Mary Coughlan commanded the stage at Blues On The Bay

Jazz is a mystical realm. It was something my mam and dad enjoyed at the club. They danced to a jazz trio. I didn’t get it. Now I do get it, partly because I’ve seen Mary Coughlan.

Mary was a headline act at this years sun-soaked International Guinness Blues On The Bay festival in Warrenpoint. Venue was the town hall. The exterior looks like someone’s house. The interior is like the Tardis. You wander through the front door and find yourself in a big performance space. 

Initially there were just a few handfuls of us. I felt it might be challenging for Mary. I needn’t have feared. Gradually, increasing numbers of people of a certain age with long hair and denims occupied the rest of the seats. It was heaving.

First on the bill was the Bluez Katz Blues Band. Frontman is Festival Director Ian Sands, who somehow makes this whole weekend happen sunshine and sound! Okay, he’s not a weather god, but Warrenpoint was beautifully sun-kissed for the festival.

The Bluez Katz are a very tight band. They punched out some blues and rock standards with precision. Ian’s vocal style is in the classic rock vein of Paul Rodgers  economic and expressive. And his harmonica playing is snappy and sweet. 

Their festival profile says they’ve shared stages with Van Morrison, Peter Green, Wilko Johnson and Paul Jones. At Warrenpoint Town Hall, they did great versions of such classics as On The Road Again and Let’s Work Together  and much more.

Nicely warmed up, the audience were ready to receive more. Mary Coughlan walked on and simply commanded the stage. From the first moment of the gig, she filled the venue with both her voice and personality.

Opening song was Damn Your Eyes, which interestingly enough, starts with the words  ‘I can do what I want, I′m in complete control’. Backed by keyboards, double bass, drums and guitar, Mary proved it by completely owning the evening.

Each delivery was dramatic  Ancient Rain doubly so  and even more majestic than the studio version. Other standout numbers were The Beach, The Ice Cream Man and a stunning cover of the Procul Harum classic A Whiter Shade Of Pale.

Every song belonged to Mary, whether she wrote it or not. The way she shaped her lines was similar to how Bob Dylan interprets his lyrics. Like His Bobness, Mary brings otherworldly depth to ordinary expressions, boldly emphasising phrases such as  ‘my head felt like a concrete block’  then letting words fade with a sense of wearyness, like ‘winter...’

Sometimes the band held back and stayed as quiet as church mice, so the rest of us could catch the full force of Mary’s remarkable voice. Other times Mary stepped back and allowed her players to share a solo each and then, together, simply rock the casbah. 

A key component was Navan’s own Jimmy Smyth, one of Ireland’s finest guitarists who’s played alongside Roger Daltrey, Curtis Stigers, Chaka Khan and Van Morrison. He supplied some blistering guitar breaks to complement Mary’s sweet and smoky vocals. 

After the concert, a few of us gathered to chat with Mary. She had time to talk, sharing stories about her family and being every bit of a national treasure. What a heart-warming finish to a show-stopping gig.