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!