Legendary musician Christy Moore delivers a spellbinding performance in the historic National Opera House…
On a warm July evening, a bustling crowd waits in anticipation. The National Opera House’s main auditorium of 855 seats is almost entirely full. For anybody wishing to go to the event at this late juncture, tickets are like gold dust.
Suddenly, without warning or delay, manpower walks to the centre of the stage. He does this casually as if he were part of the sound crew or a member of the event staff. This humble manner in which he walks out contrasts with the eruption of cheers in the auditorium. This audience reaction is beyond your usual respectful applause; you could not mistake the genuine admiration the crowd has for this icon. His star power is undeniable. His legendary status, is unfathomable. We are sitting in front of the one and only, Christy Moore.
Few names are as revered in Irish music as Christy Moore’s. With a music career spanning over 50 years, Christy has yet to get tired of performing and his fans certainly haven’t gotten tired of watching him perform.
Known for his expert storytelling and profound performances, Christy crafts a song like no other, whether it’s his own composition or his own authentic take on other tunes. He is a bard, a folk musician and a comedian rolled into one. I don’t think many would argue if I said he was one of Ireland’s national treasures.
But this evening was my first-time seeing Christy live. In truth, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was aware of his legendary status and loved a great many of his songs, but a live show is a different ball game.
Like many, I had heard rumours that Christy can be cantankerous; that he disliked people singing at his gigs or clapping along. I understood where he might be coming from, but naturally, I felt that a lack of audience participation in a show can be a huge loss. After all, sometimes that’s what a live show is all about, right? That electricity in the room, that intense connection between the performer and the crowd. That’s what most of us missed these past two years during lockdowns; did Christy miss it too?
It turned out that I was to be pleasantly surprised, and quite quickly. Only a couple of songs in, Christy encouraged everyone to sing along if they knew the words. I almost felt the room loosen up at this point and collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
Some of the more boisterous audience members shouted words of admiration at Christy across the auditorium. I imagined that he might grow tired of these interruptions but instead, he took them in his stride, even responding to many of them with his quick wit. At one point, a man with a booming voice shouted something across the room, to which Christy responded simply ‘You’re very loud, aren’t you?’ which got huge laughs from the crowd.
Another memorable crowd interaction was an incident in which a man in the front row shouted ‘I love you’ at the iconic folk singer. Christy responded by dedicating the following romantic love song to the same man in the front row, which exuded laughter from much of the room. Any potential interruptions to the evening were turned into part of the show and Christy executed this marvellously. This wasn’t the cantankerous Christy Moore I had heard about.
His crowd interactions were just one layer of an endlessly entertaining evening. The songs were absolutely spellbinding. He started out strong with a passionate rendition of ‘Ordinary Man’. Later in the show, he performed a hauntingly beautiful version of Jimmy MacCarthy’s ‘Ride On’, a performance that surely caused the shedding of a tear or two in the crowd.
He also pulled a few surprises out of the bag, including a rendition of The Pogues’ song and Christmas classic, ‘Fairytale of New York’. It was a wonderful tribute to its writer, Shane MacGowan, who Christy clearly admires a great deal. After the song, Christy concluded that the song is too good to be limited to Christmas. With that, I agree.
Throughout the evening, we heard stories of love, violence, politicians, working class struggles, emigration, fascists and weekends in Amsterdam. Between these epic tales, we got a glimpse into the man relaying them to us. The way he sat so casually on the stage, you could almost mistake him for a man in his living room entertaining his guests, if not for the songs being executed so perfectly.
At one point in the evening, Christy expressed a mixture of shock and gratitude at playing at an opera house, reminiscing ‘I’ve played in some kips in my time’. I think it says a lot that, despite his fame and iconic status, he hasn’t forgotten his roots.
Overall, the show was truly incredible. The music of course speaks for itself, but Christy being in such top form really added to the experience. At 77 years old, he is still brimming with energy, wit and talent in a way that cannot be matched. He is a musical juggernaut and all-star entertainer.
I leave you with a final anecdote from the show. After playing an endlessly moving version of ‘Beeswing’, Christy credited the song to its writer, Richard Thompson. A woman in the crowd called out ‘Well done, Richard’, which got some laughs. Christy responded, ‘Can’t beat the aul Yellow Bellies all the same.’.
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