Cocktails and top sounds make for heady mix
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Wednesday March 10 2010
Y'KNOW, they are a friendly crowd over in Shooters too. The entire establishment was jumping and we were still several hours from closing time. ' What a Feeling' by Irene Cara was blasting out of the speakers and the masses seemed to understand; they were dancing in the aisles right out to meet the street!
The Owl had swooped in for the craic and a cocktail, all jolly and jocular after his sojourn in Mell, and no sooner was I in the door than my beverage of choice was placed in front of me with a flourish. Thanks, Nigel!
So far, so very good. Then it got better. Four young ladies were ensconced in an upstairs booth and happily agreed to a snap for the local 'paper. Aoife Collins from Laytown was out celebrating her birthday in the company of Ciara Prone from Mornington, Dynnsey Kavanagh from Laytown and Leah Cleary all the way from Donegal. Sure, they're coming from all over to this place!
Up on the top level a bevy of beautiful ladies were shaking their stuff, among them Stacy O'Reilly and Charlene Kennedy from Marley's Court and Amy Dunne from Cedarfield.
Anthony Meade from Mell and Glen Curran from Rathmullan were over by the bar trying hard not to be distracted by all this, while down the back the Skerries contingent were in and most ably represented by Grace McBride and boyfriend Liam Pardieck and Tomas Quinn with girlfriend Lisa Westlake. Very welcome they are too.
Realising that Saturday night was also the first airing of new
material by Drogheda's Freeman Bear over at the Purple Room, Night Owl stepped things up a gear and readied himself for the wee hours. It was time to hot-step it across to the Star and Crescent.
The irrepressible (and considerably talented) Mr Tadhg Murphy started a dancefloor revolution from behind his 6 x 2 ft bench before making way for the main event.
A flurry of melodic beats, bounding bass and lush swooning minor chords meshed together by the medicated goo of an educated doctor of spin would be one way of describing the delicious tray of musical marvels Freeman Bear served up to us during his set.
As such description is probably impenetrable to anybody on planet sanity, let's just say, journalistic eulogising aside, it was damn good. It can
be hard not to get a little rapturous at times though when you realise the talent in this town. I'm sure you understand.
Regular contributor to the Purple Room's positive energy Derek Hicks tied everything together in the third set of the night and a big posse of revellers left with smiles on their faces. Watch out for more from Freeman Bear and associates in the coming weeks and months, and no doubt External Sounds will continue to crank things up as we approach the summer.
The nights are getting shorter. Better make the most of them.
- Tony LEDDY
