By Micky Ferry
After the euphoria of last week's Strabane Unplugged, Tuesday night's special, headlined by American singer-songwriter Liz Tormes, was always going to be a more intimate affair.
The intimacy was such that it benefited the night greatly, giving it a true sense of occasion in keeping with the spirit of, say, the coffee bars and clubs of Greenwich Village in downtown Manhattan in the '60s and '70s.
Local rockers King Coma opened the night with a three piece acoustic set taking in their own material and a series of covers, including an infectious version of Nelly Furtado's 'Say It Right'. But it was their own material that stood out best. Rich melodies and harmonies between guitarist SOD and frontman Chris Sharkey floated to every corner of the All Stars Bar on tracks like 'Come Around', 'Beauty Queen' and the stomping 'God I Am', with Chris's commanding stage presence giving the tracks an added intensity throughout.
A very appreciative audience will be able to see King Coma for an even longer duration tomorrow night, Friday 18, in the All Stars, as Chris, SOD and the ever dependable and solid Sean McDermott on bass will be returning to perform a full set, backed on the night by Gavin Kelly and Claire O'Doherty. A night to be missed.
Fresh from touring the country with English singer-songwriter Teddy Thompson, Liz Tormes then took to the Unplugged stage and it was clear that the intimate crowd was perhaps a blessing in the disguise, as her soft lo-fi delivery would not bode well in a packed sweaty bar. The audience displayed a great respect as Liz worked her way through tracks from her latest album 'Limelight' and a selection of covers by the likes of The Carter Family and Nick Cave. Her version of Cave's murder ballad 'Willow Garden' took the song somewhere softer but without losing any of it's eeriness.
The hypnotic atmosphere was maintained for Liz's original material such as 'Tired of Waiting', 'Read My Mind' and the simply beautiful title track from her latest album. Comparisons with alternative acts such as Mazzy Star, Julianna Hatfield and Karen Peris would not be unfounded when describing Liz's sound. With the 'hear a pin drop' atmosphere enveloping the hooked audience, it was a sheer delight to hear these flavourings of Americana in Strabane on a cold Tuesday night - just one of the goals that Strabane Unplugged was devised for.
Liz herself said that her time in Strabane was the most fun she has had while on tour in Ireland. She even took time to take in the Guinness on the night, humorously conceding that the stout back in New York City simply cannot compete. It was a night of music that can be perhaps best described as quietly beautiful. Liz Tormes can be assured that she made a few new friends in Strabane on Tuesday night.
