The Waterboys review: Marquee sees the whole of the moon on a sizzling night in Cork
Mike Scott of The Waterboys at Live at the Marquee in Cork. Picture: Chani Anderson
On the night of a full moon, Thursday marked a triumphant return to Live at the Marquee in Cork for Mike Scott and his merry band of men as The Waterboys put on an eclectic set to send them home sweating.
An energetic two-hour set went down a storm on a sizzling summer evening in Cork.
Nostalgia is a powerful force — it's why Roy Keane could still mesmerise the Marquee this week recalling tales of guts and glory.
But after three nights of words, laughs, introspection, and conversation, an old-school rock'n'roll show was just what the Marquee needed, and The Waterboys provided it emphatically on Thursday night.
They didn't take long to get the big tent rocking.
From the moment he got the masses warmed up with a cover of Willie Nelson's before belting out favourites like and from their groundbreaking album , Scott quickly had the diehards on board.
He may have been born in Scotland but Scott seems decidedly Irish — he even threw in a — and The Waterboys are an enduring favourite on Leeside.
In the past two years, they filled the Marquee in 2023 and also performed in Musgrave Park last year before this, their third time playing down the Marina.
With , Mike Scott had the crowd in the palm of his hand and there was no fear of the crowd not knowing the words as he let them lead the vocals on .
That crowd, in short sleeves and some scorched and glowing from a day of too much fun in the sun, had a healthy mix but it’s clear that most are long-time devotees, with a healthy shade of grey.
Like Roy Keane, Scott never seems ready to rest on his laurels.
He is a powerful creative force, unafraid to push boundaries and The Waterboys' latest album, 'Life, Death And Dennis Hopper' veers the band off in a bold new direction, a musical telling of the actor's life.
Steve Earle appears on screen for the song .
It’s the first chance to catch a breath before the band return with a deep dive into the Hopper album, with a little help from guests on stage, Barny Fletcher and support band Deep Blue.
"I'm going out to LA, chase me some sun," Scott tells the Marquee, decked out in his trademark cowboy hat on the easy-listening, uber cool Americana of , a suitably Southern-sounding comfort for this warmest of nights.
We're not used to this weather, y'see.
Scott isn't a young man any more, but the sound is as fresh as ever.
The line-up has changed over the years with Scott the fire element enduring since the band's formation 42 years ago and he continues to surround himself with brilliant musical talent.
The line-up includes American 'Brother' Paul Brown and Cornish native James Hallawell (who co-wrote many of the tracks on ) both on keyboards, joined by Irish duo Aonghus Ralston on bass — Ralston was also part of the Joe Bonamassa three-day set at the Marquee — and Belfast's Eamon Ferris on drums completing a unique recipe.
The meandering into the Hopper space has caught the ear of a new audience in recent months, though there's a Celtic soul at their heart which endears them to many locals.
After more than four decades, Scott is well aware of this, a dab hand cute enough not to reach too far, too high, too soon. The decibel level rises again with and A Girl Called Johnny.
The band's encore is an old-school roll call with the likes of and the band's biggest hit, , sending the throngs home buzzing just as July's full moon was rising in a cloudless sky.
• The Waterboys head for Wexford on the August weekend and also play Limerick's Docklands next month.
• The Live at the Marquee summer series continues on Friday night with another change of pace as comedian Chris Kent enjoys a homecoming show on Leeside, before Dec Pierce will pump up the volume with his Block Rockin' Beats show on Saturday night.
• Other acts to follow over the next fortnight include Olly Murs, Kingfishr, Amble, The Mary Wallopers, Cian Ducrot, D-Block Europe, before the last of Michael McIntyre's three-night run on Sunday July 27 brings this year's event series to a close.
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