Brian Kennedy makes it a night to remember at Petronella in Kilkenny

A Night Like This had its eighth outing in Petronella during Savour Kilkenny, with Brian Kennedy as the star performer.

The boy from the Falls Road has - it is fair to say -  come a long way. His journey has taken him all over the world, rubbing shoulders with the greats of contemporary music and playing to crowds of thousands.

Seldom would he have played a venue like Petronella though: No orchestra, no choir, and a rapt audience of about 50. None of this deterred him in the least.

Nor did the requirement that he design the menu for assembled guests. He proved equally accomplished at both.
In old vaudeville shows, you usually got a mixture of acts - some comedy, some repartee and some music. In Brian Kennedy, there was three in one. The artist has faced more than his share of medical hardship, but now, on the other side, thankfully he can jest about it and at times, had the audience in stitches with his anecdotes.

Brian Kennedy at Petronella. Picture: Vicky Comerford

Nothing bore out the medical journey he has endured more than the first track of the night, ‘Recovery’. As it happened, the day of the event was actually the fifth anniversary of Brian being cancer-free, so the song was particularly apposite.

In a t-shirt emblazoned with ‘Belfast’ across it, he belted out his next choice, Child of War, which chronicles the hardship of growing up during the Troubles.
Peter Roberts, on sound, ensured Brian would have the effects of an orchestra when required. This was shown to great effect in ‘A Better Man’. You get the feeling Brian, even on his 17th album, will never cease trying to be the best that he can be.
Favourites

The favourites kept coming. He ventured back to some of his first hits in the 1990s — ‘Captured’ and ‘You’re the best friend I ever had’ were particularly well received.
Brian is a recognised competent crafter of songs, but humble and astute enough to cover great songs by other artists. Having toured with Joni Mitchell and recorded a tribute album of her songs, he chose to perform ‘Night Ride Home’, and it did not disappoint.

Engaging the audience by encouraging questions, he burst into an impromptu version of Van Morrisson’s ‘Crazy Love’ mingled with funny and very believable stories of times shared with Morrisson. They had duetted on ‘Days Like This for the movie Belfast, so the audience filled in for his partner on the night.

Having recently turned 57, Brian’s voice is still as powerful as ever. He demonstrated the full range of his vocal abilities in ‘The Lakes of Pontchartrain’ and ‘You Raise Me Up’. These were followed by ‘Message in the Box’.
Because of his friendship with pugilists Barry McGuigan and Glen McCrory, he chose to close out the night with a performance of Paul Simon’s ‘The Boxer’.

The building that hosts Petronella is in operation since 1602 or thereabouts. It has seen many varied events in its time, and this will be remembered as one of the better ones. Brian chose dishes that he liked to eat in restaurants. When his mystery menu was revealed, the starter was ‘A taste of Mexico’ (spicy salsa, smooth guacamole, and handcut tortillas). A choice of main course offered Northern Indian buttered chicken or Cantonese-style beef stirfry. A chocolate and strawberry-covered roulade rounded off the well-received menu.

A Night Like This is a staple in the Savour Kilkenny festival, but not exclusive to it. It works every time because Petronella has an excellent location.

Allied to that are its exceptional chefs and superb waitresses, and the consistently high standard of the fare on offer. But the most important element, the glue that brings it all together is the maitre’d — the indefatigable Frank Curran, who, along with his wife Marian, pulls it altogether, time and time again.

- FM