I think it has become my music venue of choice - the Cornmarket in Belfast, Arthur Square. It's not a grand concert hall with pristine acoustics - in fact the acoustics are horrible. It's not an intimate little basement venue where the artists can truly engage with their audience - in fact 90% of the audience only pause briefly to listen before continuing to go about the daily business of existence. It's not a space filled with music history, where legends have belted out crowd pleasers to their adoring fans. It is simply a junction of five pedestrianised street in the city centre, and a rather odd sculpture.
And yet on three separate occasions I have found myself abandoning plans to sit in mesmerised awe as a musician or group entertain the shopping masses free of charge. Well, for spare change anyway.
Most recently it was a latin jazz group over from Edinburgh. I sat for an entire afternoon as they performed the most unlikely covers - who would have thought 'Jenny from the Block' would work so well cuban style? And as for 'Come Together' ... I don't say this lightly ... better than the original. Absolutely incredible. I've never been as moved by a Lennon/McCartney song.
They're called Tequila Mocking-bird. A collective of music students from Edinburgh University. I was on my way to a first date. I may have been a little late. But it was their fault. I was in Belfast in plenty of time - I'd even had time to do a recce of the location. When I was wandering round Belfast city centre and heard the music I checked - I had time to listen to a couple of songs. Maybe a couple more... Everytime I got up to move on they would kick in with another salsa beat and I would be glued down. I ended up staying until the very end of their set and chatting to them briefly. To my horror they were just coming to the end of an Irish tour and were heading back to Scotland the next day. Even worse - they had played a gig only five miles from home the day before. I bought a cd of their new composition and promised to keep an eye on their list of upcoming live performances. Then ran to the pub, trying to think up a suitable excuse for being late. Great first impression.
I thoroughly encourage you to track them down and listen to them live if you get the opportunity. They are a talented bunch and ridiculously young. Attractive young things should not be allowed to be so talented - blessings should be shared around all of us a bit more. I look forward to hearing them again - for they will return - and I will not miss them next time. If it means rearranging dates or bringing the date along; I will see them live in an actual venue - not a street corner.
On the subject of the date - you may be wondering why this isn't in the 'reasons why I'm single' series. Well, actually the date went pretty well - but better yet - she got caught up in work and turned up even later than me. Guilt free tardiness and a free music performance... does life get better?
