Originally published by The Birmingham Mail. April 2007.

For a while there seemed to be a dearth of young talented singer/songwriters who would struggle to stay the course but thankfully one man defying the trend is Damien Rice.

Welcomed by an enthusiastic capacity crowd, he immediately got fans in the right mood with the stunning Me, My Yoke and I from his latest critically acclaimed album, 9.

He then launched into a set full of moody, though provoking and atmospheric songs such as Woman Like A Man, Accidental Babies and the Incredible Volcano.

More than ably assisted by band members Joel Shearer, Shane Fitzsimmons, Tom Osander and the brilliant Vyvienne Long, Damien held the audience’s attention and songs like Coconut Sings and Cold Water left the crowd wanting more.

Ian D. Hall