Damien Rice

pophead2k · Post by **pophead2k** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 8:52 am

My brother, who I don't normally hold as a sterling example of good musical taste, called me last year to tell me he had discovered this 'new guy' called Damien Rice and told me to go get the album immediately. On the way there, I called my girlfriend who said she already had it and had picked it up in Ireland earlier in the summer. He came and played in New Orleans last December and put on a great show although he was very sick. So sick he had to play sitting down. His solution: everyone in the audience sat down too! A real talent, although I personally found his band to be only so-so. And we don't need any more covers of Hallelujah.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 5:55 pm

I love him doing Hallelujah, a) because a truly classic song can be interpreted by a number of people and always reflect something different (though I wouldn't recommnd him recording it), b) becuase it ties in ironically with him singing 'So why do you sing 'Hallelujah'/When it means nothing to ya' on delicate and c) because it indicates a legacy to Leonard Cohen, but also to Jeff Buckley, who is clearly a major influence.

His band are excellent. Lisa Hannigan is incredible, Vyvien Long on cello is fantastic (she does a solo spot + drums of either Come Together or seven Nation Army most nights), Tomo is an excellent drummer (you wouldn't know from O, but I was mightily impressed by him live, speaking as a drummer). The bass guy is average. Damien is a superstar. Great band. A lot of the songs had a lot more dimension live than on O.

Would like to see the Letterman show. Any good? There's at least one Rice site (eskimofriends.com, probably) that has downloads of previous appearances on that show plus others, plus various rare songs.

He'll be on the BBC Jonathan Ross show on May 7.

selfmademug · Post by **selfmademug** » Sat Apr 17, 2004 9:56 pm

Just back from the Boston show. A-fucking-mazing. Will write more tomorrow but here's a tidbit: he underscored the Buckley connection by including LAST GOODBYE, fronted by the lead guy of The Frames. Also a clever (if standrd on the tour, I'd guess) segue from VOLCANO to Radiohead's CREEP. The lyrics to both covers and about 80% of the other tunes were shouted out in adoration by the whole audience-- quite a vibe, I must say, the place was on fire.

selfmademug · Post by **selfmademug** » Wed Apr 21, 2004 8:27 am

I never got round to filling out the info on this fantastic live show, but here's a local review. Don't miss him if he comes round your way; I promise you won't be disappointed. (PS-- I said above that CREEP was attached to VOLCANO, and the review below says it was attached to BLOWER'S DAUGHTER, but I actually think it was CANNONBALL...! Glen Hansard did LAST GOODBYE, not CREEP. Where was I during the Sting cover? Walking in the Loo? I think not.. no recollection of it, maybe it was while I was trying to find a better vantage point in the club??)

***

Amazing Rice runs gamut of emotions
By Aiden Fitzgerald/Music review
Boston HERALD
Monday, April 19, 2004

Listening to Irish singer-songwriter Damien Rice is like being deep in a tumultuous love affair.

Saturday night at Avalon, Rice and his band played a two-hour, sold-out show of emotional extremes. The mood and music were mercurial: 16 songs swung between quiet melancholy and mighty rockin' rage.

Backed by a tight band of bass, drums and cello and the beautifully haunting voice of Lisa Hannigan, Rice picked his guitar passionately and proved he's a performer with angfreviewDamien Rice with the Frames, Saturday night at Avalon.cw-5edge. Holding his guitar close, Rice sometimes crouched or hunched over, quivering, as he did for the wistful and sentimental ``I Remember.''

With a voice that rose and fell from a hushed rumble to dreamy falsetto (reminiscent of Jeff Buckley and David Gray) and poetic anthems about love gone wrong, Rice mesmerized the 20-something, predominantly Irish crowd.

Even Rice seemed swallowed by the reverie: He didn't speak until more than halfway through the show, saying, ``I just literally realized that I haven't said a word all night.''

With that, Rice introduced the plaintive ``Cannonball,'' the only released single from his debut album, ``O.'' ``This song is about chasing something so hard that you get to the point where you actually almost chase it away,'' he said.

Despite the show's darkness, Rice and his quartet had fun drifting in and out of songs woven with popular covers, including Sting's ``Walking on the Moon'' and Portishead's ``Glory Box.''

Lighter moments included Rice's introduction of ``The Professor,'' a passionate song about the confusion of sex, he said. Laughter arose when he dedicated the song to ``all the testosterone-filled women and men in the audience.''

Cheers erupted for the encore, led by cellist Vyvienne Long's solo performance of the White Stripes' upbeat ``Seven Nation Army.'' The mysterious mood returned, however, when Rice and Hannigan sang the grave duet ``Cold Water,'' fittingly performed with the lights down.

Rice invited opening band the Frames' frontman Glen Hansard and violinist Colm Mac Con Iomaire to perform the show's stirring finale, ``The Blower's Daughter,'' interwoven with Radiohead's ``Creep.''

Occasionally joyful, but mostly melancholy, Rice's performance confirms what the Irish know - that in the end the world will break your heart.

selfmademug · Post by **selfmademug** » Fri Apr 23, 2004 9:12 am

Otis Westinghouse wrote:He does a great live version of Volcano with an extended reggae section, works really well.

I meant to say, he did this at the show last week and it very nearly became WATCHING THE DETECTIVES by accident.

Also, rather than Nick Drake as pre-gig music has had the (very much alive if still merely recorded) Willie Nelson. Which seemed perfect.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Fri Apr 23, 2004 6:43 pm

That is what she said to me
So I gave myself to her charity
Well at least that's how it seemed

selfmademug · Post by **selfmademug** » Fri Apr 23, 2004 7:15 pm

A great set of lines, no? We seem to have the thread to ourselves!

