Liam Byrne: “No Ordinary Man: A Tribute to Christy Moore” - Clifton Hill Hotel, Friday, 13th November 2009

Liam Byrne: “No Ordinary Man: A Tribute to Christy Moore” - Clifton Hill Hotel, Friday, 13th November 2009

***1/2

The 100-strong crowd at Clifton Hill Hotel's Emerald Lounge were quietly buzzing as a stocky, smiley Liam Byrne took to stage. “Are you in good form?” he asked in a strong Co Wexford accent.
A roar in the positive. “Any here from home?” he pressed. The room shook, and so began Back Home In Derry.

It was soon obvious, besides Byrne's likeness to the Kildare folk legend, that crowd involvement was the order of the night, with Byrne regularly giving the mic a wide berth and allowing the gathering to bellow choruses in between swills of Guinness and Magners.

The apartheid and grim working-class undertones to Dunnes Stores gave the crowd their first chance to appreciate Byrne's story-telling ability. Then – as was the pattern for much of the night – the mood shifted back from emotive to jovial, as he aimed a barb the pub's management. “They've kindly given me water,” he said, sipping from a bottle before some clean strumming formed the backbone to hilarious tales of his giving up “the mushrooms, disco biscuits, funny fags and mad soup” and an ex-pat's lament of how “Christmas shopping in a pair of shorts isn't f**kin' right”.

Now warmed up, he proceeded to roll off effortless takes on Moore classics and traditional folk anthems, with a thoughtful balancing of Irish and Australian references. Fairytale of New York hit the mark with everyone, even those curious few not savvy with the Pogues, or Christy Moore for that matter. His own Irish radio hit, The Ballad of Miriam O'Callaghan, sat comfortably alongside The Reel and The Flickering Light, which enlivened the crowd so much it took several minutes for hush as Byrne, eyes closed and operatic-voiced, offered up beguiling versions of Cliffs of Doneen and The Band Played Waltzing Matilda.

Other highlights included startling renditions of No Ordinary Man and Ride On, while Joxer Goes to Stuttgart had the green-tops screaming as Ray Houghton 1988's UEFA goal against England was celebrated once again.

Delighting with his skills on the bodhran (afterwards he admitted to 'losing himself' in the performance) and harmonica on Dirty Old Town, he rounded out the performance with a fierce medley that included Lisdoonvarna and Gaelic Storm.

Byrne has long been hyped as “energetic, witty, passionate and enthusiastic”. On Friday night he was all this, and more. Humble and talented, he's not merely a worthy Christy Moore substitute – he's well worth the price of admission in his own right.