Tir Eolas at The Troubador

One of my hotly tipped bands for 2012 are Tir Eolas (I continue to find it hard to say their name, so I think of it phonetically like this ... 'Tir e-lay-s'). The five-piece folk band is compiled of Pip Mercer (vocals, whistle, flute), Ruairi Glasheen (percussion, vocals), Laura Snowden (guitar, vocals), Kristina Edin (double bass, vocals) and Georgie Harris (viola, vocals) and was set up three years ago at the Royal College of Music. Their sound is (generally) upbeat folk ditties, heavily influenced by Irish, Canadian and Swedish folk music, sung primarily by Pip (pictured below).

These are intermingled with the hauntingly beautiful vocals of Laura Snowden (pictured below), who sings and plays her own tunes evoking the pain of losing someone you love.

All the members have multiple musical talents, and they change instruments throughout their gigs, which helps keep the sound fresh and fluid. Every song is introduced by Pip with a charming story about its history or conception, which just adds to the friendly and sweet nature of the band. She talks to the audience as if she is telling a secret, adding to the intimacy of their gigs. The band has recently been added to, in the forms of Kristina and Georgie. They are excellent additions to the originals, as they give the band a backing-boost which helps to elevate Ruairi's percussion (pictured below), the top notes of Pip's flute and whistle, and help to enhance their sound's general roundess and funkiness.

The last Tir Eolas gig I went to was at The Troubador, a wine bar/restaurant/music venue in the heart of Earls Court, London.  The Troubador is nowadays renowned for showing new talents, such as Tir Eolas, as well as housing greats of the past such as Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Jimi Hendrix. You have to wind your way through the tables of the lively, Parisian-feeling restaurant and wine bar, and clamber down some creaking stairs into the cavernous underbelly, a veritable secret music society.

Tir Eolas were headlining the evening of music, and, throughout the other performances people chatted away (rude I think, but hey ho) but when Tir Eolas played you could hear a pin drop, as they truly command their audience with their stage presence and their tight playing - you can see just how hard their practise, and indeed, what good friends they are, which, as we have learnt from our friends at the X Factor, is important for a cohesive sound.

So, check out their website http://www.myspace.com/tireolas to hear their sound and, if you can come to watch them live then I would highly recommend it, they are fantastic. You've heard it hear first music-fans: go see!