Damien Dempsey

CSC · 19-09-2009 11:24pm

Does anyone know is Damien working on any new material?

flanum · 20-09-2009 2:57am

im still confused.. is damien a traditional irish singer??? i just cant seem to put him into this category..? could somebody point me to a youtube track or something? he doesnt really seem to be exuding..the irish "trad" thing.. if ye get me... i think hes more suited (on this site) to a folk or pop forum...!!

now to me this would be an example of singing suited to an irish trad forum..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAYW5dwZJRA

or even..

The man himself... Seamus Ennis in fine traditional irish singing voice...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zCRh78StwY

.

If im wrong, then please somebody explain to me,, but every trad musician i know wouldnt put him in the "traditional irish" bracket!

this is meant as no offence to damien dempsey or his music, its just a case of maybe clarifying his "genre" !

neil_hosey · 20-09-2009 9:11pm

Ye i see where your coming from Flanum, i wouldnt consider everything he does to be traditional.. he takes his influences from luke kelly and bob marley. You cant really call him a trad irish singer...

Heres him (drunk) doing one of pecker dunnes songs, wexford town...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8iAn363NyY

dunnomede? · 20-09-2009 9:46pm

With regards classification of Dempseys genre i dont really think trad would be appropriate. I think on one of his live appearances (possibly other voices) he says something along the lines of urban folk.

Spacedog · 20-09-2009 11:22pm

Damo sings in his dublin accent, it's not over the top compared to some of the folks i know, it took real balls for him to start singing this way many years ago, and took even more balls to keep doing it through the early years of piss taking and ridicule.

I think since irish people hear the dublin accent all the time it's taken for granted, we are too fast to dismiss something that sounds home grown or in a regional accent, Mary Black and Deloras O'Reardon, Sinead O'Connor, are all fomous internationally because their singing voices are considered unique and original. and Dempsy is no different. our uniqueness and our culture are our greatest strengths.

It's easy to rip the piss and be a beard stroking intellectialist because we did honors english in school, but this kind sarcasm and pesimism are all too common a part of our culture also, we'd love to drag down someone rather than see them suceed, Damiens music describes problems such as these and shows us that we can be more positive and supportive of one another as opposed to sealing ourselves into our homes and ragging on anything and everything different. if you don't like it fine, no need to be a hater, bad form.

In the immortal words of Maxi Jazz - "I want a wisdom that wise men revere"

flanum · 21-09-2009 1:53am

Right fair enough.. so can we refrain from mentioning damien dempsey in the traditional forum and stick him over in the folk/twee or pop or something?....

meanwhile on planet trad we've a few jigs reels and mazurkas to sort out!

im personally working out the 2nd part of the Ivy leaf.. in serious fast time like vinny kilduff plays...

Mulan · 21-09-2009 1:14pm

I think he's great. A breath of fresh air to the industry. Saw him in the Sirius Arts Centre in Cobh last thursday. A great gig.

neil_hosey · 21-09-2009 1:38pm

flanum wrote: »

Right fair enough.. so can we refrain from mentioning damien dempsey in the traditional forum and stick him over in the folk/twee or pop or something?....

meanwhile on planet trad we've a few jigs reels and mazurkas to sort out!

im personally working out the 2nd part of the Ivy leaf.. in serious fast time like vinny kilduff plays...

no! hes a balladeer..he sings irish traditional music, whether you like to admit it or not. Ive heard him sing live some great irish traditional songs.

Because Ronnie Drew loved and sang jazz, should we kick him out of this forum too because hes not 'pure' enough for you???

oh and in before... "dont compare him to <insert singer here>"

Whiskey Devil · 24-09-2009 11:16am

flanum wrote: »

Right fair enough.. so can we refrain from mentioning damien dempsey in the traditional forum and stick him over in the folk/twee or pop or something?....

meanwhile on planet trad we've a few jigs reels and mazurkas to sort out!

im personally working out the 2nd part of the Ivy leaf.. in serious fast time like vinny kilduff plays...

