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The Legends of Tomorrow – first/last concert

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As mentioned elsewhere on the AW, my unusual ‘studio ensemble’ the Legends of Tomorrow (the name a throwaway bit of tongue-in-cheekery in 1996) released The Weather at World’s End: 1997–2022 earlier this year. Fifty musicians/singers were featured on the album, almost all from Northern Ireland.

Well, Barry Devlin has decided he needed to make a documentary about the Legends/me, so in short, around 25 of us are staging our first ever, and likely only, concert on 7 December, in Belfast – to be filmed for excerpting in the doc and, of course, a live album. My long-time collaborator Cormac O’Kane will be on lights/camera directing and his trusty sidekick Richard Brown will be on sound.

The concert will feature 25 fabulous musicians – albeit not onstage at the one time – including singers Lyndsay Crothers (Wookalily), Barry Devlin (Horslips), Anna Grindle (also on alto sax), Janet Henry, Bruce McClements (ex-Strawman), Helen McGurk, Dave McLarnon (Shock Treatment), Tíona McSherry (ex-Tamalin), Alison O’Donnell (ex-Mellow Candle), Mickey Rafferty (The Minnows) and Peter Wilson (Duke Special) (also on keys). Instrumentalists include drummers Petesy Burns (punk legend), Andrew McCoubrey (jazzman) and Louise Potter (Wookalily); guitarists Norman Boyd (Stonefish/Protex), Big Bill Campbell, James Devlin (ex-Devlin Law/North), Anthony Toner and Ben Trowell (ex-Ghost of an American Airman); on bass, the mighty Ali Mackenzie (everyone); Rachelle Cathcart (clarinet), Colin ‘Hillbilly’ Henry (banjo), Jim Lockhart (Horslips) (flute), Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh (Altan) (fiddle), Mia O’Donnell (Afro-Celt Sound System) (flute); and a couple more TBC.

The show will begin with four songs from Dave McLarnon’s Hat Band (a version of the Legends minus CH) and then thirteen by the ‘Legends proper’ – two unlikely covers and eleven originals. Expect plenty of instrumental interest – yes, even a drum solo. Will there be a Mahavishnu cover…? 😀

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  3. Thank you, Vulpmeister 🙂

    Incidentally, in the rehearsal room pic taken two nights back, L-R: Norman Boyd (cauldron of pure molten rock), CH, Nashville hobo Anthony Toner, bass burbling behemoth Ali Mackenzie, Andrew ‘the Coubster’ McCoubrey, WookaLyndsey Crothers, Mahavishnu Big Bill Campbell.

    • When you are a Legend, @attackdog, that is the way it goes.

      Just like the Lone Ranger, Colin will have mounted his horse and ridden off into the Belfast sunset, before the final power chord has died out.

      Have a wonderful evening, Colin! It sounds like it will be something quite out of the ordinary.

      • It certainly will! It’s a huge logistical task – almost all of my songs are in a variety on non-standard tunings. I’ll need realistically three guitars to hand (plus a bit of tuning in between things as well). Being a non performer usually I’m having to think about buying/how-to-borrow stuff like guitar stands, extra leads, extra straps – which I ordinarily have no need for. It’s funny how the ‘small stuff’ can cause the most worry.

    • Nope. Plenty of Legends records 1996-2022. Indeed, a new digital single coming within a week or two. The ‘first’ is a public concert… which might also be our last public concert. But you never know.

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