Ireland’s Mary Coughlan is arguably the greatest female singer to have emerged from Ireland in recent times, the equivalent of Irish vocal royalty. The word ‘legend’ is not one to be used lightly, but in this case is entirely appropriate.
Mary Coughlan will play a special show at Vicar Street, 1st October 2020. Tickets €35 on sale Wednesday 11th December at 10AM. Brought to you by Aiken Promotions.
Whether into folk, blues or jazz, no one can fail to be moved by the emotional depth, expression & power in her voice, forged from an extraordinary life.
Born in Galway 64 years ago, Mary has battled and overcome childhood trauma, near-death from alcoholism and drug addiction. After hitting rock-bottom and extensive periods in psychiatric hospitals and rehab centres, she literally pulled herself out of the dregs of a vodka bottle to confront the foundations of her problems headon and sort out her life, and has been sober since 1993.
Mary has carved out a timeless and highly regarded career, with a legion of devoted fans worldwide. Her ability to connect so emotionally & empathically with both the song & her audience is testament to her inner strength, and to the power of transformation & redemption. The stage is her home. To hear Mary sing is truly to be at the core of the human heart.
Since her first album ‘Tired and Emotional’ rocketed her to overnight fame in 1985, she has recorded 15 further solo albums, most recently the searing song cycle ‘Scars on the Calendar’ with Erik Visser.
Throughout the 90’s, Mary was selling out some of the UK’s most prestigious venues, including the Mean Fiddler, London’s Astoria and the Liverpool Philharmonic.
Her theatrical version of the visceral 2008 album ‘The House of Ill Repute’ was performed to great acclaim in Dublin as part of the MusicTown Festival. Mary has acted in films and has also written a moving, remarkable and candid autobiography called ‘Bloody Mary – My Story’ which is now in its third pressing.
Throughout 30 years of her quite extraordinary life and recording career Mary has drawn heavily from her legendary heroes: the grievous, teary outpourings of Billie Holiday (to whom she devoted a double album of her songs), the husky flirtations of Peggy Lee, Van Morrison’s soulful wails, the defiant chanteusery of Edith Piaf. All are present and correct in her delivery. Even so, Mary, with her naked honesty makes every song her own; they belong to her and nobody else.
Mary lives is in a league of her own and always has been. Peppered with her dry waspish wit and no-holds-barred ribald banter, her songs resonate with life experience, her husky voice pulling every ounce of emotion from the music. That unmistakeable smoky, bluesy, boozy drawl has always been a seduction, no matter what the subject. Even in the early years of her career, Melody Maker wrote “A song is not complete unless it has been sung by Mary Coughlan.” Sad, sassy and droll, melancholy has never sounded better.
Join Mary Coughlan live 1st October 2020 in Vicar Street
Tickets on sale Wednesday 11th December at 10AM
