John Prine IRELAND Concert Reviews

Killarney Summerfest Concert in Fitzgerald Stadium
Date: 27 June 2004

PReview

http://www.mcd.ie/live/fullnews.php3?tname=1430119759&xname=kriskristofferson 
  JOHN PRINE Confirmed As Support for Kris Kristofferson @ the Killarney Summerfest Concert News last updated: 30-03-2004
  John Prine has been confirmed as special guest to Kris Kristofferson at the Killarney SummerFest in Fitzgerald Stadium on 27 June 2004. 
  Tickets for the concert are on sale now from Ticketmaster and usual outlets nationwide.
  A massive live favourite in Ireland Prine is a critically acclaimed singer and songwriter in the best American tradition.
  This follows Kris Kristofferson's three sell-out concerts in the Point Theatre in front of over 20,000 people at the beginning of this year where he received a standing ovation each night.
  Tickets priced from €39.50 to €44.50 including booking fee are limited to four per person will go on sale on Saturday 27 March from Ticketmaster outlets nationwide. 
  Telephone 24 hrs 0818 719 300 (N. Ireland & UK; 0870 243 4455) or log onto www.ticketmaster.ie
  This is a fully seated concert. Subject to license. 
  With a career spanning over 30 years Kris Kristofferson has achieved remarkable success as a songwriter and performer. His songs "Me and Bobby McGee," "Help Me Make It Through the Night" and "For the Good Times" are all chart-topping hits and Grammy nominees, helping to redefine country music songwriting and in the process making county-music more personal and serious.
  Kristofferson's compositions have been recorded by more than 450 artists including Janis Joplin, Ray Price, Roger Miller, Ray Stevens, Jerry Lee Lewis, Sammi Smith and Patti Page. 
  His debut album, titled Kristofferson (released in 1970) was followed quickly by a second album, The Silver Tongued Devil and I (1971) and broke Kristofferson as a recording artist. Heralded as an artist's artist, Kristofferson has recorded in excess of 25 albums, including three with Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings. Kristofferson has also recorded albums with Rita Coolidge, Dolly Parton, & Brenda Lee. In addition, the iconic Kristofferson was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall Of Fame in August 2003. His friend Willie Nelson was on hand to do the honours and pay tribute. His last Album Broken Freedom Song recorded live in San Francisco showed that Kris was still an amazing performer and is still writing as good as ever with late Johnny Cash declaring that 'Here comes that Rainbow' was his favourite song of all time. 
  Do not miss this rare and unique opportunity to experience one of the world's greatest singer-songwriters live in concert. 
  John Prine - Biog  
  Being third in a family of four children meant that Prine “got away with everything”… which included the latitude of giving his imagination free reign. Coupled with a childhood that was rich with classic American values and traditions -- many which would later be incorporated into his songs-like summertime visits with his relatives in Paradise, Kentucky. 
  It would take a stint in the U.S. Army in Germany and a job with the Post Office before Prine would make his public debut at an “open mic” night at a local bar fueled by a few beers and the knowledge that he could do it better than everyone else he’d seen that evening. “There were all these amateurs that were getting up,” Prine recalls, “and they were terrible. So I started making some comments about it and the next thing I knew somebody said, ‘well, if you think you can do it better…’ I said ‘I could’ and got up on the stage and played ‘Sam Stone’, ‘Hello In There’ and ‘Paradise’ and people seemed to like it.” Including the club owner who promptly offered Prine a job. After asking how long he’d have to play for, he went home and wrote the rest of what was to become his first self-titled debut album. It wasn’t long before a little guy from Chicago named Steve Goodman met Prine and would become his best friend as well as being responsible for bringing Kris Kristofferson to The Earl Of Old Town to see Prine…a move which would result in Prine’s gaining a national label deal. 
  From there, Prine went from being a local singer/songwriter to being an artist on a national label, lavished with praise from critics around the country. Throughout Prine’s major label migrations, which would eventually cover eight albums and two companies, he continued refining his voice and attracting fans who closely identified with his emotional sharp shooting. Among the songs that Prine wrote during this period were such classics as “Please Don’t Bury Me,” “Fish And Whistle,” and “Souvenirs”; and there were also the more humorous offerings which proved that Prine could find the irony in it all: “Dear Abby”, “Sabu Visits The Twin Cities”, “Illegal Smile”, even “ Christmas In Prison.” 
  But John Prine’s special visions and personal integrity -- something which attracted Bette Midler to cover “Hello In There”, Bonnie Raitt to adopt “Angel From Montgomery” as her own, and the numerous country artists such as Tammy Wynette and Johnny Cash to release their versions of “Unwed Fathers” -- wasn’t best served by the big labels’ way of doing business. He had his following, but there had to be something else to making records…. So he called it quits with the big companies and took some time to re-think what he was doing. Out of that soul searching, Prine decided to put on another hat -- record company executive. 
  After moving to Nashville in the early 1980’s, he decided to start making records his way. To that end Prine formed Oh Boy records, a venture created with longtime manager Al Bunetta and his associate Dan Einstein. 
  His first independent release in 1984, Aimless Love, was followed up in 1986 by the Grammy nominated album German Afternoons, and the 1988 Grammy nominated John Prine Live. Prine later won a Grammy for 1991’s The Missing Years, which featured appearances by Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty…and consequently became one of his best selling albums to date. In 1995 he released Lost Dogs & Mixed Blessings, followed in 1997 by Live On Tour. 1999 saw the release of the Grammy nominated In Spite Of Ourselves, an album comprised of classic country lovin’, leavin’, and cheating songs, of which only the title cut is a Prine original. Featuring duets with Lucinda Williams, Trisha Yearwood, Melba Montgomery, Emmylou Harris, Dolores Keane, Patty Loveless, Connie Smith and Fiona Prine. 
  Souvenirs, released in 2000, is a group of re-recordings of many of Prine’s Classic tunes, many of which date back to his earliest days of songwriting. September, 2001 marked the Oh Boy Records release of it's first DVD Video project - John Prine Live From Sessions At West 54th - which includes all the entire hour special from the original PBS broadcast as well as outtakes and an extensive one-on-one interview conducted by series host John Hiatt. This DVD is one of the first releases from an independent label to be mixed in 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound.
  So now John Prine has the best of all worlds: a loyal following and being able to make his music his way - doing whatever he believes is best for his songs.