There is no folk forum on boards.ie - The tag for this forum is Traditional, Irish and folk music. Blame whoever named the forum Traditional, and not something more suitable like the tagline. This is one of the most popular threads on here, so posters are clearly interested in talking about Damien Dempsey, Sinead O' Connor, Christy Moore etc. who have been influenced by traditional music. What's needed is a name change or two sub-forums.

You Trad heads just love moaning.

Alias G · 26-09-2009 5:31am

Damien Dempsey = Quality live performer.
Damien Dempsey's lyrics = Painfully crap.

sharp_shooter · 14-10-2009 7:35pm

I'd just like to point out something if I may....

Damien Dempsey recorded the Rocky Road WITH THE DUBLINERS!!!! If they approve of him taking Ronnie Drew's and Luke Kelly's place on vocals so much so that the recorded and album with him then who is anyone to question his talent!! and above all who is anyone to question whether he should be in this forum!! He recorded an album with the greatest Irish tradional band ever - The Dubliners!!- and before anyone starts, he was very good friends with ronnie drew, who loved his music. And for those who dont know, he was one of the few major Irish artists to sing in the tribute to ronnie drew just before he sadly passed away.

Damien did not record that album for financial gain!! he did it for one simple and staraight up reason and that is that it was a dream of his since he was a boy! and in making his dream come true he also got to bring the old trad music that so many of us grew up on to the younger generation of Ireland which is wonderful!

I think the people who slate Damo dont really know him and what he is about! He took a lot of abuse for his material and his accent (hence the song Negative Vibes) but he stuck with it and never gave up doing what he does because it is his passion! If more people took a leaf out of his book then Ireland would be a much better place! people need to listen and understand the message he is putting across in his music and then they will understand him more. He is not for everyone but I think it is Ironic that the very things he sings about is what the haters disagree with!!

I think Damo is a great influnence for the youth of Ireland and the more who can open up to his music the better! Everything he writes comes from the heart!

Thanks for the Music Damo

"Love yourself today"

SS

corkfein · 14-10-2009 7:58pm

muletide wrote: »

Huge Fan here

It was not untiul I saw him live that I really got hooked, since then I have spent a small fortune following him around the country.

Please reserve judgement until you have seen this man live

He played the closing night of Electric Picnic last year and had the tent hopping and had to have the power cut in order to stop him playing

People complain about manufactured bands and artists, this man is the exact opposite - such an unbelievable piece of homegrown talent that we should be proud of

Saw that gig myself first time seein him live.he rocked the gaff.
big fan,but sumtimes the accents a bit OTT

sharp_shooter · 14-10-2009 10:13pm

take it from me the accent is not even slightly put on! I know Damo all his life and he has always talked in that strong an accent!!

fh041205 · 16-10-2009 8:12pm

sharp_shooter wrote: »

Everything he writes comes from the heart!

+1

I don't think many people with experience of his music would disagree with that, including me. However, if you are to even attempt to suggest again (as you seem to have done above) that he can fill the awesome boots once inhabited by Luke Kelly I'm afraid you're opinion is null and void. I'm going to assume however, that this was not your intention.

I thought his covers album was very poor and did him no favours at all. Not many people disagree with this.

brummytom · 16-10-2009 8:18pm

fh041205 wrote: »

+1

I don't think many people with experience of his music would disagree with that, including me. However, if you are to even attempt to suggest again (as you seem to have done above) that he can fill the awesome boots once inhabited by Luke Kelly I'm afraid you're opinion is null and void. I'm going to assume however, that this was not your intention.

I thought his covers album was very poor and did him no favours at all. Not many people disagree with this.

I really liked the 'Rocky Road'. I didn't feel his intention was to try and fill Luke's boots; but it's obvious Luke was his hero and it's only natural Damien would want to emulate him.

