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24 - 26 August 2012
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NIALL TEAGUE & THE FAST COMPANY
The Centre Stage, Bournemouth
July 10, 2011

    It’s always a pleasure to see a new band particularly when they are as talented as this bunch from Galway who’ve embarked on a punishing touring schedule to promote their self-titled first album. Headlining to a rather sparsely populated Centre Stage, the band Niall Teague (guitar/vocals), Padraic Joyce (vocals/percussion), Maidhc O H’Eanaigh (flute), Javi Mula (mandolin), Una Mac Lochlainn (fiddle) and Kelvin Busher (vocals/double bass) played a selection of self penned ballads and reels with the occasional diversion into what was almost Americana. With Niall Teague taking the lead on all bar one of the vocal numbers and the band blending perfectly this turned out to be a most enjoyable evening.
They opened with Brickers Song, about Niall’s friendship with his grandfather; and a great instrumental Trip to Belfast. Then came Enterprise, the train that took Niall from his previous home in Belfast to Galway and a life changing experience. A great ending actually sounded like the train pulling into the station! It was then Padraic’s turn to take the vocal lead with Borrowing Florins, a strange story of Padraic borrowing money to take a girl on a date, before the band played a couple of terrific instrumentals, The Cave Hill Climb and The Bury Waltz which both had Maidhc taking the starring role on the flute. Address, a tale of losing contact was the highlight of an excellent set with its great beat and ‘Americana’ feel. After another instrumental Ailbhe and Laoise, written for Niall’s niece and nephew, a broken string necessitated a hasty rearrangement of the set list before they moved on with a new song Dutiful Son about a long lost letter written to a mother the day before her son’s execution. Joyce’s Cure an Irish jig to alleviate Padraic’s hangovers was followed by another great ballad, Safety Zone before the band closed with Sick and Tired a short song which was then transformed into another instrumental reel. A prolonged and noisy ovation ensured the band played one more number before the Sunday night curfew brought an end to proceedings. An audience request for the up tempo My True Love was quickly agreed to and rounded off another superb evening at the Centre Stage.
Maverick devotees should keep a lookout for this band who are at their best with Niall leading and Padraic and Kelvin supporting with some great harmony vocal. Niall’s confidence has soared since they recorded their album in 2010 and there is now no sign of the slight nervousness apparent on some of the tracks. Even so, this is a very listenable album.
The evening got underway with three short sets from Brazilian songstress Borboleta and local singer/songwriters Franzisca Pretsch and Abby Ferguson.
John Roffey