GIG REVIEW: Lisa Hannigan - Dolan's Warehouse, 16th June 2011

Originally published on fourforty4, 23rd June 2011

Lisa's VW Campervan

The last time I saw Lisa Hannigan play Dolan’s Warehouse, back in December 2009, it was a very stripped-back yet beautiful affair. The stage was set with a few select instruments and was illuminated by gentle lighting and the soft glow of Lisa’s signature toadstool lamp. Playing to a sold-out crowd, Lisa left everyone in the room transfixed. You could hardly hear another sound beyond the mesmerising singer-songwriter’s lush tones seeping through the Limerick venue.

Last month's gig was a slightly different affair. Taking things up a notch or four, Lisa Hannigan came out on stage accompanied by a full band, made up of five suit-clad men. This time, there was something different about the Meath-born songstress; something different about her presence on stage. In the (almost) three years that have passed since the release of her debut Mercury and Choice Music Prize-nominated album, Sea Sew, Lisa has become a much more confident and determined artist. This lady meant business.

Lisa and her band opened with ‘Brolly Beats’, a song she wrote in Gateshead in the UK in May 2009. On her Twitter account, Lisa claimed the song was written to the rhythm of her umbrella whacking off the sofa. After saying a brief “hello” and thanking everyone for coming out to see her, Lisa told the eager crowd a little bit about her new album and soon launched into a track from it. Filled with the stirring warmth that has become one of the trademarks of her sound, the track, which she didn’t name, was a great addition to Lisa’s live set. The new song was accompanied by gentle percussion and the wheezy, nostalgic sound of her favoured squeeze-box. Lisa and her band followed this with a second new addition to her set. The new song, also set to appear on her sophomore album, carried a deep, throbbing bass line and some sumptuous harmonies layered over a sombe melody. Back-up vocals were provided by most of the band throughout the set, but most notably by Lisa’s newly engaged right-hand-man, John Smith, who also played support for the singer-songwriter on the night.

After loosening out her hair (something she told us she intended not to be a sexy thing- I think the boys in the audience may have disagreed!), Lisa played her first song from her debut album, the title track ‘Sea Sew’. She followed this with her utterly gorgeous and delicate song, ‘Venn Diagram’, which was, again, brimming with gorgeous harmonies. This is one of my favourite tracks from Sea Sew, as it allows Lisa’s breathy and ethereal voice to shine. Next up were two more new tracks, the first of which a stunning duet by Lisa and John Smith, which perfectly reflected the engaging male-female vocal dynamic between the two. The band then moved into ‘Ocean and a Rock’ from Sea Sew, which I love for it’s use of the squeeze-box, glockenspiel and melodica, offering up a shimmering, twinkling sound that Lisa herself has often called “plink-plonk rock”. The intro of ‘I Don’t Know’ that soon played out from the Dolan’s stage caused a few yelps of delight from the crowd. The live video for the song was recorded in Dick Mac’s pub in Dingle, Co Kerry in June 2008, and was nominated for a 2009 IMTV Video Music Award in the Best Live Video Category.

Next up was ‘Passenger’, the title track from her forthcoming album, a beautiful track that Lisa performed on Other Voices last year. ‘Passenger’ is said to be about the songstresses travels through Chicago, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Minneapolis, and other places she visited on her 2009 U.S. tour.

After introducing her five suave-looking gentlemen to the crowd, and taking a deep swig of her pint of Guinness, Lisa lunched into another new track, an upbeat and fun-filled track with an infectious melody and heavy use of a tamborine. She then played an enchanting stripped-back version of ‘Lille’, plucking gently on her acoustic guitar while one of her bandmates took control of the squeeze-box. This song is such a treat to hear live; Lisa’s voice is haunting throughout, but particularly when met with the whimsical sound of the glockenspiel. When she’s in these more delicate musical moments, her vocals soaring over simple, yet beautiful accompaniment, it’s quite difficult to take your eyes off of her.

After leaving the stage very briefly, Lisa joined the crowd again for a solo performance of a melancholy songabout someone that is gone from her life but she still thinks about often (hardly Damien Rice considering Lisa is rumoured to have said splitting from the singer-songwriter is the best thing that has ever happened her). This was followed by ukulele- heavy number, a song the band almost abandoned because of tuning issues with the instrument (on its way out apparently; the “Old Yeller” of musical instruments, Lisa joked!). But thankfully, John Smith stood ever-so-gallantly behind Lisa, continuously tuning the stubborn yoke until it was perfect. What a hero! The song was soon infused with stirring, tap-along percussion and trumpet, eventually building to a fine finish despite the earlier ukulele hiccups. Lisa and band closed their marvellous set with the singer-songwriter’s now signature cover of Depeche Mode’s ‘Personal Jesus’, with its booming and powerful chorus catapulting itself through the Warehouse.

John Smith with Lisa

Lisa Hannigan has a fantastic awareness of what sounds good on the ear. She also inherently knows her own sound and what kind of musical accompaniment suits her phenomenal voice best. Her choice of worn-out, old instruments and her rich melodies and rhymes perfectly reflect the type of person she is; a sweet and enigmatic soul who values her music above all else. She has the ability to stun people with her enchanting voice, which delicately, yet perfectly, folds itself around every single one of her captivating songs. Lovely Lisa has a vulnerability about her that is inviting; she is someone who sings from a place deep inside her heart and is brave enough to let us all watch. An incredible gig.

Lisa Hannigan’s second studio album, Passenger, is expected this coming autumn. Find out more at www.lisahannigan.ie.

All of the photos used throughout this piece are my own. You can view some more pictures of Lisa on my own blog’s Facebook page here.