As I said previously, I thought that album was great - Rainy Night In Soho, Rocky Road to Dublin, Schoolday's Over, Night Visiting Song, Kelly from Killane... all fantastic songs, but obviously will never come close to Luke Kelly's versions.

I have to say though, probably just because of the arrangement, I prefer Damiens' 'Schooldays Over' to Luke's and his 'Rainy Night in Soho' to Shane MacGowan's.

Credit where credit's due; he's a great singer/songwriter, a fantastic ballad singer and a credit to Luke's memory (still doesn't come close though

:P)

sharp_shooter · 02-11-2009 12:21pm

I am not saying he is better than luke kelly! To try compare the two makes no sense! they are completely different in their style and time! I think the best way to look at it is if the great luke was still around its safe to assume he woyuld be a fan of Damo and that he would feel that Damo dis his songs justice! There is no better or worse its all art and art is what you want it to be.

I am a huge fan of the great luke kelly and would never take away what he has accomplished as an artist but personnally I prefer Damo and get more out of his music but that is not saying they are different that is just my preference. If i am in a mood of reflecting on the old times in dublin and life and history back in the early days than I will put on some Luke kelly or Dubliners stuff. If I in the mood of listening to some upbeat Irish origin music about current Ireland I'll listen to Damo! and that sums it up really.

I dont think he should be judged so harshly for his album with the Dubliners because he is just trying to educate the youth of Ireland on the wonders of that music and how it made him feel. and no doubt fans of his will hear it, like it, and then look for the originals and then begin to appricate the talents of Mr. Kelly and the Dubliners when they might have been missing out on it before! That is what Damo is trying to do. he is not trying to be better than Luke! I can promise you that if you said to him that you think he is trying to be better than luke he would laught and say "Dont be stupid! no one is better than Luke Kelly"!!

fh041205 · 02-11-2009 8:53pm

sharp_shooter wrote: »

I dont think he should be judged so harshly for his album with the Dubliners because he is just trying to educate the youth of Ireland on the wonders of that music and how it made him feel. and no doubt fans of his will hear it, like it, and then look for the originals and then begin to appricate the talents of Mr. Kelly and the Dubliners when they might have been missing out on it before! That is what Damo is trying to do.

Right, almost everyone has said this. So time for a show of hands.

Which of you (internet people) who are fans of Damien Dempsey, who previously had zero knowledge of the Dubliners existance, have since become avid fans based purely on Damien Dempsey collaboration or whatever you want to call it. Answer honestly now!!!

neil_hosey · 03-11-2009 12:56am

fh041205 wrote: »

Right, almost everyone has said this. So time for a show of hands.

Which of you (internet people) who are fans of Damien Dempsey, who previously had zero knowledge of the Dubliners existance, have since become avid fans based purely on Damien Dempsey collaboration or whatever you want to call it. Answer honestly now!!!

its very unlikely anyone will fit this category seen as the dubliners are so well known..

But my knowledge of the dubliners songs have been extended thanks to damien dempsey singing songs that i never heard before such as the twang man, wexford town (pecker dunne), sullivans john, and a good few others... he also made me look back at songs i dismissed years ago as ' not my thing' such as school days over and a rainy night in soho..

manwith3butocks · 04-11-2009 5:16pm

Damo is one of the best and most intense performers I have ever seen! I'm gonna see him Dec 3rd in the Radisson Galway. He's playing a charity solo gig there, with all his fees going to the charity Preda. You don't see many performers doing that these days! I've never seen him play solo either, so should be class.

Whiskey Devil · 01-12-2009 2:18am

fh041205 wrote: »

Right, almost everyone has said this. So time for a show of hands.

Which of you (internet people) who are fans of Damien Dempsey, who previously had zero knowledge of the Dubliners existance, have since become avid fans based purely on Damien Dempsey collaboration or whatever you want to call it. Answer honestly now!!!

