Review: A wonderful night of friends and music to celebrate New Beginnings

The New Beginnings fundraiser proved that friendship was alive and well in Dublin

There aren’t many places where you can find thirty acts, in one night playing a wide variety of music. From hip-hop, to folk, to harmonic pop, all Irish and all amazingly talented in their own right, New Beginnings brought a complimentary diversity of music together for one cause.

They say a “friend in need is a friend indeed” and such was never as true as in the case of this fundraiser. The friend was Leanne, and her little girl Carly, and the need is for them to rebuild their lives when everything was lost in a house fire.

If you ever doubted the kindness of people or the power of friendship and human kindness, you needed only to be in The Mercantile at this gig; it was overwhelming.

From the moment Gar Tiernan stepped on stage, thus began a wonderful night of what can only be described as community. This was a community of musicians, of friends. Some people who knew everybody, some people who came alone, but all of who were there for one reason; to help. The atmosphere was absolutely incredible. Love burst from the stage and filled every corner of the venue.

Each musician played one song each, running like clockwork and delivering an astounding night of entertainment. From the young exuberance of Indifference, to the thrilling Boss Level Series, the sing-along-superstar Luke S to the stripped back vocals of Andrew Carroll, the sweet folk sounds of Darren Flynn, to the melodic arrangement of Hvmmingbyrd; this night had it all.

Even taking a quick wander into Dame Lane at the back of The Mercantile you would find an impromptu freestyle rap circle, made up of members of Indifference and LP Moon among others.

This night proved that the Irish Hip-Hop scene is alive and kicking, with some extremely talented artists at the fore. It is a scene which doesn’t get much attention, but trust me when I say- it should. I would love to see regular hip-hop nights showcasing these gifted artists.

Friendship really shone through, and with the amazingly talented Leanne Cooney herself closing the night with her fresh, fun and brilliant song “happy face”, it proved that while something terrible has happened, strength and resilience can persevere with the support of good people around you.

If you missed the night but still want to show your support, you can do so by purchasing the Happy Face single which was recorded by Leanne and Funzo. All donations are greatly appreciated.

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