The higher I climb, the more I present myself to the possibility of falling down, down, falling down.
One of countless lyrics from a ‘Guggenheim Grotto – later, Storyman – tune that’s sewn into the back of my mind. Etched there from the heady days of gig running in Cleere’s in Kilkenny under the KilkennyMusic.com banner. I couldn’t say for sure, but I would hazard that TGG were booked under that banner on four or five occasions, maybe more over the years.
Between those gigs, and as the years ticked by, I’ve had Waltzing Alone, Happy The Man and The Universe Is Laughing in fairly high rotation, whether online or in their original CD format. Not forgetting the Storyman release of This Time around which, until recently I would have said was only five or six years old but turns a teenager this year.
Long story short, the lads’ music has been a constant listen.
Coming home
When the announcement was made of two homecoming gigs slated for September 2023, I hopped on the Róisín Dubh tickets as soon as they were released.
For the sum of €15 (let’s not include the travel or hotel here), one of the best-known music rooms in the country was transformed, drenched in this wave of nostalgia, complete with on-demand audience participation and a feel-good singalong, as if everyone there was doing the same feeling and draw for what was unfolding on stage.
Notes not plucked in years, songs that have undoubtedly made every manner of playlist marking births, deaths, marriages and more. Everyone soaking it up, the love from the stage mirrored in kind by the love from the floor.
Thankfully, US actor and director Will Chase was also there, having travelled with Mick from the States to Ireland to document the few days around the homecoming shows and capture whatever would unfold in both the Róisín Dubh and Whelan’s (Dublin).
Coming Home provides a fly-on-the-wall look at the preparations for both 2023 gigs (I’m still hoping they’re not the last) and has already picked up a few honours including Best Short Film (LIMEHOF Music Documentary Film Festival) and Best Director of a Documentary (Chain Film Festival).
It may well hold more meaning to those who followed the band from their first album release and songwriter nights in Dublin, but for music lovers in general, you’re treated to a 45-minute-ish sharing of stories, experiences and two artists with a sublime archive of work reconnecting over songs that marked and sparked such pivotal points in their lives.
And the songs are just that damn good too.
Carve yourself out the time.
Privacy settings won’t allow embedding of the video here, but do yourself a favour, watch The Guggenheim Grotto’s Coming Home documentary on Vimeo here.
