If you were tucked away in the warm, cozy Spirit Store in Dundalk last night, you know you witnessed something special.
There is always a particular kind of magic when Paul Noonan and Brian Crosby share a stage (which makes sense as they are the founding members of Bell X1), but seeing them together as Pilgrims—their first proper collaborative project in sixteen years—felt like a long-overdue homecoming.
The Spirit Store is perhaps the only venue that could truly house the ‘yearning, theatrical sentimentality’ of this new material. With the wind and rain battering the quay outside, the room felt like a sonic sanctuary. It was pin-drop quiet for the most part—the kind of Dundalk crowd that respects the ‘hush’ but erupts the second the last note fades.
The set was largely anchored in their debut album, ‘Wintering’, which dropped just a couple of weeks ago. It’s a departure from the indie-rock urgency of Bell X1, but also included some stripped back (but never lacking) versions of Bell X1 songs, notably two of my favourites, ‘Eve, the Apple of my Eye’ and ‘Rocky Took a Lover’. To hear such bare bones versions of these songs with just piano and vocals gave new meaning to the lyrics, and also showed that weather you have a full band or just a mic and a piano, a great song is still a great song.
This gig was intimate, cinematic, and deeply layered. Brian Crosby’s piano work brought a classical, almost ambient depth that allowed Noonan’s vocals to feel more ‘exposed’ and vulnerable than we’ve heard in years.
Live, the single ‘Bright & Bold’ felt even more expansive. The interplay between the piano and Paul’s distinctive phrasing was the anchor of the night. The song that seemingly started this whole reconnection, ‘My Bones a Scaffold’, was haunting and had that ‘hushed folk-rock’ energy that made the room hold its breath. Since they’ve known each other since school (back in the Juniper days!), the chemistry was effortless. There were plenty of chats with the audience and self-deprecating humour about their long history together, which kept the night from feeling too heavy or overly ‘theatrical’.
It wasn’t a ‘greatest hits’ night by any means, and it didn’t need to be. Pilgrims is its own beast—a project about two old friends finding a new way to speak to each other through music. If you missed it, you missed a masterclass in atmospheric songwriting and Noonan’s voice being as good or, dare I say better, that it’s ever been as it was given a true chance to pull focus. Sometimes you have to go ‘back to basics’ to realise there’s nothing basic about your songwriting at all.
Pilgrims photos:
Photos & Words – David McEneaney @experimentzero