With the folk scene on the rise again in London, it’s no wonder that we have been given the talented ‘Ryan O’Reilly Band’. Ryan O’Reilly’s voice just melts around you, yet makes you stand and pay attention; like gravel and honey. Ryan’s poignant vocals with the band’s harmonies are perfect; they deliver folk and blues from harmonica, piano and mandolin, all of which combine to set them firmly within the folk scene.
I have been fortunate enough to have seen them play several times. One of the most memorable for me was at the Half Moon, in Putney. The pub has seen some pretty legendary performers including The Rolling Stones, Kasabian, and Van Morrison. Personally, I’m a little bit in love with more intimate venues and living in South West London made the Half Moon a bit of a haunt for me. Seeing the band perform on St Patrick’s Day at the Half Moon was remarkable; Ryan O’Reilly’s soulful Irish twang set the scene and many a Guinness and Bulmers were flowing. (Side note: The Half Moon is facing closure in January 2010; please see here to help fight this.)
The band, consisting of five chaps, are now residents at the world famous Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, and they put on a show which will blow you away. When the audience would not quieten, Ryan, unplugged his guitar, grabbed the band and performed an impromptu acoustic set in the middle of those talking. The silence that followed was priceless - not because those rude enough not to quieten were made to feel awkward - but because removing a boundary between stage and audience didn’t change a thing. They were still just as talented in this spontaneous encounter, without most of their instruments, as they were on that raised pedestal.
You cannot stop feeling like you want to crack a smile, drink and dance into the night when watching the band perform, which is exactly what fellow AI staffer Sheena and I did, back in May. The folk jam at the end of that one evening was particularly memorable and stood out in our whiskey and vodka haze. Encouraging the audience to perform with the band only made me enjoy their performance even more.
The band have reason to be excited; they are currently recording their first studio album, and are about to embark on a UK tour whilst carrying on as Ronnie Scott’s regulars. I cannot encourage you enough to buy their EP on iTunes – my favourite song is ‘Nightmares’. Head over to their Myspace and you’ll be greeted with the distinctive ‘Lady Lobelia’ which calls to mind slight tones of Ryan Adams.
You’ll never change the world, with your songs and your guitar. There are people half your age and they’re going twice as far. This is certainly not true of the Ryan O’Reilly Band; they will go extremely far and in the process, they’ll make you smile whilst you sing their songs in unison, in a pub with fifty other people you’ve never met.
