Cathy Davey - Oriel Centre, Dundalk Gaol 19th October 2019

Now a full time farmer and part time singer, Cathy Davey made a rare appearance last night at The Oriel Centre, Dundalk. You hear stories on the news about overcrowding in prisons but last night I witnessed it first hand as the Gaol was in danger of overcrowding with yet another sell out show. The audience were eager and attentive as Cathy came down the stairs and onto the stage. She immediately began with the hauntingly beautiful song that was commissioned for the RSA's anti speeding campaign in 2017.

Next was "Birdie" followed by the incredibly infectious "In He Comes". Cathy then became self conscious of her dirty fingers from working on the farm. She claims she tried scrubbing them clean but the results don't back up the claim. Cathy's farm life infiltrated her music again when she needed a capo but only had a piece of a tractor in her bag that she tried to fashion into one.
The hit single "Reuben" was one of the highlights as the venue lent a great sound to Cathy's voice which tonight was particularly raspy in a punk rock style. Then came "Little Red" which had the crowd dancing in their seats. This led to a couple of songs about trees and a dedication to a sick pig on her farm named Alf.

"My Old Man" was next which Cathy said was either about a dog or a boyfriend but not both. Things took a turn then with the ultra electronic "The Pattern" which I overheard someone say that it transcended them somewhere else. "Thylacine", "Armadillo" and "Lay Your Hand" led into "End Of The End". It was during this song that Cathy had a mishap and got the notes wrong. This only endeared her to the crowd even more and she valiantly finished the song correctly.

The powerhouse "Sing For Your Supper" was the closer. At this point musicians usually walk off and then come back for an encore. Cathy couldn't be arsed walking back up the stairs so she announced that this was the encore and finished with "All Of You".

Cathy Davey seemed in fine form partly because as she said during the show, she doesn't have to worry about music anymore as it's become a hobby and not her full time focus which I think has lifted any pressure off her shoulders and this was evident in how happy she seemed. The audience left happy too. So any young musicians started out should take note that more rescue farming and less music is clearly the way to go.