The Zodiac Sessions

The Lonely Schizophrenic

The Zodiac Sessions, Bruxelles,

20/01/ 10
Angela Macari O’Looney

The cosy setting of Bruxelles is ideal for the style of music The Lonely Schizophrenic play. It’s also probably the longest standing and most popular gig spot in Dublin, so I was delighted when Anto Kane and his friends told me it was where they were playing their first gig of 2010.

Opening the show was singer/songwriter Cillian Foster, who performed three numbers. I enjoyed this short set, my favourite number being the second one which was jazzy, with catchy chord combinations.

Stephen Branigan, whose set was a little more upbeat, was next. He was joined by a young lady ‘Ciara’ who added harmony and played microkorg. The nicest of Stephen’s set was his last song; This Town having memorable lyrics about going away and a sweet melody line.

A four piece act called Frantic Jack really woke the small crowd up, with a full sound and Gritty, but excellent vocals by Darragh Fitzgerald. Vibrant baselines by Pauric Hurst and excellent guitar by Mark Kelly made their set interesting. Their last number Vancouver was my favourite. This showcased each of the musicians and also the singer to great advantage. A bit of harmony added just the right amount of atmosphere.

It was shaping up to be quite a night and the next act was led by a female vocalist, Sharon Reid on Keyboards. A family act, it included a female bassist Marion, lead guitarist Shane and another backing vocalist Lena Clarke. I noticed that the bassist had a lovely voice when she shared some of the vocals. Their first number All of my field was laid back. This was followed by a number called Ralphie. It has a catchy middle eight where the bassist sings a haunting refrain and it slows down a little. They then returned to the faster beat for the final chorus. Wake up was another lovely number and they finished with a song called Socrates, dedicated to Anto, from The Lonely Schizophrenic. Taking influences from styles such as Fleetwood Mac and The Cardigans, Sharon and her team are a promising act and I will watch out for them again for sure.

Andy Delamere won the audience over with his unusual guitar playing technique and his delightful set. This young man is slight in stature, but is a force to be reckoned with indeed. I liked his first number Passing time Blues, which has a very effective guitar break. He also performed a really dynamic piece called Don’t you with some ultra spectacular guitar hi jinx in it and another called Mischievous. Andy’s rare style involves playing both lead and rhythm all at once. He obviously has had classical training. Such a young artist, he shows lots of potential and was very popular this night.

The Lonely Schizophrenic

Next up, the main act of the evening!
The line-up consisted of Anto Kane (Vocals), Vlad Pavlov (Bass) and Andy Healy (Percussion).
The first number was I miss me Da, a hilarious ditty with a catchy chorus that you can’t but sing along to. It’s upbeat, with a bouncy tempo and by the time they reached the final chorus, all present were joining in with the funny words Rent a Daddy dot com, rent a daddy do, rent a daddy dot com we will love you. The banjo in this acoustic piece is very sweet.

Crab People – Anto and the boys donned masks and balaclavas for this, causing a few giggles from the audience. Andy Delamere was invited onstage to contribute on banjo/acoustic guitar. From their album, this is a crazy rap with a chorus that’s a little like a war tattoo and I absolutely adore how Anto performs a little crab dance in it. Bass is nice here.

For Panda Porn, Sinead Smith came up to the stage. Sinead sings the chorus of this cool song. Anto sings the rap which is the story of how Pandas are made watch porn to help them mate.After what they did, what they made us watch, can anybody blame me for sniffing your crotch
People were literally falling around the place laughing at this funny, but sweet song, with its catchy chord combos and tuneful chorus. You just can’t be narrow minded, nor offended by blue language at a gig with this band!

The Maid from Cabra West – This is a fast ballad, with a story about a fella from Donnybrook falling in love with a maid from Cabra, who went off with a Portuguese chap. He ends up committing murder and is thrown in Mountjoy jail. In the chorus there’s a big ‘Hey’ and the generality sing it with Anto.

The Stalker Song – This sounded like a real song, without too much messing in it. Chords were divine a la Andy; lyrics still a bit hair- raising. It was the nicest song of the set and one I hadn’t heard before.

Living in a box - About ‘Bosco’, (a puppet from a children’s show on R.T.E. TV.) this song is a story of his downfall and how he turned bad. There’s a line in it that got me ;You gotta understand, if you pull of my PJ’s I’m just another hand.

Itchy – A rap containing extremely blue lyrics, based on the subject of S.T.D’s, Anto definitely shocked one or two members of the audience here who weren’t prepared. Andy Healy’s percussion on this little tambourine thing he played with drumsticks was excellent here. The beat is definitely the nice bit in this song and despite the words, it’s a song you have to clap to and at this stage most of the punters were seasoned to Anto’s portrayal of embarrassing scenarios!

Anto saved Rest in Pieces, a song about a cat getting run over by a car till last. From the album, this hits a nerve for me since the cat in it is called Fluffy. My cat Fluffy passed away not to long before my first experience of it. However it is very catchy. I think the melody is very pretty, guitar in it is trickling and lends to the sad story. How this man can keep a straight face telling these stories in song, I will never know. I know you’re up in heaven, it’s a much nicer place and no one’s going to look at you for not having a face. Fluffy you don’t have a face, Fluffy you don’t have a face.

Anto was never going to leave without giving us his Parody Touching me Taters, which is a very short piece about his first sexual experience. He doesn’t leave much to the imagination, but if he did he wouldn’t be Anto Kane, would he?

After this Wayne Brennan singer/songwriter and guitarist extraordinaire treated us to a short set. Andy stayed onstage to join him and it was lovely to hear the two together. Andy Healy on drums also contributed. Wayne did Going on Down, playing his guitar flat on his lap using a sliding technique. He also performed a beautiful flamenco style instrumental and finished with Make you Smile. Andy Delamere did harmony here.

I had to leave after this, but felt privileged to have been a part of such a lovely evening. The Zodiac Sessions is a great way to hear some of our best unsigned Irish acts, in a relaxed setting where they are letting off steam and really enjoying themselves as they perform. Cheers to all for a great night’s entertainment.