Rachel Grimes in Jury’s

Congratulations to both Ping Pong and The Triskel on Saturdays very successful Rachel Grimes show.

The venue (upstairs in a conference room in Jurys Inn) was a new one to me and most others in attendance but it is amazing what sort of atmosphere can be created simply by turning down the lights and removing the temptation of going to the bar from the equation. Obviously the magic ingredient is an incredible musician. This was never in doubt on Saturday evening.

Opening with a track from the Rachel’s back catalogue (I missed this unfortunately) we were then invited into Rachel Grimes’ world for a few minutes as she laid a little background (nuns, whiskey and politics is all I will say) about the setting in which her 2009 solo album, Book of Leaves, was written.

Talking was put on hold as the fourteen pieces (which felt more like fourteen different paintings unveiled one at a time) from the solo album were played consecutively, transporting this member of the enthralled audience into another world. The sound of a solitary grand piano, accompanied at times by the sound of birds singing or a river racing, does not usually provide the soundtrack to my Saturday nights so the only disappointment on the night was the realization that Rachel Grimes had stopped playing. A huge round of applause later was quickly followed by an encore of “Wally, Egon & Models in the Studio” from 1996s Music for Egon Schiele. If there was ever any doubt from the rapturous applause that the crowd enjoyed this one immensely was put to bed as Rachel rushed off to get more cds which sold like hot-cakes*.

If my opinion matters any this was probably the Cork show of 2010 for me. Good stuff Ping Pong/Triskel and of course, Rachel Grimes.

http://www.rachelgrimespiano.com

http://www.myspace.com/pingpongcork

http://www.triskelartscentre.ie

*Can anyone tell me if hot-cakes are simply cakes that are hot?