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Sat Apr 24, 2004 3:26 am

But is there a Charlotte Street in New York? The setting is NY, unless LC is bizarrely trying to buy the NY Times in London! Charlotte Street's main claim to fame at the time of the LP was as the home of the newly-hatched Channel 4.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Sun May 09, 2004 5:48 pm

So anyone catch Damo on the Ross TV show on Friday? Kind of incongruous to hear the frail intensity of Cold Water live after the japes and jollity of a boozed up Shaggy from the Scooby Doo movies and Ricky Tomlinson, but it was great to see what presumably must be his UK TV performance. He's been on Letterman and other US stuff a bit (you can see downloads on one of the sites, eskimofriends, I think). That is a great song live, very powerful. I would have loved to have been in the audience for that. Lisa was suitably ethereal. Damo's cut his hair off again. Am really wondering whether a second LP will match up to the first.

martinfoyle · Post by **martinfoyle** » Sun May 09, 2004 6:24 pm

Yes, it was a weird piece of juxtapositioning having Damien on after a rather ragged run of guests. The Scooby Do actor was clearly drunk, Eric Bana tripped over prepared lines, the R&B singer was nervous and bland, while Tomlinson spouted out all his usual pub bore lines. A reliable source tells me Damien and Lisa are barely on speaking terms off stage at the moment, the road can be very challenging. That 2nd album must be a daunting prospect, good luck to him.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Sun May 09, 2004 6:30 pm

That's weird. DR board speculators seem to be generally convinced they're an item (maybe they were), but sad to think there's bitterness of some sort there when they seem so united in purpose live. He needs her too, she brings a lot to it. Solo career looming?

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Mon May 10, 2004 1:09 am

Eric Bana had a career as a comic here, before embarking on his acting (The Hulk, Black Hawk Down). He's a very very funny guy.

Jackson Monk · Post by **Jackson Monk** » Mon May 10, 2004 1:59 am

Yep. Enjoyed the DR performance. Also quite liked the performance by The Streets the week before. The album was bigged up in the Observer yesterday and so might be worth buying.

John · Post by **John** » Tue May 18, 2004 11:44 am

Just noticed that Damien Rice is on TOTP2 this Friday at 7pm singing "Cannonball". I've only seen/heard him on Jonathon Ross so far. You guys obviously think his CD is worth investing in!?

maria · Post by **maria** » Tue May 18, 2004 1:34 pm

DR is very earnest, very sincere; can't doubt that. Although nor can I help the feeling that I've seen it all before...! Possible a sign of age. Listened to The Streets today for the first tiime. Thought it was seriously fab. Made me laugh out loud many times.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Tue May 18, 2004 4:27 pm

Hi Maria from Dublin. I'm not married to you am I? (It's just that my wife is called Maria, and she's from Dublin...). Are you a Costello fan, or did you just like the look of the Annex?

For me Damo is far too original and distinctive to be a case of 'seen it all before'. He gets this unfortunate David Gray tag, whereas I think he's far more interesting and inspiring than that. See what you think, John, but personally I wholeheartedly recommend the CD.

Didn't know he was on TOTP2 this week, thanks for the tip. Will have to catch that. Cannonball is fabulous, it was just being featured in Diarmuid Gavin, the other Maria from Dublin told me. I was busy watching Gordon Ramsay. I love that programme!

I'm gonna get The Streets. I very rarely get new CDs by people I haven't previously got without some serious vetting, but the little I've heard did sound great, and the buzz around it is exciting in itself. To me it's very refreshing to see a buzz around this original proposition rather than all those similar bands like Coldplay, Snow Patrol, Keane. The latter sound like hugely better songwriters than Coldplay, but it's all the same genre. Melancholic, soft focus, widescreen, emotional stuff, with an excessively high quota of cotton wool. Where's the bite? I was a teen with bands with real edge like the Jam and the Clash, and of course EC and the As, and hardcore misery music like Joy Division (which was also totally uplifting in its brilliance). Gimme The Streets (assuming I like the LP!!!).

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Tue May 18, 2004 4:54 pm

Taling of Wossie, Franz Ferdinand are on this Friday. Now there's a new band who are original and full of life and fun and are genuiely worth hearing. And Moz is on Later. Don't think I can be bothered with his 'patchy' new LP, but he was very good live last week on Woss, so this should be well worth seeing. Boy is there some good music on TV at the mo'.

maria · Post by **maria** » Tue May 18, 2004 5:41 pm

...when last I looked, he wasn't calling himself Otis, but in my experience of husbands you'd never know quite what to expect... nice to meet you all the same.

Perhaps you're right and DR is more original than I give him credit for. There is another member of my family who is a very avid fan: so perhaps I'm suffering from overkill. And I also worry about verrucas. And when it all boils down to it, for me there's nothing nor nobody to match EC's bite: yes I am a fan!

Enjoy the Streets.

selfmademug · Post by **selfmademug** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 8:31 am

So, I hear that Mr. Rice is now dating Renee Zellweger. Um, eeeew. Hope he gets over that soon...

invisible Pole · Post by **invisible Pole** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 12:53 pm

My God, where is this news from ?! I hope she won't be singing on Damien's next album.

Mr. Average · Post by **Mr. Average** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 1:00 pm

Rumour has it that she said to Damien re working with him on the next album:

"If you need Hep, here I yam"

invisible Pole · Post by **invisible Pole** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 1:33 pm

invisible Pole · Post by **invisible Pole** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 1:43 pm

Damien Rice is playing a short set in New York next Wednesday.

http://www.ascap.com/press/2005/ascapmu ... 40405.html

Anyone going ? Being There mag ?

Elvis Costello Fan Forum

Damien Rice

damian rice