Finbar Furey: Free Spirit [RTE1, Monday 9.35pm]

Skid

Liam McGrath meets the musician as he prepares to leave Ireland for Washington, DC, harbouring dreams of breaking America as a solo artist. After a career that has included performing with founding member of the Dubliners Ronnie Drew, and stints with the Fureys and the Clancy Brothers, Furey has been forced to develop a new style of playing music after suffering a shoulder injury, which prompted a reliance on painkillers

Looking forward to this, Finbar is a terrific musician. He gave a very good interview to Brendan O'Connor on Saturday. I hope they don't dwell too much on his injuries and ailments, I'd rather hear about the man and his music.

Skid

Starting in a few minutes ...

according to RTE, Finbar was due to leave Ireland last Thursday - he was still here last Saturday anyway.

http://www.rte.ie/tv/programmes/finbarfureyfreespirit.html

In this film, Finbar Furey: Free Spirit, Liam McGrath, (Southpaw, Blood of the Travellers, Unsettled: From Tinker to Traveller), explores this journey and discovers Finbar on the eve of leaving Ireland perhaps permanently, for a new home in Washington DC.

He has developed a new style of playing music as a result of his injury and gradual recovery. This development may very well be Finbar Furey's salvation. It is a sound that college radio in the USA has latched onto and is now the beginning of a brand new creative journey.

On the 10th of May 2012, Finbar and his wife of 44 years are relocating to pursue his dream of breaking America, for the very first time, as a solo artist.

JonathanAnon

"I played him The Blackbird"

You cant beat a bit of The Beatles alright.. :pac:

Lapin

Anyone see them perform Sweet Sixteen on Top of the Pops. (Its bound to be shown on this programme.)

True, they looked out of place but at least they didn't let the side down like that other pair of tax dodging lepracauns.

You know who I'm on about.

Lapin

Ballyfermot, Bingo !






Oops, wrong show sorry.

Skid

Imagine being in O'Donoghues with Luke Kelly, Ronnie Drew and Finbar Furey playing away, drinking creamy pints all night

Any time I have been there lately you can't move for tourists with backpacks sharing one 7-Up between 6 of them

castletownman

That was a moving montage of his father

JonathanAnon

^ Yeah I can just imagine you Skid, telling Ronnie Drew and Luke Kelly to stfu cos the Late Late is coming on..

Skid

Lapin wrote: »

Anyone see them perform Sweet Sixteen on Top of the Pops. (Its bound to be shown on this programme.)

True, they looked out of place but at least they didn't let the side down like that other pair of tax dodging lepracauns.

You know who I'm on about.

Good call, Lapin.

It would have been a brave man who asked Finbar to put on a Leprachaun outfit. They had to give the audience green balloons to wave as a token Diddley-aye for the night.

JonathanAnon

Used to play Red Rose Cafe as part of a waltz set the whole time with the wedding band... But one night we were asked to do that "I Will Love You" as the first song.... It absolutely DIED.... couldnt get over with quick enough... We'd started to redeem things after that, and when we took the break at the interval, the video woman came up and said "I missed the first dance, you're gonna have to play it again"... :eek:

JonathanAnon

It' a very interesting documentary and well made, but God he's certainly focussing on the sad times... deaths, breakups etc etc.. Was the script put together by Ryan Tubridy??

Skid

JonathanAnon wrote: »

It' a very interesting documentary and well made, but God he's certainly focussing on the sad times... deaths, breakups etc etc.. Was the script put together by Ryan Tubridy??

Very true, It's a bit heavy on the sadness alright.

The stories of Finbar and his Dad were nice, they were very close. It would have been nice to hear more about happy times.

Music4life

Does anyone know the song he performed on Saturday with the banjo? It was absolutely Amazing.

JP Liz V1

His story would make an awesome biopic