on a music level, yet it was noteworthy that only one of them was accompanied by printed background info. Hence the lecture

Eskimo from Galway ply their trade in a broad rock market that embraces just about anything from Ocean Colour Scene to fusion jazz-rock. They can do this on account of the obvious musical skills within the band and their sense of musical adventure. 'Orpheus' is a particularly hypnotic piece, with its trance-like rhythms and hard rock sound that at times nods at Frank Zappa. 'Texas Arsenist' (clever pun or bad spelling?) has a beefy jazz feel to it but also bears the mark of Tom Waits and Hendrix. 'Have A Heart' is a more mainstream rock track and as such it's predictable and less interesting than its predecessors. But Darren Fahy is a charismatic frontman and the band at all times play with panache.

Duckweed are a band from Galway whose demo may be a little raw but offers enough to suggest that they have something worthwhile to say. 'Sweet Marianne's Kiss' is driven by some atmospheric guitar and the vocalist has a fine sense of drama that makes it a compelling listen. ‘Odds When She's Even' was recorded for Jon Richards' excellent Galway Bay FM show and it proves that the opening track was no one-off fluke. It has a fine chugging rhythm, a groovy chorus and builds well to the end. But the snappier 'Crave' sounds too much like third-rate U2, especially in the guitars, to merit too much attention. Duckweed appear to have the basics but need to find that magic ingredient that will give them their own clear identity.

'What's On Your Mind' is a one-track CD from Cork-based Acquiesce and it delivers a confident performance of a slow but solid AOR track that's likely to have more appeal to the US market than in the UK. The chorus soars and it all hangs together very well, but the overall sound is fairly anonymous and that might be a major drawback in career-potential terms

Also from Cork come Nassau who produce a neat brand of tuneful pop-rock with a full guitar-fuelled sound that has its own appeal, especially when they toss in the occasional unexpected chord change on 'Tonight'. 'Laurie's Tale' is a slower affair but rarely moves above first gear in any department. The CD's title track 'Les Enfants' is much more intriguing and draws the listener in for the whole ride, especially when the squalling guitar kicks in. If Nassau have an obvious flaw it's once again that they are too derivative of what's around. They play with a spunky flair and confidence, so when they ditch the tiresome influences they could be well worth paying attention to.

Eoghan Burke is from Naas in Co. Kildare and to judge from his demo he's keen to plough a furrow in the folk field. 'Destiny' is a very dated take on this style and says little either musically or lyrically that we don't already know about. 'Blackwind' is a little more adventurous all round, but 'Stuck In My Mind' is the most accomplished track here, with Burke's voice compellingly expressive. All tracks could have benefited from a production that didn't lose the subtleties in his voice, but he should learn and carry on.

One extra point. Does nobody play keyboards anymore?