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Reports from both his Belfast and L'Derry shows this week.

The Empire Music Hall, Belfast
Thursday 12th March

A lot of rubbish songs have been written about greed, corruption and bad economics, but Protection Racket isn't one of them. Because this is a vivid picture of abuse as Fionn Regan spits out those words about leaders of nations, wild alsatians and crumbling foundations. The music tilts and swings, the tide of disgust is rising and hey, weve found ourselves an anthem to fit with the news.

Maybe the old Fionn could have found the means to write a folksy song about such things, but it sure seems to work with this extra mayhem. It's a narrative as nasty as grandmas missing pension, and it takes a deal of amplification to make the point. And so Fionn is well matched by the players on loan from support act Danny And The Champions Of The World, who know exactly which levers to activate.

They also sustain the delerium on 'Violent Demeanour' and then lurch around 'Catacombs', which apparently knows where the bodies are buried. Fionns hair is a tumbling bob that last saw service with The Byrds in 1965, while the necklace and the camp menace are on loan from Bob Dylan, freshly electrified.

Not all of the audience are fully into the plan and so theres a murmur of approval when he dispatches old fave 'Put A Penny In The Slot' and later signs off with 'Be Good Or Be Gone'. But the guy has clearly advanced a lot since the first album and as an artist, he's fully qualified not to look back.

Stuart Bailie



The Nerve Centre, L'Derry
Wednesday 11th march
'Danny and the Champions of the World' are the support and the main act tonight, later doubling as Fionn Regan's backing band. The talented musicians perform impeccably all night, playing hook laden indie not too disimiliar to The Hold Steady.

Fionn's set is mostly made up from material from the new album, an album I must admit I haven't warmed too. It lacks the uniqueness that 'End Of History' has, going from solo to full band has its downfalls. The Bob Dylan comparisons are still there, whereas 'End Of History' was 'Freewheelin', 'Shadow Of An Empire' is more 'Highway 61 Revisited'.

The tracks from 'Shadow Of An Empire' translate better live than on record, giving the tracks a bit of an extra oomph on the live stage. 'Violent Demeanour' and 'Coat Hook' being the stand outs on this particular occassion. So much so that upon hearing the album again, I've got a feeling it's going to be a bit of a grower.

Fionn really comes into his own on the quieter moments. 'Put A Penny In The Slot' and 'Hey Rabbit' are met with a very well observed silence. Which Fionn appreciates and thanks the crowd for it. I've seen him about half a dozen times and he always seems aloof and a bit stand offish. But he is in good spirits tonight and even raises a few chuckles with his dry wit.

Fionn comes out to play 'Be Good Or Be Gone' on his own for the encore, one of those moments were everything just clicks, with the crowd and artist intertwining into something beautiful.

A decent gig by all accounts, but still hoping the next album returns to the early Dylanesque sound.

Paul Mullin