I would say the vast majority of Damien Dempsey fans were not aware of The Night Visiting Song, School Days Over, Johnny Jump Up etc. as they are not the first songs people associate with the Dubliners or Luke Kelly. I don't believe for a second that he released any album for money or greater recognition. Look at a video of him singing live and you will struggle to find any performer other than Luke Kelly or Christy Moore that sing with such passion and love for what they do.

If he wanted to be George Murphy he would have recorded Dirty Old Town, The Irish Rover, Molly Malone, Rare Old Times etc. Instead he recorded songs that your average Irish person (shamefully imo) doesn't know whatsoever.

He's one of the brightest lights in Irish music. Give him a break!

Gerard.C · 03-12-2009 4:05pm

fh041205 wrote: »

Right, almost everyone has said this. So time for a show of hands.

Which of you (internet people) who are fans of Damien Dempsey, who previously had zero knowledge of the Dubliners existance, have since become avid fans based purely on Damien Dempsey collaboration or whatever you want to call it. Answer honestly now!!!

I knew the dubliners before I got into Damo, but what has this got to do with anything? If he's getting younger people into music that we as a nation are forgetting, so what? There's no harm whatsoever in that.

Personally, I think Damo is the brightest light to shine from this country in a LONG time. He's without any doubt my favourite artist in the world right now, his passion in unbelieveably infectious. He's fantastic live, one of the best I've seen, and anyone who judges him based on his accent or where he's from (this is coming from a tipp man too!) is pathetic.

fh041205 · 03-12-2009 10:15pm

Gerard.C wrote: »

I knew the dubliners before I got into Damo, but what has this got to do with anything? If he's getting younger people into music that we as a nation are forgetting, so what? There's no harm whatsoever in that.

Very true indeed. IMO that is the most reasonable justification of his 'covers' album. However, I conjecture that he has failed in this. It struck me that fans of his kept referring to this without saying that it had happpened to them. Thats all I'm getting at for the moment. Thanks for your reply.

Gerard.C · 03-12-2009 11:43pm

fh041205 wrote: »

Very true indeed. IMO that is the most reasonable justification of his 'covers' album. However, I conjecture that he has failed in this. It struck me that fans of his kept referring to this without saying that it had happpened to them. Thats all I'm getting at for the moment. Thanks for your reply.

But how can you say he has failed in it? If the idea is to get through to young people, how are we to know if he did? I wouldn't expect 11 year olds to be posting on boards about Damo like

For what its worth, around this time last year I went to an all ages Damo gig in cork and there was 20 to 30 younguns running around and enjoying the music, and Damo was visably delighted with the response the young gave him. He was playing lively songs for the kids to dance to and was giving them fantastic words of encouragement inbetween songs. The man is nothing short of a hero

Gerard.C · 03-12-2009 11:45pm

Whiskey Devil wrote: »

I would say the vast majority of Damien Dempsey fans were not aware of The Night Visiting Song, School Days Over, Johnny Jump Up etc. as they are not the first songs people associate with the Dubliners or Luke Kelly. I don't believe for a second that he released any album for money or greater recognition. Look at a video of him singing live and you will struggle to find any performer other than Luke Kelly or Christy Moore that sing with such passion and love for what they do.

If he wanted to be George Murphy he would have recorded Dirty Old Town, The Irish Rover, Molly Malone, Rare Old Times etc. Instead he recorded songs that your average Irish person (shamefully imo) doesn't know whatsoever.

He's one of the brightest lights in Irish music. Give him a break!

Fantastic post!! You goin to see him over the xmas?

fh041205 · 04-12-2009 12:20pm

Gerard.C wrote: »

But how can you say he has failed in it? If the idea is to get through to young people, how are we to know if he did?

Precisely. Too many people claimed this without proving it. Therefore I suggested the opposite might be true, with equally little proof. Proof by contradiction is on my side here though.

