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Concert review Ronnie I hardly knew ya!
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Andrews Lane Theatre
| From: The Irish Times July 21st 1997 |
| By: Gerry Colgan |
That seasoned showman, Ronnie Drew, does not overly indulge in flourishes. In Ronnie, I Hardly Knew You, he just walks on and plunges into his act, here consisting of a well-chosen selection of songs, poems and anecdotes. His trick is simply in the delivery, and by the end he has revealed himself to be a superb entertainer.
He is, of course, best known as a singer, and that dark-brown, pebble-dashed voice has grown in richness over the years, never better than now. The pitch is perfect, the diction impeccable and the interpretations virtually unique.
His recitations have the same quality, whether he is immersed in some of James Joyce's more irreverent poems or a generous extract from an O'Casey play. His feeling for the words, and indeed for the authors, is absolutely right, and gives them added value.
Accompanied nicely by Michael Hanrahan on guitar, which he also plays himself, he fills the theatre with a charismatic and totally relaxed persona. Those unfamiliar with Ronnie Drew as a solo act may be surprised at his easy dominance and will surely revel in it. He is a class act.
Dubliners appealed for their drunken nights
| From: The Irish Times Jan 2nd 1998 |
| By: |
Major Minor Records Ltd of Oxford Street, London appealed to the Taoiseach, Mr Jack Lynch, in May 1987 to intervene with RTÉ in unbanning the Dubliners' record Seven Drunken Nights. It was presumably drafted in London on their behalf and was signed simply "The Dubliners".
The company's letter denied that the song in question "is suggestive in any way"; claimed that "it is the first Irish record for many years to break into record charts outside of Éire" and hoped Mr Lynch could help in "allowing the Irish population to hear this through the Irish radio and television stations."
RTÉ, invited to comment, replied through the deputy director-general, Mr John Irvine. He advised the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs that it was not RTÉ's policy to "ban records but it does exercise a general responsibility in respect of the suitability of broadcast matter."
In the case of this record by the group, "it was considered that the repetition of the keyline `I came home drunk on Monday night, Tuesday night, etc.' coupled with the story of adultery in the song could well be offensive to many listeners."