It’s always been a genuine pleasure to speak with David Keenan in Studio 2 since our first meeting in 2016. He is a hugely talented and admirable artist who has produced a deeply impressive debut album called “A Beginner’s Guide to Bravery” which he described at the launch night in the Olympia Theatre earlier this year as ‘the end of the beginning’. The fates decreed that this year was not to be the way it had been planned. Wheels up after the album release, things were set to soar, but all plans were quickly put to one side.
On each occasion on his visits to KCLR he has always performed a brand new song and has always been an engaging guest. Sadly, this was not to be this time but, as expected, it’s been encouraging to hear that he’s been as productive as ever. He has been working on new material and indeed, managed to perform a short solo tour, with two socially distant gigs at the Watergate Theatre in his newly adopted home of Kilkenny. In that lovely space, he delivered two inspiring and passionate shows. I had the pleasure to open each gig with a brief Q&A with David and his spirit was as brave and powerful as ever and it was a delight to witness.
At that time he had just released a live album, “Alchemy And Prose (Live Recordings)” which provides an insight to the special magic that he and his fellow musicians were able to bring to the live stage.
We caught up in late October to discuss his latest project, a film of the making of the album and the launch performances at the Olympia Theatre called “Alchemy & Prose: A Concert Film.”
It’s a shorter interview than usual but needs must and he was in the midst of a busy week of preparation and mixing for the new album.
Loads more information on his website of course and his albums are available at all good record stores (inc. at his adopted Kilkenny home at Rollercoaster Records (open for click and collect and postals as you’d expect)
POSTSCRIPT: Shared from David’s Facebook Page:
“Our film has been selected for inclusion at the wonderful Doc’n Roll Film Festival in the UK. This means that “Alchemy & Prose: A Concert Film” will now show alongside the new Phil Lynott,, IDLES, Mike Skinner and The Streets, Talk Talk (Band), Larry Levan and other feature lengths from some heroes of mine throughout November. The new date for the premiere will be November 8th”
Official announcement here:
Here’s the trailer..
