The Irrepressibles is the musical vehicle of Yorkshire-raised, Manchester based artist, composer, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist Jamie McDermott.
Before setting out on a special UK run of live dates in some of the most beautiful churches and concert halls across the UK, Jamie and his seven-piece band made the inspired choice to debut the material in
Estalagem da Ponta do Sol, Madeira.
Perched 80m above the North Atlantic Ocean on the sunniest part of the volcanic Island, this cultural hub plays host to an amazing variety of artists and bands as part of the
L Concerts Series, the first independent music festival in Madeira. Boasting a backdrop like no other this intimate open air garden venue is enchanting as the sun slips away and the pink ocean horizon welcomes dusk.
By the time the band are welcomed onto the stage the garden is a hive of activity and slowly the voices die down and the orchestral arrangements commence.
It’s clear from the outset that these emotional soundscapes come from deep within. Performing material from the latest ‘Self Love & Acceptance’ EP, this is a heart-on-your-sleeve journey towards inner enlightenment and growth.
“It’s an EP which came together with therapy, learning about self-love and self-care, it was written by a process called automatism” reveals Jamie the afternoon of the show. “I just write. I sing the lyrics write the music, play the piano and guitar, and I just recorded it and then forgot about them. I then came to my old phone, which was dying, and I listened to them and though, that’s pretty good. Then I tend to create instrumental extensions as I would call them, other pieces that relate to other pieces. There’s a piece called ‘Learning To Take Care Of Within’ and another track called ‘Healing The Inner Child’ and at the end my orchestration creates a new landscape and these changing emotions sit in that sonic landscape.”
The piano led performance is frequently delicate and often poignant, the soothing, vocals a warm embrace. The band lead you though varying stages of emotions until the piano, double bass, violins and cello combine in a groundswell of passion. These mesmeric compositions transfix the gathered local and international audience with an evocative original catalogue. The band regale us with new and familiar hits such as ‘In This Shirt’, ‘Two Men In Love’ and ‘The Most Beautiful Boy’ which all hit the mark in a joyous celebration of the moving and melancholic.
Backed by his outstanding seven-piece band who are all deserving of praise but Elliot Lyte on violin and Alice Phelps on double bass shone through in an evening which was a triumphant extravaganza of moving orchestral pop arrangements.
Violin: Elliot Lyte
Viola: Charlotte Stock
Cello: Rebecca Thomas
Double Bass: Alice Phelps
Accordion, Clarinet & Backing Vocals: Anja Kadir
2nd piano, Clarinet, Organ & Backing Vocals: Sarah Kershaw
Folk Kit & Percussion: Thomas Twemlow
Vocals, Piano & Mandolin & Acoustic Guitar: Jamie Irrepressible
Photo credit: Aly Freitas Photography
