Gig reviews: Ye Vagabonds and Villagers impress at Safe Harbour in Cork 

Ye Vagabonds had a host of collaborators at the Everyman, while Conor O'Brien and co performed an acoustic set

Ye Vagabonds at the Everyman for Sounds From A Safe Harbour.

The standing ovation at the end was a fitting response for a night of collaborations for Ye Vagabonds at their sold-out show as part of Sounds from Safe Harbour on Saturday.

 The Everyman show saw the Carlow-based brothers blast through their most popular tunes, swapping instruments between them while also entertaining a revolving door of musicians tasked to perform with the lads, before heading off to play for other shows across the festival.

The Mac Gloinn brothers had instantly got the audience in a trance as they started their 90-minute set with Lowlands of Holland.

“It’s so good to be back,” Brian said. “The spirit of the festival, I suppose, is a lot of collaboration, so I suppose we will ask you to collaborate with us. Would you like to sing with us?” They then unleashed I’m a Rover.

The stage was filled by a cellist, a pianist, and a harmonium player who stuck with the brothers through the night. However, it also saw a fiddle player arrive, play a tune and head off, a bass player who had to eventually leave because he was playing 11 gigs in six hours, and vocalists joining in for their last song of the gig as well.

However, dancer Jimmy captured the hearts of the audience as he arrived on the Everyman stage, dressed all in black, with his back to the crowd. As the brothers sang Bacach Shíol Andaí, he moved, elegantly taking over the stage as his arms flew around him, as he spun circles and danced.

It was a mix of older tunes and newer creations from the Mac Gloinn’s before promising their fans that their new album will be out next year.

“It’s a treat to play here,” Brian said. “I have a tradition now, whenever I play the Everyman, I have to wear a red shirt and take a photo on the stairs because that’s what I was wearing when I first performed here for the first SFSH.” 

 Meanwhile, other attendees had taken refuge from the poor weather on Friday night as they took their seats at the Everyman to listen to an energetic acoustic set from Villagers.

The 70-minute show started off with a warm crescendo, as Conor O’Brien started off the set with Everything I am is Yours, playing his guitar while accompanied by a pianist. Often a man of few words, it about six songs for O’Brien to converse with the audience. Not that anyone minded. 

It was an extremely well-put-together performance from Villagers and was energetic for an acoustic set, which included Becoming a Jackal and A Trick of the Light.

Sounds from a Safe Harbour is set to conclude on Sunday, following a busy weekend of gigs, music, art and food, including pop-up and secret gigs, which included a DJ set from Cillian Murphy on Saturday night at the Pav.