Tour Alaska – The Guiding Moon Album Launch
Voodoo Belfast – Friday 11th October 2019
Friday night saw a change in tempo for the upstairs of Voodoo. A stunning night from Tour Alaska. Most of us are very familiar with riff-rocking Gerry Norman of A Plastic Rose, but Gerry is back with a new sound, a more folk, chilled, quieter sound, but still with that undeniable voice.
Sharing the stage to start the night was Jordan Farndell. Jordan brings Trad into the 21st Century with an impressive production onstage. Multi-instrumentalist Jordan grabbed the audiences attention with his violin, guitar and piano playing skills sewn together with a loop pedal, filling the dark room with the full intensity of traditional music.
Ciara O’Neill was second to open. With her distinct, sweet, melodic voice, Ciara’s vocals are captivating as the singer songwriter plays from the heart, armed with her guitar. With songs from her second album, ‘Arrow,’ such as the very honest ‘Hurtin’ and the reminiscent ‘Favourite Mistake,’ it is no wonder she is a favourite of Nashville with her song writing and musical skills, which is very uniquely hers.
King Cedar aka Stephen Macartney took to the stage before the main act with his fantastic, funny persona. A rare find, Stephen keeps the audience right in the palm of his hand with his powerful performance and witty craic. A voice that comes from the boots of his soul, Stephen is unbelievably talented and with a story of past adventures in between each song from random conversations in LA to walking home at sunrise.
All three acts join Gerry on stage for Tour Alaska. A familiar voice with songs of love and joy. The stage diving has been put aside for the time being and a melodic, gentle, embracing sound has taken over. Gerry’s vocals are undeniable, powerful and captivating and this album, ‘The Guiding Moon,’ is a simply stunning album. Highlights of the album were ‘Old Grass Tennis Court,’ a song brimming with emotion and reminiscence and ‘Glasgow’ showcases beautiful vocals and awesome lyrics. ‘Final Whistle’ is one of those songs that you are transfixed watching as it is performed.
A poignant moment of the night was when Gerry paid tribute to the much loved and missed Scott Hutchison of Frightened Rabbit. A performance of ‘Good Arms vs Bad Arms’ left the room in silence during and in eruptions of cheers and applause at the end. Tour Alaska are special. Gerry is an incredibly talented songwriter; ‘The Guiding Moon’ is an absolute treat to the ears.
