Article: Gig Review

Author: Edward Keenan

Article Title: Gifted songsmith lights up Palace Loft

Renowned across the country as one of the most compelling live performers on the Irish circuit, Monaghan-born singer/songwriter Pete Courtney performed a brilliant set in the Palace Loft last Wednesday night to a packed house.

The Mullingar-based maestro has a habit of leaving audiences spellbound as he weaves his plaintive tales of hang-overs and mournful wanderings - each one suffused with a bantam kernel of hope that marks him out amongst his contemporaries.

Athlone audiences had the opportunity to hear exactly why the Irish Times called him, "a live one to remember, a guitar playing prowess up there with the best" when he performed at the popular venue last week.

Tracks from his debut album 'One of these kids' went hand-in-hand with new material from his forthcoming second album 'Songs from the Holistic Museum'. Pete's natural stage manner held his audience captive throughout and tracks such as 'Sensible Shoes', and 'Fingers and Face' were simply outstanding.

Never afraid to experiment with a different guitar effect or gadget, Pete is well known for entertaining audiences with something different at various intervals. An old radio radio and a clothes brush were used during the Athlone show at different times. His greatest achievement within this is that he never lets the gadget/effect take away from the essence of the song.

Supporting with him on the night was AIT student and Mullingar-born performer Fiachra Milner who entertained the crowd with some great originals and cover versions and new acoustic-based Athlone act My Fallen Empire.

Pete's 2001 debut album won plaudits across the board leaving critics unanimous in their praise. The beautifully crafted debut LP lifted Pete to the very forefront of the Irish singer/songwriter scene which has been a popular source of music journalism column inches in recent years.

Over the past few years, Pete has been concentrating on developing his fanbase in countries such as France, Germany and India, picking up a little something from each country which finds its way into a verse or chorus here and there.

But with his second album scheduled for release in the first half of next year, Pete is now once again focusing his talents on Irish audiences and playing in as many new venues as possible along the way. Always an advocate of gigs in areas beyond the bigger cities, prior to his Palace performance Pete said he was looking forward to his first appearance in Athlone.

"I've heard of the Palace loft from a few people and I've had good reports," he says. "So I'm definitely looking forward to playing my first gig in Athlone," he said.

Despite this being his first musical sojourn to Athlone, Pete is no stranger to the region. Although a Monaghan native, Pete has been living in Mullingar for some time now and has made plans with Westmeath County Council to host a series of young musicians workshops in the county, which will be taking place in areas such as Mullingar, Athlone and Moate in the first few months of next year.

"It's great working with kids," he says. "They're so energetic and enthusiastic. I'm there to try and help them to do it themselves. I wish I'd had someone there when I was there age to give them a helping hand so it's a really positive thing. I love the whole idea of interaction, of working with different people," he adds.

As well as gigs and workshops, Pete is also in the process of finishing his second record, which has been mainly recorded at a new studio based in Drumlish, Co. Longford.

"It's definitely a slow process. The last album was quite organic - this one has more going on with it. There's more production there but it's still definitely left-of-centre.

"I suppose it's somewhere between the last one and where I want to go with the third album," he says. The new album, which will be titled 'Stories from the Holistic Museum' comes as part of a planned triptych, with the material for all three albums written already.

"The second one will be rockier with some more people involved and the third will be quite avante-garde with a lot more people involved. That's where I want to go," he adds.

Of his debut album, Pete says he was overwhelmed by the response from both the public and critics alike. "It kick-started my career, really. I had been at a certain level for a number of years and this changed everything."

Having spent years playing everywhere from New York to rural Ireland, Pete is now an established artist with a successful record behind him and he has bright hopes for the future.

"It's all about getting out there and playing, recreating awareness and creating awareness where there was none before. That's the plan," he adds.