Banjos, raspy voices & poetry

Thursday night saw me enjoying the fine wordsmiths and musicians that are Mumford and Sons at The Academy. The four piece outfit from London have burst onto the scene in Ireland in particular over the last six months cementing a reputation as men of poetic lyrics combined with bluegrass/folk music priming you for a hoedown and a nice relaxing listen all at the same time. Debuting this year with their seminal album Sigh No More they have opened up a generation to a whole new genre of music and diverted tired eyes and ears away from the cumbersome indie scene of late that is becoming saturated with carbon copies and lacking in immediate imagination.

That is not to say that Mumford and Sons themselves may be guilty of recreating their own sound over and over again on their own debut album. However I think they may be excused because of their existential lyrics that ring through like a young poet seeing the world with fresh eyes.Or just check out CSNY. You may be forgiven for thinking you have heard the same notes twice on different tracks but you wont mistake the lyrics. Songs like The Cave, Roll Away Your Stone, White Blank Page and Winter Winds are stand out tracks. What amazed me at the gig was the sheer talent of every single member of the band. They chopped and changed at ease from drums to piano to bass to lead vocals and every single member carried out their task with aplomb. Marcus Mumford's (the lead vocalist) voice is unmistakeable and leaves an indelible mark on the mind. Whoever has heard this man singing will recognise his voice immediately.

They have supported the songstress Laura Marling but have toured extensively over the last two years in England in particular and forged a reputation as live force to be reckoned with. With their melancholic voices and love of folk and bluegrass they seemed to have identified and a hit a chord with people on this side of the ocean. They have managed to sell more albums here than anywhere else. Perhaps it is the inherent love of folk and storytelling that appeals to the people of this island. With Marcus Mumford explaining Little Lion Man and White Blank Page to be a part of an ongoing story line, I have no doubt they will continue onto bigger and better things and will always have a place in the hearts of people who love a story in song.

Mumford and Sons with their pianoes, double bass', guitars and banjoes are Marcus Mumford, Country Winston, Ben Lovett and Ted Dwane.

What do you think?

Peoples faith moves them to evoke all manner of emotions. Today, I was directed to a YouTube link(thanks Lib!) that entailed a thoelogical debate of sorts. This debate firstly was about the effect the Catholic church has on the world and whether it is for good or for worse. Arguing in favour was the Archbishop of Nigeria, John Onaiyekan and British MP and Conservative Ann Widdecombe. In the opposing corner were controversial journalist and commentator Christopher Hitchens and acclaimed author,comedian,actor and jack of all trades Stephen Fry.

Brought up in a Catholic household in suburban Ireland and educated in a Catholic school both primary and secondary I was subjected to the teachings of the Catholic church throughout my youth. Like a lamb in a menagerie I grew into a sheep and stayed with the flock until my late teens wherein I strayed from my mandatory faith and embraced what the world had to offer and its surroundings. This, needless to say, caused consternation in my household but to this day I hold firm in my beliefs. My parents, fantastic in every aspect of life as they are, even to this day I believe still long for my return to my faith. This is however not their fault. I would subscribe to the theory that they are a product of the environments they grew up in,the Bible bashing society that existed in pre Celtic Tiger Ireland. Dont get me wrong I would never question their commitment to their faith and theyre entitled to their beliefs but it's just not my cup of tea. I am probably a believer in the world religions and perhaps could be described as an "a la carte" believer. I think almost every religion has some valid points and I see no reason why I cannot subscribe to a theory from whichever religion I choose. A deity and one true deity,I do believe in. But I would like to think this deity does not belong to a religion but to people in general.

Anyway, my eyes were opened to the vast bowlful of knowledge waiting for us when I started studying Jurisprudence and listened to messrs. Rousseau, More, Foucault, Marx, Chomsky etc.... I learned about the Summarian Gods and how they rose from the dead after three days(sound familiar anybody?) and how the Nicene Creed shaped the Christian etiquette and festivals we know today,deriving from Pagan festivals. I began to question my faith and impending scandals at the time sealed my fate. The sex abuse scandals in the Catholic church broke. My ears burned as the facts were revealed.In a nutshell,priests raping children. These guardians of faith and of the community had betrayed their followers and they and the powers that be had the gall to cover up these appalling acts. At this time I do not categorise all priests in the same boat, I am on friendly terms with priests and more genuine,nicer people you could not meet.However, those responsible for these horrific acts had to be made accountable, which some since have but it is a slow process. I had lost my faith. To add to this the churches stance on condoms, to which they vehemently oppose the use of, has surely contributed to countless problems in Africa and farther reaching areas with regard to venereal diseases, their patriarchal and chauvinistic attitude towards women who are surely more sacred than men seeing as they alone are enamoured with the ability to give life, their stance on marriage towards clergy members and celibacy which surely is not natural and so on. I just cant subscribe to this club any more. In my opinion they have used fear as a crutch to stand on and beat people with over the centuries gathering believers over time to create the biggest but perhaps most disillusioned and betrayed fan club of all time. As Stephen Fry quite elegantly and aptly put it, what would Jesus, a very enlightened and clearly admirable individual think of the church today and the abomination it has become. The power corrupting power.

Which leads me to the debate. Both sides argue their theories with composure and self assured belief but the fascinating manner in which Mr. Fry delivers his argument is compelling and fascinating to watch. If you wish to listen and watch just follow the link below and the rest will follow.