Many people remember Tir na nOg as an Irish folk duo from the early 70’s. Many of these will have bought at least one, if not all, of their three albums and been transfixed by the sheer beauty and intricacy of their songs – compositions which fitted superbly into the many moods of the time and which some dared to class as progressive folk. Concert-goers may well have encountered these two troubadours as they toured extensively in their own right or supported the likes of Jethro Tull, Procol Harem, Caravan, ELP, T Rex, The Who, Elton John, Roxy Music and Hawkwind, to name just a few. Festivals were also on the agenda and here they were, on the third and final day of the Sonic Rock Solstice in mid-Wales, reliving the glories of those days. The festival is now an annual event, this being its second year, and is hosted at a farm on a hillside overlooking the picturesque town of Builth Wells. The converted outbuildings provide the two main indoor arenas whilst the surrounding fields comfortably accommodate the camping fraternity.
This is the point at which I confess to a personal ambition of mine – it was back in 1974 that I was the Folk Club Organiser at Coventry College of Education and I selfishly booked them, introduced them to a sell-out audience, imprinted their marvellous performance onto my memory and then paid their fee. I didn’t manage to chat to them at all. A little bit of shyness and awe of presence on my behalf prevented that occurrence but, with a little bit of manoeuvring, I managed to fulfil the unfinished business from thirty-six years ago.
Through the power of the internet I had previously asked the question, ‘When are you coming back to the UK?’ and followed this up with ‘… and can I interview you?’ (whilst mentioning the Coventry College episode!). And here I was, with four hours to go before their appearance, interviewing both Sonny Condell and Leo O’Kelly, namely Tir na nOg. For the benefit of those who are unaware of this duo the Gaelic translation is ‘Land of Youth’ and the correct pronunciation of ‘nOg’ is such that it rhymes with ‘vogue’. In fact it started out as an interview but translated into a long friendly chat joined by my brother, John, who had his own ambition of just being able to see them perform for his very first time. Also in attendance was Sonny and Leo’s road manager for the trip, Leon Brennan, who happened to be the brother of Enya and who, delightfully, had his own Clannad stories to tell in addition to some anecdotal snippets about Sonny and Leo.
We found a few chairs and sat in the sun (yes, it was a beautiful summer’s day!) with a few drinks in hand. I asked how this visit was going, whilst gently reminding them it had been fifteen years since their last one and also daring to mention the fact that all their gigs since then have mainly been in and around Dublin or sometimes as far afield as Cork! Sonny and Leo expressed their responses as one. “This is a ‘whistle-stop tour’ – Coventry on Friday, Hammersmith on Saturday, here in Builth Wells on Sunday and then back home before Wednesday for another gig – in Dublin. The Hammersmith show was tremendous – so much appreciation oozing from a packed audience. Yes, it’s great to be back.” Incidentally, the Coventry gig (that was a coincidence by the way) didn’t quite match up, due to another match coinciding that same evening – England v Algeria. But Sonny and Leo commented on how it was thoroughly enjoyed by all those present whilst I quietly pondered that the same couldn’t be said about the football.
I was inquisitive about the set list and eagerly needed to know whether there were now new Tir na nOg songs. “To me, Tir na nOg songs are timeless. Does your set list include songs other than those from the three albums?” Leo’s reply was reassuring. “I agree, they are timeless and, with the exception of a few songs from our own individual projects, they are from that period. We’ve reworked them without losing any of the originality and I’m sure you’ll like what you hear.”
There’s a certain mystery about their songs – some are penned by Sonny and others by Leo and it is quite easy to distinguish whose is whose but the delivery of them is a joint venture that stamps the Tir na nOg label on each. This was whetting my appetite – and there was still nearly four hours to wait!
The mention of their solo projects prompted the next line of enquiry. Tir na nOg went their own separate ways in the late 70’s and the 80’s before reforming in 1991 and both Sonny and Leo kept themselves very busy throughout. “Tir na nOg runs parallel to what we each do,” explained Leo. I already had in my collection the two solo albums by Leo, ‘Glare’ in 2001 with ‘Proto’ following in 2003 and he proudly informed me that a third was on the way. Leo’s songs have a certain flavour that highlights the strength, texture and haunting timbre of his vocals whilst allowing the instrumental accompaniments to interweave and build.
I was aware that Sonny had been quietly content to sit in the sunshine; a welcome break after the long car journey from London but I prodded him politely about his own projects. These have included four solo albums as well as an involvement with two bands, Scullion and Radar. I wanted an update on these two bands, especially the former from which there are five albums spanning some twenty years. “Scullion is an ongoing project,” stated Sonny with a smile, “but Radar is not.” I have one Scullion album, their most recent ‘Eyelids into Snow’, in my collection but it was dawning on me that I have missed out on others – my curiosity would have delved more into Scullion but Leo distracted me by waxing lyrical about Sonny’s solo albums. I referred to one of Sonny’s albums, ‘French Windows’ which I sheepishly commented was the only one I owned. “You must get Sonny’s first, ‘Camouflage’,” championed Leo, “It’s a masterpiece and it’s just been re-released!” This recommendation was immediately followed by, “Have you got someone to dance with?” For a few seconds I was disorientated but quickly realised he was promoting another of Sonny’s albums. “Sorry, I haven’t got ‘Someone to Dance With’,” I replied, growing increasingly aware that there is yet still more for me to discover and, by doing so, widen the perspective of what I perceive to be Tir na nOg. I reminded them that they were pioneers of the use of sampling in a recording. ‘Cinema’ included the use of dialogue, background film score and even gun shots from a Henry Fonda film soundtrack. “If you listen carefully you’ll hear the clicking of the projector reels,” boasted Leo.