By: Jaymo
We came from Nashville, TN to see this show, and we weren't disappointed. Other folks have mentioned John's voice being rough the last couple of shows (acid reflux), and it started that way this time but got better as he carried on. It takes a lot of courage to know your voice is rough and get out there anyway because the people came to see you...that's our boy. Jason's and Dave's backing were superb as always, and as always he established an immediate and intimate rapport with the crowd. The usual disappointment...just not enough hours to play all my favorites. Show highlights: -Watching Kris Kristofferson STAND backstage during John's entire show, singing along with every song, laughing and smiling. Says a lot if that guy is that big a fan, John. -Hearing Kristofferson say, onstage, that the two best American songwriters were that day in Galway (Dylan), and in Kilarney, and he wasn't talking about himself. -Kris bringing John back out at the end of his set, and hearing the two of them do three songs together, both sharing their enjoyment of the songs and of each other with their audience. -It's hard to describe, but John creates a sense of community with and among his fans when he steps onstage. It's obvious that his fans love him, and he returns the warmth. I got a chance to talk with him after the show, and I can tell you he gets a huge charge out of getting to perform for his audience...I think he gets as much as he gives, which is a lot. -Kristofferson put on a tremendous show as well, just him and his guitar, but since this is John's board I'll just say "thanks, and well done".

By: EF
john was fantastic as were bass and rhythm - but his voice was buggered - he could barely sing and was fairly indistinct - those who understood the lyrics got it but most got it from CD on the way home. Hell I hate having to explain why I like JP.

By: Gerry McGurgan
I'd thought I'd thank John for firstly simply sharing his songs with us in a great open air concert on Sunday last. I've been a fan for years and it was great to hear the songs live and from the man himself. He was on stage with a lead/dobro guitarist and a d'basist. The songs were sung from the heart and delivered with a great sense of pride. Although straining a little with his voice, and that expected, John produced a fine display of true musicianship on the guitar, man can that man handle that instrument. Following his set, Kris Kristofferson took to the stage, where he asked John to join him and the performance of both men was electric. Well done John keep on Fishing and Whistling. Slainte Mhaith.

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