(Originally published on motley.ie/Motley Magazine, November 11 2019)
Singer/songwriter David Gray’s stopping in Cork for the 20th anniversary of Ireland’s biggest-selling album, Motley reports.
‘The White Ladder’ was a low-budget success story. Singles such as ‘Babylon’ inspired countless successors, including the current boom of British acoustic guitar-led music. It spent 3 consecutive years in the UK charts and sold 350,000 copies in that time.
The album is getting a reissue and remaster this year, including B-sides and never-before-released demos. Joining other stadium venues such as the SSE Belfast and 3 Arena Dublin, Gray will be playing the Independent Park on June 20th. It’ll be the fifth gig in the venue this summer.
At the conference Gray talking about wanting to to return to the feeling of the album, and loved the audience interaction it gets in his gigs. It will be played in sequence and in its entirety with the entire band from the studio recordings. The singer talked of Cork’s “wild rawness and uncompromising charm”, and of how his first tour of Ireland involved the Triskel. He said that it is “one of my favourite places in the world… Unique and passionate.”
Philip Quinn, Irish Independent Park general manager, talked about his delight and hopes to continue to bring world class performers to Cork. Last summer’s gigs brought an estimated €5 million into our economy. David Gray from the concert’s press release: “It’s the 20th anniversary of White Ladder, a unique record with its own remarkable history. Jammed full with big, open-hearted songs and flooded with a raw emotional energy. It’s an album that came from nowhere to steal the hearts of millions all over the world, completely transforming my life in the process. Twenty years on and it feels like White Ladder is just as alive for people now as it was back then – so to celebrate this milestone, I will be releasing a special anniversary version of the album and assembling all the original band members with all the original equipment, in order to take White Ladder out on the road and recreate the record in its entirety”.
David Gray’s singles such as ‘The One I Love’ and ‘Be Mine’ are radio staples here, and the concert is sure to be met with a big reception. Tickets on sale Friday at 9am. Thanks to MCD Productions for the invite.