Seasick Steve

Its late March, 2007 and I'm in the Virgin Megastore in London's Piccadilly. One of my purchases is an album called 'Doghouse Blues' and it's by a guy going by the moniker of Seasick Steve. He's an American hobo musician in the Blues tradition. Oh what delights a trip to London throws up!

Back in Dublin, two months later and I'm ensconced in the Crawdaddy club awaiting the arrival of Seasick Steve for the first Dublin gig of his tour, Digital camera at the ready to take a few shots of the Mississippi - born artist. I manage to creep up to the front and am able to capture Seasick in his natural environment playing his heart out for the packed audience.

An unconventional arrival is in store. Instead of coming onstage from the back, he strolls through the crowd assembled, almost biblically, strumming his guitar. My snapping starts in earnest. Seasick's voice is amazing: sounds black and lived-in but he's as white as a sheet to look at. The most important factor though is the sheer sincerity the man transmits. He rambles about the guitar he bought and of his recent heart attack. Women, of a certain age, are warned not to get too excited whilst he removes his shirt to reveal a goodly number of, what I would classify as tasteful, tattoos.

Well the gig went well and I very soon became aware 0f Seasick's music. He's played here in Ireland a few times since that hot and sweaty night in the Crawdaddy and is building up an avid fanbase here. Interviewed in the current issue of Hot Press magazine, he has now, according to the article, signed to a major label and there is a more than good chance of remaining on the label too. With his latest release imminent (I Started Out With Nothin' And I Still Got Most Of It Left).

Of the new recording he says to the fortnightly magazine: "The title refers to how I started out with nothing and how that feeling is still there - it don't matter what you take away from me because I 've still got what I came with." Which reminds me I've still got my Digital Camera with some fabulous pictures that I'll treasure of the Seasick Steve gig I attended, live in Dublin (May 2007).

If anyone is thinking of going to see the good man my advice is to go. There's not many Blues musicians alive today and I can say it was a very special experience to witness a Seasick Steve gig. A word of warning, ladies, try not to get too excited if he decides to take his shirt off!