A Night of Blistering Blues and Celtic Rock at Dolan’s

A Night of Blistering Blues and Celtic Rock at Dolan’s

The Lost Steps and Pat McManus Band celebrate Johnny Fean’s musical legacy

The Johnny Fean Rhythm & Blues Festival got off to a magnificent start at Dolan’s Warehouse on Friday night (October 23), with two outstanding bands delivering an evening of exceptional musicianship, driving rhythms and electrifying performances. The festival, a celebration of the life and musical legacy of the late Horslips guitarist Johnny Fean, continues throughout the October Bank Holiday weekend in Shannon.

The Lost Steps – A Band in Full Flight

The Lost Steps brought an exhilarating blend of blues, jazz, rock and soul to the stage, with a performance distinguished by its energy, musical sophistication and sheer enjoyment. Dave Keary was in splendid form on lead guitar, delivering beautifully judged solos that combined technical brilliance with feeling. But it was the saxophone that frequently dominated proceedings, its rich, muscular sound cutting through the arrangements and giving the music an irresistible urgency.

The keyboards were superb, adding colour, texture and occasional flashes of virtuosity, while Ray Fean’s drumming was nothing short of outstanding. Powerful, precise and wonderfully expressive, his playing drove the band forward with tremendous authority. On vocals, Donal Fean brought character and conviction to the songs, completing a formidable musical combination.

What distinguished The Lost Steps was the interplay between the musicians. There was a looseness and spontaneity about their performance, but beneath it lay considerable discipline and musical understanding. They were a band thoroughly enjoying themselves, and that enjoyment was infectious.

Pat McManus – A Masterclass in Celtic Rock and Blues

The Pat McManus Band followed with a blistering performance, combining extraordinary musicianship with the raw excitement of live rock. Best known for his work with legendary Irish rock band Mama’s Boys, McManus remains one of Ireland’s finest guitarists, a virtuoso whose playing moves effortlessly between hard rock, blues and traditional Irish music.

Performing as a three-piece, with McManus on lead guitar and vocals, accompanied by bass guitarist and drummer, the band demonstrated just how much musical power three accomplished musicians can generate. The rhythm section was exceptionally tight, providing a thunderous foundation for McManus’s dazzling guitar work, which alternated between lightning-fast solos, soulful blues passages and the unmistakable Celtic influences that have long distinguished his music.

Yet there was nothing self-indulgent about his virtuosity. Every note served the song and every solo seemed to raise the temperature in the room. The interplay between guitar, bass and drums was exhilarating, the three musicians performing with the instinctive understanding that comes from experience and musical chemistry.

What makes Pat McManus special is not simply his remarkable command of the guitar but the infectious enthusiasm with which he plays it. Here is a musician who has spent decades on stage yet performs with the appetite and excitement of someone discovering rock ’n’ roll for the first time.

A Tribute to Johnny Fean

One of the evening’s special moments came when former Horslips members Jim Lockhart, on keyboards, flute and tin whistle, and Barry Devlin, on bass and vocals, joined the musicians for a tribute to their late bandmate Johnny Fean.

Their presence brought a particular poignancy to the occasion. Johnny was not simply a remarkable guitarist but a musician whose distinctive playing helped define the sound of Horslips and establish the band’s unique place in Irish rock history. To hear his former colleagues making music in his honour was a fitting reminder of the friendships and musical bonds that survive long after the final encore.

It was an evening that celebrated Johnny in the most appropriate way possible: not with solemnity, but with the music he loved, played with passion, skill and a generous measure of rock ’n’ roll spirit.

The Johnny Fean Rhythm & Blues Festival continues over the Bank Holiday weekend, carrying that spirit from Limerick to Shannon and ensuring that Johnny’s extraordinary musical legacy remains very much alive.