Gerard.C · 04-12-2009 2:36pm

fh041205 wrote: »

Precisely. Too many people claimed this without proving it. Therefore I suggested the opposite might be true, with equally little proof. Proof by contradiction is on my side here though.

Well, I kinda did prove it in my last post. What more do you want?

fh041205 · 05-12-2009 2:59pm

Gerard.C wrote: »

Well, I kinda did prove it in my last post. What more do you want?

I wan t people to stop claiming he has inntrouced a new generation (who otherwise would not have listened to the music) to the Dubliners, the pogues, the clancys etc. as a direct result of his album containing these songs.

I wondered if that was the case with anyone on here. The answer so far is no.

Glassheart · 05-12-2009 3:22pm

I love the guy.

He has the ability to occasionally write some dodgy lyrics but i think he's a terrific tunesmith.Those songs really get stuck in your head...

His gigs have to be seen to be believed.Always a really positive experience.:)

TheCandystripes · 05-12-2009 3:24pm

a boring cretin.

Whiskey Devil · 06-12-2009 2:42pm

Whiskey Devil wrote: »

I would say the vast majority of Damien Dempsey fans were not aware of The Night Visiting Song, School Days Over, Johnny Jump Up etc. as they are not the first songs people associate with the Dubliners or Luke Kelly. I don't believe for a second that he released any album for money or greater recognition. Look at a video of him singing live and you will struggle to find any performer other than Luke Kelly or Christy Moore that sing with such passion and love for what they do.

If he wanted to be George Murphy he would have recorded Dirty Old Town, The Irish Rover, Molly Malone, Rare Old Times etc. Instead he recorded songs that your average Irish person (shamefully imo) doesn't know whatsoever.

He's one of the brightest lights in Irish music. Give him a break!

Next Sunday in the Pavilion in Dun Laoghaire.

Can't wait..

manwith3butocks · 18-01-2010 11:24pm

He's an absolute star and a gentleman. Really genuine when you talk to him, proud to have him as an ambassador.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPEOmHxaY1o

Michael Collins · 18-01-2010 11:29pm

Damien Dempsey Documentary (aka DDD):

http://www.veotag.com/player/?pid=c3663fc8-6fb5-4a46-98a8-1a0c1b007d66

Whiskey Devil · 25-01-2010 2:16am

The documentary is excellent. Has some great interviews with Damo in America and Dublin before he 'made it' and lots of well known guests. I'd love to get the full VT of him singing 'It's Important' with Christy Moore in the pub. Does anybody know where it was recorded?

CSC · 27-01-2010 10:14pm

Is it the old Rocky Sullivan's in New York?

Whiskey Devil · 01-02-2010 7:17pm

CSC wrote: »

Is it the old Rocky Sullivan's in New York?

I don't think he'd have met with Christy Moore in the States as he hasn't toured there for years. I'm pretty sure it's when he returns to Dublin - could be wrong though.

theyellowtinker · 02-02-2010 1:40am

Have to say I liked his first 2 albums and like his dictinct sound..evenstill i reckon he is well overated. Yeah a few catchy origionals but he is completely blown out of proportion as regards his ability and talent, particularly the irish ballads .
Indeed, hes not not a scratch on any of the legendary balladeers ie Luke & Christy, but why the feck does he have to be? Lets just leave him be the dodgy, unique but likeable singer songwriter that he is without entering him into folk legend just coz he released a weak duplicated recording of over trodden ballads done a generation earlier.
The only songs not well trodden are the mickey bags (Twangman) one &
Madam Im a darlin..
All youve got to do is log onto his site and read his biog which reads as a load of b***ix if you ask me.. the Irish Lion blah blah.. are we really in that much need of hero??

