The Strypes return home to showcase their new professionalism

Damian McCarney

The ‘secret’ that The Strypes would join their pal, Squeeze’s Chris Difford, on stage for Blessfest’s headline set on Saturday night couldn’t have been any more openly known if the organisers had mentioned it in passing to Edward Snowden. Nonetheless, that they had confided in a mere thousand or so, just added to the frisson of excitement in the marquee at the rear of Blessing’s Bar.
In their ‘80s pomp, Squeeze enjoyed the type of fame that The Strypes are hurtling on a trajectory towards (and gaining fast). Dressed in a snappy suit, Difford reminded everyone just how good they were with a set of crowd-pleasers which included Labelled With Love and Cool for Cats, and welcomed Ross Farrelly, Josh McClorey, Pete O’Hanlon and Evan Walsh on as his backing band. For Up The Junction, close friend of the band Paul Cox was invited up to take charge of the snare drum.
Ever the charmer, Difford graciously announced: “I’ll play one more then I’ll leave it to the professionals,” and broke into a pacy reworking of John Lee Hooker’s Boom Boom as a parting gesture.
Visibly thrilled to be back on home ground after six months of touring, the professionals rattled through the ‘gig of their lives’ - Josh’s words. Having left the county a group of talented lads bursting with potential, The Strypes have returned as men with a world of experience and set about putting it to good use. Armed with his Telecaster and peerless riffs, Josh prowled the stage in a display of pure rock ‘n’ roll machismo. One swooning girl near the front actually began to fan her hand like a Jane Austin character. Seriously!
While retaining his air of mystery, singer Ross has added charisma to his repertoire and worked the crowd with the ease of an old hand. If ever the energy of a gig can be visually summed up it is in Pete’s mop-top’s free-for-all as he carreered around the stage while still managing to bounce out the basslines. His harmonica-blowing could provoke rumours of a deal at a crossroads they’re so devilish. Understated Evan retains his Charlie Watts style as he pounds out intricate beats with an amazing nonchalance. They are the tightest of bands.

Cameo
Amongst the many highlights of the night was Darragh Slacke’s cameo.
“Where is the Slackmeister?” Josh wondered aloud, when the enigmatic guitarist failed to appear.
Josh clarified they were looking for someone with “a beard and a lovely hat”.
Arriving like a high priest of guitarists, Darragh divined some typically imaginative solos on the blues standard Stormy Monday before blessing the audience with a sign of the cross and departing without breathing a word.
It’s maybe reflective of Cavan’s rural DNA that the refrain ‘I look like a farmer but I’m a lover’ - from a cover on their debut EP - was sung loudest by the crowd. However, that The Strypes’ own tracks, Blue Collar Jane and Hometown Girls, went down even better than the classics, giving hope that they really are in this for the long haul - their debut album, ‘Snapshot’, is bound to confirm that when it’s released next month.
Saturday night’s gig was hailed by Josh as their best ever, and it would be hard to imagine how they could better it.
It’s just reward for the selfless string-puller Paula McQuillan who made the three-day free event happen.