|  See
flook.co.uk
also: celticconnections.com
Review by Frank Burkitt
This was my second live experience of Flook and just as
I did the first time I saw them, I left the venue feeling
uplifted and full of admiration.
The scale of talent on stage was enough to inspire any
young musician. The energetic whistling of Brian Finnegan
and Sarah Allen fitted together so well that it was like
listening to one flute player with two mouths! Seriously.
Plus it was entertaining for the eye when Allen played suspended
on one leg. I’m not sure if this was a quirky habit
or just a strange necessity in order to produce such a great
sound. Who knows?
But let’s not forget Ed Boyd (Guitar) and the irrepressible
John Joe Kelly (Bodhran) without whom, the masses of dancers
gathered at the back of the ABC Venue would have had no
rhythm to jig and reel to. The improvised percussion solo
of Kelly and guest Seckou Keita from Senegal was truly breathtaking
and I sat wishing it would never end. However, when the
rest of the big band stormed back in to the original tune,
the endorphins went into overdrive and the body involuntarily
bobbed and swayed.
Undoubtedly the presence of the ‘Flook Big Band’
gave the ears an extra special treat. Colin Farrell, not
from Hollywood but Manchester, played a devilish fiddle
and Ewan Vernal provided acute Double Bass to truly enrich
the overall sound. Also, brave is what I’d call any
man who partners John Joe Kelly on Percussion, but Keita
was outstanding. And the understated Padraig Rynne on Concertina
and Damien O’Kane on Banjo, both stepped up to the
fore with great melodies that gave a variety that spoiled
the listening hordes.
The fact that Flook can get the majority of a stern British
audience up on their feet (or if you’re like me, feel
incredibly guilty about staying in my seat) is a triumph
that only the truly memorable live bands can achieve. I
wanted twenty encores and the whole world to experience
this gig. They turned a dreary January night into a sunny,
celtic carnival. I don’t care who you are, see Flook
before you die and you’ll feel you’ve achieved
in life!
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