Brendan Jabbers · 02-01-2013 6:13pm

I realise I'm in the underwhelming minority, but I can't stand the guy. I think he's a real chancer - and yet I also enjoyed his earlier work (Seize The Day and Shots) and went to see him several times. Many times I would be stopped in my tracks by the sheer naivety of his lyrics (and not in a good way). It's peculiar that the island that produced Yeats, Behan, Kavanagh et al has also produced probably the two worst lyricists to have worked in the popular music genre - Dempsey and Dolores O'Riordan.
Gems such as "Coming down on the ground in a small house, you're a man but you feel like a small mouse" (nothing worse than those BIG mice), "I look to the East, I look to the West, to the North and South and I'm not too impressed" and "when the Devil gets into my head, I'm so blue" (well, you would be, wouldn't you?) are just embarrassing.

I saw him most recently in Manchester last Autumn and it was easily my worst gig of the year. A horrible crowd (it was a small venue, fortunately) of beered up Mancs (or that was how they sounded) drowning out the music, a constant chant of "Damo" throughout and music that wore its right-on credentials on its sleeve, then shoved its sleeve in your face - dropping names like Bob Marley, Phil Lynott and, weirdly, Tony Benn.

To quote the "Workers' Liberty" website: "(Tony Benn was) a member of the government that brought in the Prevention of Terrorism Act to enable the police to hold Irish people in jail without charge or trial and to deport them...he was a member of the Government that put the troops on the streets in 1969, and of the Government that surrendered to the Orange general strike in 1974 and brought in the Prevention of Terrorism Act at the end of that year.

"He was still a member of that Government when, from 1976, they withdrew the political-prisoner rights conceded by the Tory government after 1972. They thus sparked the...hunger strikes of 1981, when ten men died".

In short, I don't doubt Dempsey's sincerity, but I believe he is a dilettante, and that he is naive and gauche, writing about things which he doesn't fully grasp.

squonk · 05-01-2013 4:14pm

I tried listening to. Few of his albums but always had to stop before he end because I got sick of listening t him bitching, moaning and preaching about various causes. I caught one of his gigs on TG4 a few years ago and that put me off wanting to ever see him live. All I remember is him rabbiting on ad nausuem over "800 years of oppression". Get over yourself mate. To my mind the reason he gets on so well with Christy Moore is that they both have the same inflated opinions of their ability to change the world by adopting causes, writing songs about them and spouting ****e at gigs. Good for them but ultimately that ends up getting on punter's tits after a while.

I've heard some radio play of Damo's new single. Very lackluster. More of the same tedious ****e but the single provokes no reaction in me whatsoever so I'm guessing he's either sold out, bought into his publicity or is going through a fallow period. Either way I wouldn't cross the road to see him.

CuriousPete · 09-01-2013 10:41am

Damien Dempsey is great. Irish music is moving forward with people like Damien. He gets my approval.

Pink Fox · 16-03-2013 5:42pm

He singing is too much like shouting for my liking, but I like seeing him on a talk show, he is honest and sincere

Tombo2001 · 22-03-2013 12:52pm

Brendan Jabbers wrote: »

In short, I don't doubt Dempsey's sincerity, but I believe he is a dilettante, and that he is naive and gauche, writing about things which he doesn't fully grasp.

You know I'd agree a lot of what you say to be honest.

Having said that, I was listening to shots yesterday and I really enjoyed it.

Sometimes he gets it bang on and sometimes you just cringe listening to the lines.....even within the same song.

Spraypaint BackAlley is a song with really fine lyrics.

On the other hand, I wouldnt be a big fan of Colony.

But actually for me the big thing with Damien Dempsey is the way he delivers it.

Cursed with a Brain is probably the best example for me.

I wouldnt be a huge fan of the message of the song, its a little bit cliched....

But its an absolutely class song, the production of it and the way he delivers the song and also the guitar chords, it is class.

The other thing is, that cant be questioned really......is that he is the only person singing about this stuff. Nobody else really covers these topics. Is it any surprise that people like songs they can relate to?

I couldnt say what any Snow Patrol song is about.....or any Script song.....or any Radiohead song for that matter.

Damien Dempsey

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