TÍR NA NÓG – LIVE AT THE HALF MOON (Mega Dodo LP, CD, D/L).

From 1971 to 1973, legendary Irish duo Tír na nÓg made three studio albums for Chrysalis records  which were highly acclaimed by critics but didn't receive any big commercial success although they regularly toured the folk clubs of the United Kingdom or internationally as a support act for several major rock bands and were championed by John Peel. Returning with their first studio album in 42 years, Tir na nOg played an album launch show at The Half Moon in Putney to showcase the new songs from The Dark Dance along with some old favourites……….fortunately the tapes were rolling during this show and the good folks at Mega Dodo will soon be releasing Live At The Half Moon, an album that captures the spirit and vitality of their stunning live performances. Often considered as one of the first progressive folk bands with other artists like Nick Drake or groups like Pentangle and The Incredible String Band ,they have been described as Alt Folk, Prog Folk, Psych Folk, and even Space Folk! But the duo, formed by Leo O’Kelly & Sonny Condell in 1970, transcends all these categories. What is not in doubt is that they are two of the most original and influential songwriters and performers Ireland has ever produced. Their music mainly consists of their own compositions, based on strong Celtic roots and typically featuring intricate acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing. The Dark Days album reintroduced Tir na nOg to the more discerning music lover and 2015 ended on a high when Classic Rock magazine voted their album The Dark Dance number 3 in its best albums of year.

Live At The Half Moon is good mix of the old and the new with nearly half the album including songs from The Dark Dance……………the new tracks ‘You In Yellow’, ‘I Pick Up Birds At Funerals’ and ‘I Have Known Love’ get an airing along with the totally psychedelic guitar and percussion workout ‘Ricochet’. True to its title, shards of echoing guitar notes bounce around the room underpinned by driving, trance inducing, tribal drumming…….a truly wonderful song and the best of the new bunch of tunes. From the first three Chrysalis albums Live At The Half Moon includes classic tunes such as ‘Time Is Like A Promise’, a fantastic live version of ‘Looking Up’, a bluesy ‘The Lady I Love’ and a stunning cover of Nick Drake’s ‘Free Ride’………….the CD includes ‘Two White Horses’ as a bonus track. Live At The Half Moon is an absolutely brilliant Prog/Psych Folk record that fans of the band are going to love and one that serves as an excellent introduction to Tír na nÓg for newer listeners.

Live At The Half Moon is set for release on 6^th June 2016 on a limited edition run of 250 copies on groovy green vinyl and 250 on regulation black vinyl available to pre-order now from the Mega Dodo webstore. This fantastic album will also be available on CD and as a digital download. Tir na nOg also have two British tours lined up in June and September, we will see you there when they play Birmingham on June 7^th.

THEE PSYCHEDELICATESSEN