Damien Dempsey

DAMIEN DEMPSEY - Thurs 9th

         Inspired by the likes of Bob Marley and Luke Kelly, Damien
         Dempsey - Dublin's uber-urban poet - is
         about to release his debut long player - a collection of songs
         that will surely shift him into contention as
         one of Ireland's romantic, yet fiercely uncompromising singer
         songwriters. Subtly entitled "They Don't
         Teach This Shit In School", the album was produced by Trevor
         Wyatt and Ingmar Kiang, and was
         released through the Grapevine/Ritz label late last month. Doors
         open at 7:30pm, admission is a snip at £7.

Damien Dempsey: 
They Don't Teach This Shit In School
(Zinc)

Forget the Celtic Tiger, Boybands, Mobile Phones, Theme
Pubs and 00 Registered cars, says the press release for
Damien Dempsey's début; when you hear him rap in his
granite-hard Dublin brogue, you're thrown right into the tough,
rundown slums of Dublin, where even the Celtic Tiger is afraid
to wander. Dempsey is best known for the Northside reggae
shuffle of Dublin Town - and his earthy approach to music
makes him sound a bit like Dustin with a social conscience.
However, once you get past his thick, hard-chaw Dub
delivery, you begin to notice some sharp lyrics and pointed
observations in songs such as Colony, Seanachaí, I've No Alibi
and Bad Time Garda. 

Kevin Courtney

Damien Dempsey - Isaac Butt, Dublin, 5 Aug 99

Yep, Damien Dempsey used to be known as just 'Dempsey' and he is the guy
who had that single 'Dublin Town' out two years ago that got saturation
play on 2FM. I heard the single, didn't like it, and wrote Dempsey off as
some half-assed Dublin rap version of Christy Moore.

I saw him since a few times at the Tuesday night singer-songwriter thing
in the International Bar and was astonished. He was head and shoulders
above all the other acts (including my humble self). The man has presence
- all he had to do was stand up on the stage and he had everyone's
attention. He brought the house down every time.

Dempsey's focus is not in on himself, but outwards - on his (girl)friends,
his community, his fellow human beings and you - not the abstract
I-love-you 'you' of commercial rock, but YOU the person who is reading
this. No navel gazing going on in his songs. He has something to say.

And at the Isaac Butt last night I could have sat and listened to him say
it all night. His voice, his words, his heartbreaking, spine-tingling
melodies. I left with his tunes in my head, a big grin on my face and a
warm feeling in my chest. Honest to god. You cannot afford to miss him
next time he plays.

  Cormac Parle