GIG REVIEW: John Deery & the Heads
Nestled within Derry's famous walls, the Echo Echo Dance Theatre became home to John Deery and the Heads on friday night. Playing and recording a full two hour set in front of a small intimate crowd, the atmosphere was electric and the music addictive. So intimate and warm, it was like having the lads play in your own living room.
The first of a series of concerts to take place at the Echo Echo Dance Theatre, it’s safe to say that we now have another fantastic music venue on our doorstep. The exposed brickwork and fantastic lighting, teamed with a beautiful backdrop looking out at the flickering lights of Derry, above the hustle and bustle of Waterloo Street, you could be forgiven for thinking you had just been transported to a cozy little venue in Manhattan.
Speaking previously to Derry Live List about the gig, John had said “it’ll be a special night to be part of… It’s actually going to be our most significant gig time wise because we’ll be playing for about two hours. Our typical set in the past, for the Beach Boys for example was only 35minutes, so it’s really hard to come up with a playlist... so the EchoEcho gig will let us play the gig that people want to see, play the songs that people like to hear and some new ones as well."
They did just that. Dipping into their vast repertoire of songs while also testing out new material, every song was absorbed and adored by the audience. Even after a two hour session, the calls of ‘one more song’ rang out.
From the gentle hypnotic tones of ‘Moonlight Sinatra’ to the loud and rocky ‘Toe the Line’, the harmonies were tight, the sound magnetic. With a new album in the pipeline and the release of the live recordings from friday night, it’s going to be another successful and lively year for The Heads.
