Marty O'Reilly And The Old Soul Orchestra

"Marty O’Reilly is imbued with an innate talent, and delivers beyond our expectations”

This “orchestra” seamlessly weaves trance-based blues music, harkening back to John Lee Hooker and Howlin' Wolf, with a drunken minor swing comparable to some of Tom Waits' darker works. Marty O'Reilly and the Old Soul Orchestra deliver an enthralling and passionate performance, which often leaves them out of breath and the stage littered with broken strings and bow hairs.

Marty O'Reilly began his musical journey as a blues guitar player, with his ear pressed close to the ancient hiss in the works of Blind Willie Johnson, Mississippi John Hurt, John Lee Hooker, Charlie Patton, and Leadbelly. Through extensive listening and studying of the early delta greats, O'Reilly developed a unique foundation onto which he would incorporate themes from influences in other musical veins such as John Fahey, Nick Drake, John Vandiver, and Tom Waits.

Whether it be his original pieces or his renditions of old American classics, O'Reilly tells his story through an old and soulful voice, propelled by a sense of authentic emotional adrenaline.

O'Reilly is backed by Ben Berry on the double bass, Chris Lynch on the fiddle and Matt Goff on drums. Their versatile musicianship, and soulful chemistry help to expand O'Reilly's songs into pieces that drive like a ten pound hammer, or float like feather and flow seamlessly in-between.

The live performance is at the core of this project: the band enters a trance and the music is born again as something new every night. They go from raw gospel blues to cinematic epics, from heavy driving grooves to delicately arranged folk songs.

They leave the stage out of breath, the ground littered with broken strings and bow hairs. It’s hard to describe, impossible to categorise. Yet people who know the music will try to explain it to you, just as you might struggle to explain a dream in the morning. The visions might slip away as you recount them, but the feeling remains!

What The Critics Say:

"Raw musical excellence... guitar, fiddle and double bass played to within an inch of their inanimate lives.” (4000milestonashville)

“A band true to their name - soulful!” (NPR)

“Definitely on the top of the Americana list penned by any serious connoisseur of roots music” (Maverick Magazine)

Doors 7:15pm, Show starts 7:45pm.

Physical tickets in store at Southsea's Pie & Vinyl or Southsea Gallery.

More info at: www.squarerootspromotions.co.uk