Lewis Barfoot

"Is Eileen in the room?" A recurring theme of this gig was a chance meeting between Lewis Barfoot and Kings Heath resident Eileen in the hours before showtime. Their brief encounter stirred Emerald Isle emotions and a singing of 'The Galway Shawl'. The meeting had a sad twist of loneliness, yet its warmth set the tone for the welcome this singer-songwriter received from a first visit to play Birmingham. The upshot was Eileen hadn't taken up the offer of a guest ticket. Those who were present had an extensive exposure to a musician on a mission, a person rich in creative artistry and someone right on the point of audience engagement. Straight out of the gates, this London Irish-cum-current Cork resident exposed an identity via a vest plastered with the ironic motif - 'more dogs, more blacks, more Irish'. Politics with a small 'p' thread through the songs, stories and ethos, though shades of beauty from an elegant voice enabled a variety of moods. However, impassioned justice was never far from the surface. The crux of Lewis Barfoot's musical odyssey is a decision to seek her Irish heritage through relocation and a deep dive into its folk scene. This has been driven by years of imposed suppression and a growing desire to revel in one's roots. Understanding this mission is core to grasping the mettle of motivation and how you can draw the dots of where many of the songs come from. Innate talent and an enthusiastic drive help propel the impetus as well as drawing on an impulsive presentation persona from many years working in theatre. Lewis Barfoot - the entertainer - is certainly a take from a first impression. A post-gig check into the back catalogue sparked memories of many significant songs heard. From the latest album HOME, impactful works such as 'Women of Ireland', 'Dublin City Bells' and 'Rock Me in the Ocean' were sprinkled among a couple of joyous sets. Other interesting setlist additions were show opener 'Blow the Wind Southerly' and its traditional counterpart 'Eileen McMahon' alongside the New Zealand-inspired original 'Taranaki'. Song mode constantly switched from seated to standing and acoustic guitar to unaccompanied. A couple of plays on the shruti box increased the folk vibes. The evening reached maximum poignancy in the final throes with thoughtful empathy for the Palestinian plight locked into an emotional song. Whether interpreting key songs of the past or conjuring original ones from a inquisitive mind, a mix of folk, blues and jazz styles gently brewed. Imagined bigger sounds from a more populous stage setting were invited, though growth will have to be organic from a solo base as the listening venues of the British Isles mainland are navigated. There was a lot to absorb from this first dip into Lewis Barfoot's musical world. There wasn't much left off the table. Piecing it together formed a simple jigsaw of one person revelling in a road of discovery. Ample listening pleasure flowed from a dream morphing into the realm of live music reality. Feeling part of the process was a given with cathartic inspiration spontaneously filling the air. Eileen missed a good one. Maybe one version of 'The Galway Shawl' was sufficient for her on the evening.

The Prince Albert proved to be the ideal setting for the Lewis Barfoot Trio on a chilly Sunday evening at the end of April. The gig began with Lewis walking on through the audience, singing a traditional Gaelic "herding song" and accompanying herself with subtle tones from a Shruti box. It was an enchanting start to her set of original songs. Lewis Barfoot's music is not easy to categorise. I usually try to avoid using labels as they can obscure more than they explain but in this case a quote from her website seems helpful in understanding her oeuvre - "Folk Meets Quirk". There are certainly elements of traditional and non-traditional folk in many of her songs but there is also a great deal of original Lewis Barfoot "quirk" and highly personal observations. At times she displays a fearless and disarming honesty in her lyrics. Take these from "White Dress" (a song about the funeral of her mother) and her new single. "Are you comfy? Is it cold? Have your bones turned to dust?" However, don't get the impression that Lewis was gloomy or morbid. Far from it! She was very funny and charmed the audience with ease. Other songs included "£2,700" - the price of her wedding dress and a confessional song about turning into a "bridezilla". There were also songs about first love, encounters with a Jay bird and other observations from Lewis's life. She was joined on stage by Maria Rodriguez Reina (cello) and Matt Dibble (clarinet and keyboards) Their brilliant musicianship complimented Lewis's guitar and vocals and gave extra depth and richness to her song arrangements. One highlight of the evening was Matt Dibble's accompaniment to "Transmission Complete". The refrain from the traditional fiddle tune "Farewell to Ireland" played on the clarinet was a delight to the ears. Superb. Lewis is not planning any more gigs in the near future. She is going into the studio to perfect her album "Folkalism", scheduled for release in spring 2019. When she does return to gigging, I urge you to keep an eye out for the Lewis Barfoot Trio and if you fancy an evening of guitar, clarinet, cello, transcendent singing and beautifully crafted songs, you should go and see them. If you don't fancy these things why on earth are you reading this ?