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Don Mescall plays London's Troubadour, July 2005
Don Mescall supports Richie Havens on his Irish Tour (Whelan's, Dublin July 2005)
"You Don't Love Me" EP by Don Mescall (Curb Records)
Sept 2001 RTE Guide - Passion and Peeves
Concert Review by Carey Mitchell (Kentucky Press)
Don takes centre stage
Don Mescall plays London's Troubadour, July 2005
First of all, WOW! I'm not just saying that because Scott English (the talented chap who wrote the classic Barry Manilow and Westlife hit 'Mandy') has threatened to set his 9ft brother onto me. No, without any threat of violence whatsoever, Limerick Don Mescall's performance at The Troubadour was truly awe-inspiring. Mescall's voice recalls something of David Gray, but with a rare depth and character that Gray lacks.
With just his three guitars and a mouth organ to accompany some soul-stirring lyrics and what shall henceforth be referred to as 'the voice', Mescall played a (much too) short set offering a taste of his considerable musical talents. Playing a mixture of newly penned songs and more seasoned numbers, he showcased the lyrical skills which have led to stars such as Lulu and Frances Black to record his songs. Mescall introduced each song with a brief explanation in his strong Limerick accent, describing the wonderful 'New York City's Not My Home' as a reaction to his first visit to New York where, as an Irish musician, no one was interested in hearing him perform his own compositions, and he was forced to sing traditional Irish songs for the duration of his stay.
Mescall's undeniably has a way with words, a song he recently composed with an evocative chorus line "I never wrote this song to make you cry" almost had me shedding a few tears. Classic lines like "blessed moment before the pain" reveal Mescall's ability to pick up on a beautiful statement and use it to create something quite magical. Speaking to Mescall before the performance I asked him if, performing in the venue where Bob Dylan made one of his first UK appearances, he thought himself as a bit of a poet. He humbly denied the idea. I will have to disagree, having watched Mescall perform. There is something unavoidably poetic and beautiful about Mescall's lyricism.
Mescall will be heading into the studio in the next few weeks with songwriting assistance from the likes of lyrical heavyweight Mr. English, to work on his debut album, with the release date expected to be early next year. Until then I have a couple of EPs to satiate my thirst for 'the voice'. I highly recommend a taste of Don Mescall; check out www.donmescall.com to hear what I'm talking about.
by Lorraine Conway (The Irish World)
