Beoga are very tight- lipped about the title of their thrid album "The Incident". We are willing to disclose that the so-called ‘incident’ did occur on the road in 2008... perhaps I’ve said too much,” bodhrán player Eamon Murray says with a wink. So much of what makes up The Incident, both in title and in musical delivery, truly captures the essence of Beoga, a self-descriibed “trad band on anabolic steroids.” On The Incident, Beoga continues with the tight, lively and fiery tunes they’ve become known for - while of course adding nuances from a variety of other genres. The Incident hits the ground running with the “Lamped” set - three boisterous, yet turn-on-a-dime tunes (polka/slide/reel). Niamh Dunne’s soulful vocals stir on the Gospel-gone-Irish cover of Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s “Strange Things”. Special guest vocalist Ciaran Gribbin (aka ‘Joe Echo’), swaps vocals with Dunne during the duet “On The Way”, a cheeky song about a couple fighting in the car on the way to Donegal. The Incident also revives the band tradition of laugh out loud funny liner notes. Although everyone in the band still refuses to fess up about what “the incident” actually is, there are enough other anecdotes that ultimately lent their names to tunes on the CD to keep the listener/reader entertained. One example is “The Flying Golf Club” set, which is based on band member Damian McKee’s gone awry attempt to win a car by sinking a hole-in-one at a local amusement park. Beginning as a carnival-style polka before returning to their bouncy traditional sound, Beoga left the amusement park minus the car, down a club, but in hysterics. “It was possibly the funniest thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” says Murray. The Irish Echo desribes Beoga as ‘the most exciting traditional band to emerge from Ireland since Lunasa in the late 1990’s’. The Incident ensures Beoga’s popularity will continue to flourish, as they captivate audiences on a global scale with their blend of passion, energy and vitality. |
Irish Records International |