The Answer // The Legacy Series “A Celebration OF Led Zeppelin 71’” // Live Review // The Ulster Hall // Belfast
w/ The String Ninjas’s + Special Guests
So when this one was announced, I had to admit I was more than a little surprised. It came from left field as I thought it was a pretty bold idea, but sweet baby Jesus, a great one! And The Answer, the perfect way to complement the delicacy on offer: ‘Led Zeppelin 71’ #mindblown
Rumours are The Answer are on fire 🔥 for this one, and a sold-out Ulster Hall says the demand is high! Up first, we have The String Ninjas. Now, I’ve heard great things about these lads. I’ve seen their name across Northern Ireland as they have grown in stature over the years, and tonight is probably the most significant stage locally they will take to opening for The Answer this evening.
The String Ninjas are an instrumental acoustic duo comprising Gavin on guitar and Mick on violin, and they play everything from rock to EDM. And they kick off with the classic Hotel California by The Eagles, followed by Jolene by the great Dolly Parton, and they throw in a Metallica number for good measure before hitting the dance tunes to wrap up a succinct set. These guys are seriously talented, and I do love a bit of acoustic wizardry, so if you’re a fan of the likes of Tommy Emmanuel or Mike Dawes and beyond, you’ll appreciate these lads.
https://linktr.ee/stringninjas
Photography: Mark McGrogan
@flashartmark #flashartmark
A quick changeover of only 20 minutes and the lights drop at 8:50 pm, and one by one, The Answer take to the stage and break into “The Immigrant Song’ and Belfast erupts into a frenzy!
The sound is beautiful, authentic to the sound back in the day, the lighting also, understated and muted compared to the modern light shows you expect these days, but the soundtrack… sublime. The first three songs in the pit whizz by: ‘The Immigrant Song, ‘Heartbreaker, and ‘Black Dog’; the pit is rammed with maybe six togs/videographers, and there are huge bass bins in there and additional speakers, rather than a gargantuan overhead PA, again something we take for granted at modern gigs. Everything about tonight is old school, including those in attendance!
The guys fly through a beautifully curated setlist before being joined by local songstress Amy Montgomery for “Since I’ve Been Loving You,” where both Cormac (Neeson) and Amy share vocal duties as they bellow out this emotive beauty. Every song is met with rapturous applause. And Cormac tests the Belfast audience every chance he gets, getting them to sing along to any vocal run he can throw at them. Lucky for him, Belfast is in fine voice and obliges with ease. They kick into a higher gear with ‘Rock And Roll’, and the Hall erupts once again.
Gavin from the string ninjas is invited back on for ‘Going To California’, whilst just Cormac and guitarist Paul Mahon play this one to a busy Ulster Hall before the crowd feels the need to join in. Sure, it’s Saturday night after all. We’re treated again to more guest appearances. Amy rejoins for ‘What Is and What Should Never Be’, and her bandmate joins Mick from The String Ninjas for ‘Whole Lotte Love’, and the place goes mad. The middle part of the songs, which builds to a crescendo, is majestic live. I must say, as a photographer, the light was a tad challenging, but at the back of the hall, soaking up the set, there are times throughout the night when it looks glorious! Cormac lit like a beacon from behind, and the gargantuan organ in The Ulster Hall on the back wall, bathed in soft, warm light as the band glows around them, is breathtaking against the sublime soundtrack. The attention to detail tonight is a thing of beauty.
About 90 minutes into the set, the lads exit the stage, and surprisingly, the Belfast audience behaves. I was expecting Ole,Ole,Ole, but we didn’t get it. The band returns, and Cormac asks if we have a few more in us? Is he for real? Of course, man!
To close off the night, the band plays ‘The Ocean’ before Cormac takes the time to thank everyone for making this possible, the staff at The Ulster Hall, the sound engineers and lighting guys, the crew and of course all of the punters who came out to make this evening so magical and fill a sold-out Ulster Hall. With one last song to wrap it all up, he asks, “Can You Guess What It Is?” …. ‘Stairway’!!!!
And with that, my heart is complete, as I take it all in, the mobile phones in the air capturing it all in all its glory, what a triumph this evening is. The whole concept was perfectly executed by all involved, not least The Answer. A band on fire, an audience with an unquenchable thirst and an appetite for more, I look forward to seeing where this ‘ Legacy Series’ will take us next, the bar has been set extremely high!
Photography: Mark McGrogan
@flashartmark #flashartmark
https://linktr.ee/stringninjas
