| · They may be wee, but the music sure is grand
In spite of the fact that music and dance has played an important role in Irish culture since it was run by the Druids (and run harder by the British), Out of Ireland only goes as far back as the 1950s. That’s when the place was wild for what was called Showbands, a kind of gigantic cover song machine that would go from town to town. Out of that tradition, or as Bob Geldof puts it, "in spite of that shite," grew seminal rock acts such as Thin Lizzy, guitar legend Rory Gallagher and Van Morrison. Out of them grew Sinead O’Connor, The Boomtown Rats and U2.
Although Out of Ireland is full of interesting footage, strangely a very small percentage of it captures bands playing their music. Instead, much of the documentary consists of overdubs and clever editing. The interviews with musicians such as Sir Bob are funny and informative, and Sinead O’Connor is, as usual, at her best when she sings rather than speaks. On the contrary, Bono’s interview is quite open and refreshing.
Each genre – folk, punk, grunge, even Riverdance and Westlife – are shown respect for what they’ve done for popular music on the Emerald Isle. Still, to get the most out of this DVD, a minimal knowledge of the European music scene is required. But don’t be fooled – it’s not your mum’s "Danny Boy."
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