I found the underground music scene in Waterford - it's upstairs in Phil Grimes
Ben de la Cour playing at a Subterranean Sounds gig. Photo: Libby Marchant
Fionn Regan, James Yorkston, Seán O’Hagan, David Keenan, Tom Baxter – no matter what kind of music you’re into, you’ll probably recognise one of the many names that have performed as part of Subterranean Sounds gig over the past twelve years, but you might be surprised to hear they played in the upstairs of Phil Grimes pub.
Tom Baxter played a sold-out show at the Cork Opera House the night after he played in Grimes, but according to Gary, “I think he had a better time here.” David Keenan has played in the Olympia, and most recently, Ben de la Cour, who was nominated for a Grammy.
What is Subterranean Sounds, and how are they putting on the best gigs in Waterford? I went along to Ben de la Cour’s show earlier this month to find out the secret behind the group who have set the bar for live music in Waterford higher than it's been in decades.
Subterranean Sounds happened “by accident” according to its founders and organisers, Phad Hennessey and Gary Kehoe.
Both men had experience with the local music scene in Waterford. Phad had worked on the Imagine Arts Festival, and Gary ran a record shop in Kilkenny.
When Gary asked him for help putting on a gig in Waterford, Phad, “said yes to a one-off gig back in 2014, and here we are still.” Now, Gary is the artistic director of the Kilkenny Roots festival, and Phad also works full-time. They balance their full-time jobs alongside organising the monthly sold-out Subterranean Sounds gigs.
Their ethos is Rock and Roll in spirit, with basically no marketing strategy (although they do always have very cool posters from Suirdzign) and no overall agenda except to bring really good musicians into Waterford city. Some months there are two gigs, sometimes they are put on in Bank Lane (although they consider their “spiritual home” to be Phil Grimes pub). With no Instagram account, the gigs manage to sell out on a "if you know, you know" basis. The duo are determined not to let Subterranean Sounds become a nuisance in their lives. As Phad put it: “If something cool comes along and someone wants us to do it and it suits us, we’ll do it.
“We pick and choose ourselves at this point, if it’s a band or an artist that we both like, we will put it on. If it’s not, we won’t. It’s a hobby so we do what pleases us – which was the whole raison d’etre in the first place.”
Back in 2014, “there was very little going on” in Waterford, according to Phad. “Electric Avenue had stopped putting on gigs, the Forum was well closed – there was a dearth of live music in Waterford when we started.” The duo are happy to see that that has since changed. They mention places like Luca Records and Bank Lane as places where musicians can now perform original music, and they are eager to see this trend continue to grow.
This is especially important as Gary notes, “it's almost impossible to make a living through music.”
There are only two prerequisites to play a Subterranean Sounds gig: Firstly, Phad and Gary have to like your music and secondly, according Gary, you have to play “something with a heart and soul.”
From Seán Nós to Punk Rock, “Quality is the key thing, genre is not,” according to Phad.
Uilleann pipers and post-punk rock bands equally sell out. Subterranean Sounds has a loyal following. Artists return to these gigs despite performing in bigger and more famous venues. The night before he played in the Olympia, David Keenan brought his band of nine to Phil Grimes to perform. Gary pointed out, “This entire room is not as big as the Olympia stage.”
Why? “The vibe in this room always impresses the artists. We have a discerning audience who like good quality music," reckoned Phad.
“From the very start, we encouraged a listening audience.” The group say that the location of upstairs in Phil Grimes itself sets the tone for the audience, which was previously home to ‘Candlelight’ music sessions.
At the beginning, if people talked during the gig, the duo "do not hesitate to tell them to shut up.” When I attended Ben de la Cour’s gig, I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of mobile phones recording the songs and also by the audiences rapt attention for the entire an hour and half – few people left their seats to use the bathroom or get a drink.
Phad said, “we don’t even have to say it anymore – that’s the culture of the room.”
Phad noticed that in the past few years, especially, “people don’t have the money to come to gigs anymore. That’s another reason to make sure the quality is high. We’re not interested in charging people twenty quid to come in and have a mediocre gig or talking audience – it has to be good.”
I notice before the performance that between them, Gary and Phad know nearly every single audience member and greet them by name at the door. This is a testament to the almost cult following that Subterranean Sounds has with an entire cohort of people in Waterford and beyond who go to every single gig they put on.
Phad said, “It took us a long time to build up enough people to fill the room pretty much all the time. About ten years ago, Séamus Fogherty played here to twelve people.” Gary added, “Seven of those we dragged up from the bar.” They told me that the next time he played, “We were turning people away at the door.” Séamus Fogherty will be back on November 21st to play in Phil Grimes.
“When we tell them about this place, and word of mouth works as well, they’re curious at first, and when they come, they’re always invariably impressed and very happy to play.”
Part of their success is the organic community support that allows Subterranean Sounds to thrive. Phad told me: "We are lucky that we found kindred spirits in Barry from Suirdzign, Harry and Kamila in Momo, and of course Tom Ryan in Grimes - our spiritual home. All their help enhances the artists' experience and therefore the audience too."
