Dolan's
Warehouse, Limerick
Brendan Coffey waxs lyrical over Preston Reed...
March, 2004
From
irismagazine.net
Concert date: Wednesday February 25, 2004
Appearing
on stage looking like an aged 'Sideshow Bob', complete with
long grey curling hair, Preston Reed almost immediately
distracts attention from his imposing physicality with a
display of guitar playing that leaves one thinking some sort
of sign should have adorned the entrance. 'Genius at work'
being most appropriate.
The
cause of distraction in looking away from Reed and towards
his guitar is initially, at least, his style of playing.
Imagine placing a guitar on the ground and proceeding to
play it as though its strings were made of ivory and you
have some idea of Preston Reed's unorthodox style.
If
the initial cause of focus is on Mr. Reed's guitar, the
sounds that emanate from them (he used four in all,
including one electric) quickly become addictive substances
that dare one to turn away at the peril of missing something
spectacular.
Starting
with 'Lady's Night', Reed's opening four songs are
breathtakingly melodic, blending the brash and at times
overawing sound of the guitar, beautifully cultivated by his
inimitable style of playing. His fourth song 'Nightrider'-
is a virtuoso piece of music, slowly and gently revealing
itself before developing into a sound that is fast, powerful
and wickedly strident. By his own admission, the song is a
bit of "schizophrenic"!
Better
is still to come and the sixth song of the evening,
'Overture' is resounding in its ability to capture the
audience, soaring to a musical zenith that is joyous and
blissfully bombastic. The song's inspiration is in the
moments before and after the birth of his child. Reed jokes
at the end; "she was a big baby".
Reed's
music tempers in the middle, with songs that hark back to
the more traditional sounds of American bluegrass ('Love in
the Old Country') and country ('Bordertowns').
He
converses with the crowd in an intelligent, laid back and
honest manner that endears the crowd to listen intently to
Reed for over two hours. Three times he returns to the stage
after departing, and 'Overture' gets another airing by
request from the crowd.
Reed
receives a thoroughly deserved standing ovation at the end.
The sign on the door should be changed to - "A genius worked
here".
By Brendan Coffey