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The Review - MUSIC - Classical & Jazz with TONY KIELY
Published: 14 February 2008

The Blessing's Clive Deamer

Blessed for success

REVIEW: THE BLESSING
Carling Bar Academy

SCUTTLING past a mob of long-haired rockers drinking cans outside the venue, I was a little confused. The Blessing bill themselves as “post-jazz rock” all right, but these guys didn’t look as if they would particularly relish a lengthy sax solo.
Thankfully, they were headed elsewhere and The Blessing’s gig was full of meek-looking indie kids – a legacy, no doubt, of the band’s Portishead roots – and a couple of ageing jazz cats.
The Blessing don’t do much to welcome the audience. The music is a challenge in itself – its melodies interrupted, improvised interludes and dissonant chords – but the deadpan links by bassist Jim Barr were even harder to fathom.
Still, once past the dubious humour, the four musicians shone, confidently melding jazz with elements of rock and dance. Drummer Clive Deamer (pictured) stood out, both as keeper of the band’s frantic rhythm and as a demented, head-swaying focal point on stage (how did this man ever stay calm enough to play trip-hop?)
A couple of high-energy songs into the set, and any doubts had been allayed – with music this creative, this dense (and this loud), there was no choice but to embrace the chaos and do my best jazz-shuffle. Who knows, next time I might even get the jokes.
Aoife Ní Dhálaigh

The Blessing’s album All Is Yes is out now

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