It’s raw, real, live – and utterly enchanting from start to finish
Groove Tube with Cian O’Connell
Anyone familiar with the Galway music scene knows Steven Sharpe to be one of the city’s most enthralling and ardent performers. Equally comfortable sharing a stage with a microphone and an acoustic guitar as he is fronting an alternative rock band, Steven’s energy and personality are consistent with his quality as a songwriter.
And he has managed to convey all of these strengths in his new, ninety-minute live album.
The Realness of Miss Representation, recorded live at the Róisín Dubh, features a raw combination of songs and stories that have worked their way into Steven’s set in the six years since Hot Mess, his previous live album.
It’s a familiar format for a man who hides nothing of himself in his work. This album, and his act in general, relies on Steven being totally honest with his audience.
“I’ve always preferred playing live to being in a studio,” he notes.
“For the first album, it was just the easiest way to do it. I knew I could do it – I had worked with Hob Junker in the past and I had seen his work with Citóg. It just felt very natural to do it and it came out really really well.
“It’s f**king terrifying [playing a recorded gig]. That’s why I did two dates this year but they sounded so different because each room had a different feel so it would be very obvious if I mixed and matched the best takes… So I ended up going with just the second night. It’s just one take and I keep in all the mistakes and there are a few.
“There are some really obvious glowing mistakes where I’m actually forgetting the chords and they were fun too… I like making mistakes, it makes me look human.”
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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