But back to today’s proceedings. “So, what’s the set list looking like for this evening?”
“We have varied set lists,” replied Leo. “We haven’t decided yet - but there will be one or two from our solo works.” My brother threw in a request, ‘The Mariner’s Song’ and I, subconsciously offering a contrast, blurted out ‘Bluebottle Stew’ – maybe because it’s one of their songs which buzzes around my head.
It seemed an opportune moment to finish on that note but I couldn’t resist mentioning that Sonny, in his fedora hat, had a look of Leonard Cohen about him. Sonny and Leo are both fans and suddenly all talk was about Cohen and, being a big fan myself, it was the perfect cue to prolong the interview. We shared the experiences of attending recent Cohen concerts and the admiration of the man himself. Leo was still staring at Sonny, agreeing with my observation, as he proceeded to reminisce about a show they did with Jethro Tull at the Royal Albert Hall. “We performed the night before Leonard Cohen and we were so excited about being on the same stage on which Leonard was to perform that we sang ‘Bird on a Wire’. There was another occasion, in 1972, when we had a clash of dates with Leonard. He was to play the National Stadium in Dublin at the same time as us performing at the nearby Liberty Hall. One suggestion was for us to be his support but we politely declined. His show was a sell-out and our show was a sell-out.” The conversation moved forward to the present. Sonny was eager to share his admiration of a recent Cohen concert, again in Dublin, which both he and Leo attended. I related my experiences about the same tour, all agreeing that the shows were awesome and, somehow, we couldn’t find other superlatives. I can categorically say that Sonny has been wearing his hat a lot longer than Leonard!
A sudden interruption of a band’s sound check was the cue to finish our chat. I thanked them both for their time and, again, reminisced about the Coventry College gig of over three decades ago. I also remembered the fee they charged. “Did you remember to pay us?” they both quipped as they tried to mentally calculate its worth in today’s money. I assured them that I did pay!
And fast-forward to the evening! Usually, Tir na nOg would perform for nearly two hours but, as with most festivals and a plethora of bands, it was only to be fifty minutes.
I managed to catch Leo a few minutes before going on stage and asked if he ever gets nervous before a show. “I always get nervous,” he smiled. I felt a little nervous myself as they were being introduced, ‘….first festival appearance since Glastonbury twenty-five years ago (although I think it might only have been twenty-three)…..all the way from Ireland…..and their first appearance in Wales…… .’ Some festival-goers were still finding their way from the other stage to join the assembled audience, some now sitting cross-legged on the floor, as Sonny and Leo opened with ‘For Time is Like a Promise’. The harmonies and the dextrous arrangements of the separate guitars brought it all back – Tir na nOg had never really been away. Sonny, sitting with guitar, hat and occasional percussion, and Leo, standing with guitar and occasional violin, presented a scene that some of the audience had previously confined to nostalgia. Others in the audience were widening their own musical tastes – this was quite a contrast from the previous evening’s headliners, Hawklords. The applause and cheers after the first song elicited simultaneous smiles – they knew it was good to be back. The songs followed in quick succession and, not surprisingly, seven of the ten songs performed were part of the 1974 set. Yes, they are reworked, but only subtly. My personal highlights included ‘Looking Up’ which is a lively song containing a guitar/percussion instrumental that you just don’t want to finish but which majestically leads back into the soaring vocals. I have to admit that ‘Two White Horses’, the classic from ‘A Tear and a Smile’ album, nearly brought a tear to my eyes – the smile was much easier. ‘The Mariner’s Song’ and the humorous ‘Bluebottle Stew’ were, as requested, both included and, as promised, they duetted on songs from their respective solo catalogues. The strength and range of Leo’s vocals were showcased in ‘Venezuela’, which is a wonderfully powerful, haunting composition. Sonny’s ‘Driving’, a song which represents his extensive, talented song-writing pedigree, stamped his vocal authority against Leo’s supporting, yet insistent, rhythmic violin. A cover of ‘Play with Fire’ (Jagger/Richards) was an unexpected highlight, with the eloquent violin accentuating the lyrics.
Interestingly the final song was the slow ballad, ‘Dante’ and, looking at my watch as they sang the last line, ‘…..Dante loves the summer sun….’, I resigned myself to believing that it was the last song…..festivals have a schedule to keep to. But, and not surprisingly, the audience’s clapping and cheering evolved into shouting and demanding ‘more’. Quintessence, on the other stage, would just have to wait. Sonny and Leo were given the nod to return and, as I hoped, burst into the rousing ‘Free Ride’. This is a Nick Drake cover from their third album ‘Strong in the Sun’; so very appropriate for this summer solstice. The delivery was as strong as ever and a perfect way to finish the set.
Later, John and I caught up with Sonny, Leo and Leon as they were soaking in the remaining acts of the festival. The enjoyment of the whole occasion was clear to see and Leon was beginning to make plans to bring the duo back for a return visit – and not a whistle-stop one. I asked Leon about the trials and tribulations of being the road manager. “You wouldn’t believe how much they chatted and reminisced as I drove them around. The way they shared their regrets about supporting T Rex and then not bothering to stay around for the main act – it was priceless listening to them playfully bickering about something which happened a long time ago.”
Leon shared his plans for a future tour within the next twelve months so our conversation ended on a most promising note. I took the opportunity to convey more of my thanks, and it felt great to be able to say: “I’ll see you over here soon, unless I get to Dublin first!”
. The way you comfortably ambled through your time together gave me the sense of having witnessed it myself. They sound very engaging and like it was a proud moment for you to have not only met and spent time with them, but saw them again, and then gotten your own interview of them published! WoW. A red-letter day all the way around.
about Story of Isaac on the demo (of which I have a copy 
) 