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Proclaiming The Faith

Eddie Creaney Talks To Charlie Reid, One Half Of Scottish Duo The Proclaimers, About Their Faithful 20-Year Relationship With The Irish Music World.

For nearly 20 years the Reid brothers have been traversing the Irish Sea to ply their trade on our welcoming shores. The Scottish Folk duo, better known to most of us as The Proclaimers, have endeared many on this island to recognise them almost as adopted sons, with their efforts reciprocated by the many fans who won’t miss an appearance or chance to see the boys from Edinburgh. Having seen the band at the Ulster Hall in Belfast back in the late eighties I was intrigued to find out just how far they had come since that first live date here. And this year in particular the forty-something twins have really pushed the boat out when it comes to gigging in Ireland. Already they’ve played the length and breadth of the country from Waterford to Belfast and from Armagh to Sligo, with many dates still to be fulfilled. And it’s with the latter appearance that Charlie Reid pressed his first comments. “Sligo Live, now that was an experience” says Reid, “I remember looking around the place and watching a few other artists on stage and thinking, everyone else here is performing acoustically except us! And we were somewhat weary as to how we’d be seen when the guitars were plugged in. But we shouldn’t have worried, the crowd were wonderful and we had a great sing-along together.”

And Charlie is the first to admit that they are that kind of act. “Yes, absolutely. We never disguise who we are. And everywhere we go people just want to sing with us. We don’t try to get too political with our music, instead preferring to write about life, love and rambling.” I suggested that they have kept close to their Folk roots, akin to what drives and motivates most Irish traditional musicians when in creative mode. “Exactly” says Reid, “Since we were kids growing up around Edinburgh we were exposed to a lot of Irish traditions, such as the poetry of Behan or the music of The Dubliners. And although we may have begun our musical life on the peripherals of pop music, it’s with our Folk roots that we pride ourselves.” Indeed. And are there any contemporary Irish music-makers impressing the multi-award winning duo as of late? Well, the boys see more Irish acts through their visits here than most of us do in a lifetime. And Charlie cites some of our most respected musicians as nothing less than heroic. Paul Brady and Arty McGlynn get a mention for their hypnotic guitar work, and several singer-songwriters including Damien Dempsey, who supported The Proclaimers on their recent UK tour, have impressed also. The Scot admits he doesn’t have a good memory for names, otherwise he would list many traditional acts they have appeared with as his favourites. “I’m always keen to hear new and established artists emerging from Ireland” explains Charlie, “I’ve listened to Sharon Shannon, Cara Dillon and others. They really have a passion for what they do, and that’s honourable.”

So what’s been keeping the two lads busy recently? Well, besides the schedule of global appearances they have continued their association with Hollywood. As if their music credits with movies such as Dumb & Dumber, Benny & Joon and Shrek were not enough, then how about an animated appearance in the super-funny Family Guy, singing their hearts out to (I’m gonna be) 500 miles? Quite. And on a more solemn note, the band recently played with American singer-songwriter Steve Earle in an evening for Human Rights from the Shakespeare Globe Theatre in London. The one-off event was to benefit Reprieve, a UK charity that fights for the lives of people facing the death penalty and other human rights violations. “We recently got involved in the case of Kenny Richey, a Scot who is on Death Row in the USA, as there’s extreme doubt of his conviction” says Reid. “The gig in London was to raise public awareness of such cases. That’s important to us. And of course it hits home because of Kenny’s background.” Something surely that will have a similarity to past songwriters here, given the great history of injustices to many an Irish man and woman.

And the music? Well, The Proclaimers recently recorded their sixth studio album 'Restless Soul' (released in Ireland on Persevere Records) with producers Mark Wallis and David Ruffy. Mark Wallis is regarded by his peers as having the best pair of ears behind any studio console and is one of the most experienced and versatile producers around, having recorded classic cuts for, amongst others, U2. David Ruffy has teamed up with Mark on productions for the last two years and recently worked with Sinead O'Connor. And according to the bands website the songs on Restless Soul offer lyrics of uncommon honesty and depth and speak eloquently to listeners everywhere. "When you become specific, you become universal,” explains Charlie. “You write about your own life and make your own observations. People who worry too much about appealing to everybody miss the point. If you write sincerely, and identify with the feelings of other people, you'll catch the ears of those who want to go beyond our accents or our points of view, whether they're inside or outside of Scotland.” True sentiment indeed. I wonder just how many Irish Traditional musicians can identify with that statement. More than a few I expect. And the future for the band? “Well, rest assured we’ll continue our association with Ireland” says the Scottish singer. “We love it there, and will always appreciate the support we are given. I know it’s common for musicians to patronise their audiences, but we really mean it when we say that Irish audiences are second to none when it comes to music appreciation.” Duly noted.

Fans of The Proclaimers can catch them at Mitchelstown and other local festivals from now until the end of the year. News, updates and tickets at www.proclaimers.co.uk

Eddie Creaney
eddiecreaney@hotmail.com