Bluesfest Day 8: The Waterboys and Great Big Sea
The other band at Bluesfest, not called The Specials that I was overly amped to see was The Waterboys.
Playing for the first time ever in Ottawa, 30 years after starting the band in 1983, the fisherman’s blues were in full effect. I felt like a little kid when they opened with “Strange Boat,” from the album Fisherman’s Blues. It is the album my parents used to introduce me to these Scottish Celtic folk magicians. They did not keep me waiting long for a few of my favourites, playing “Fisherman’s Blues,” as the second song, and the crushingly powerful emotional track “We Will Not be Lovers.”
The things that blows me away about The Waterboys is how they substitute guitar solos for fiddle solos, and dare I say it, Steve Wickham is one of the best fiddlers I have ever seen. The most epic moment of the show was when the fiddler and guitarist dawned masks and had a duel. The crowd was loving them and you could tell they appreciated it very much. Lead singer, Mike Scott, said “Wow Ottawa it a pleasure to play for your after all these years.” Later on he added “Maybe we can come back in a quaint theater or a funky club where we can cram us in and get to know each other.” MAKE THIS HAPPEN OTTAWA PROMOTERS.
It was very cool to hear their new material, “I’m Still A Freak” and “I Can See Elvis.” The thought of a new Waterboys album and subsequent tour really excites me. On a personal note, I met up with my little cousin Nicole at The Waterboys. She had a drinking bracelet on which made me feel old hahaha, but other than me and a few others, she was maybe 20 years younger than the rest of the crowd. It was so great to see her, she had never even heard of The Waterboys. Even better was having her tell me afterwards that she loved them. What an amazing time.
From fisherman’s blues to Great Big Sea. Great Big Sea are celebrating their twentieth anniversary…let that sink in for a second. They are who they are, an upbeat dance inducing Celtic group who had the crowd in the palm of their hand. The epicness of the set may have been directly proportional to mine and everyone else’s beer consumption, but when in Rome, drink like an East Coaster. Great Big Sea put on a great show though and I loved the video screen between the two large X’s on stage. Lead singer, Alan Doyle, said at one point “Ottawa has been the biggest Great Big Sea audience since day one.” That is pretty cool.
They played a lot of songs I knew, to my surprise, highlighted by “Scolding Wife” for which Matias lost his shit. I loved the live energy of “Helmet-head,” “Consequence Free” and “The Night Pat Murphy Died.”
And what made the night even better? Watching my partner in crime Matias awkward drunken dancing with his cousin’s girlfriend Jill. Oh good times had by all.