Tonight almost ended in, or at least began with, a disaster when I got my O2 venues mixed up. Stepping out of the warmth of Nice ‘n’ Sleazy’s I was about to hail a cab to head to the O2 Academy at Eglinton Toll when I realised the actual venue was only a few hundred yards further up Sauchiehall Street.
Near disaster averted, I find myself ensconced in the correct venue. This is my first visit to the main room of the ABC since it was converted from a cinema and I’m both taken aback at how large the room is and at how packed it is. It’s hard to remember that it’s less than a year since May was headlining the considerably cosier King Tuts Wah Wah Hut having just released her second album Love Tattoo. Perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised at the seemingly quick success. May’s debut album No Turning Back has been released on two occasions since 2003 to a largely indifferent world. It may seem like Imelda May’s success has been quite sudden but, in reality, it’s been a long time coming.

Everything about tonight feels like a triumph. A warm enthusiastic crowd, a tight varied set that packs in a number of highlights, new songs, the ‘hits’ and some choice covers. All this comes on the eve of playing with Jeff Beck at the Grammy’s before heading off on an extensive American tour. You may be thinking, what’s Imelda May got to do with Celtic Connections (apart from the obvious fact of being Irish of course)? For most of us, Celtic Connections is about folk music in all its diverse variations but more properly it’s about ‘roots’ music (always a problematic term), both past and contemporary. Imelda May’s music takes in rock n’ roll, jazz, blues and standards and gives the whole lot a feisty, boot up the backside, kicking it firmly into the 21st century. Sure, she isn’t going to win any prizes for originality, at least in terms of style but her music is sassy, fun, moving and just so damn enjoyable. Despite the hairstyles and outfits May and her Deadly Gentlemen aren’t a rockabilly revival act recreating the sound of Memphis circa 1950 but mix up a whole caboodle of sounds to show all the weird influences that gave birth to this monster called rock ‘n’ roll and then some.

They kick off with ‘Feel Me’ with its driven rhythms and jazzy swing feel punctuated by brass giving it a loose, mariachi feel, and really, if you don’t start to sway and move to this, however gently, there’s really no hope for you. ‘Love Tattoo’ is a bruising juggernaut of a song swinging hefty punches and melodies. For every punchy, catchy song there are slower songs including a wonderful, smoky torch song that follows ‘Love Tattoo’ with its late night, rye whisky feel and heartfelt refrain of “The blues keep calling me” pulling at the heart strings. At times tonight May’s voice is a gentle, seductive thing, at other points she belts ‘em out with ferocious intent. A few covers are thrown in including a rollicking version of The Yardbirds’ ‘Train Kept A Rolling’, there’s a couple of neat, cool songs by May’s guitarist, an acapella number that has the crowd holding their breath, some jagged up-tempo numbers and a manic song called ‘Psycho’ (not a cover of The Sonics song but equally as unhinged). It’s a compelling, joyful set, much tighter and nuanced than the show I witnessed last year in Fat Sams, Dundee, where the set occasionally lost its momentum and way a few times. May has great presence and enthusiasm and a lovely voice and ear for a cracking tune but often tonight I find myself focussing on her lead guitarist who has the knack of making the simplest of riffs and refrains sound amazing without ever having to resort to showing off and this is central to May’s sound.

With the curfew looming we’re treated to an absolutely immense version of ‘Tainted Love’ and ‘Johnny Got A Boom Boom’, the latter, the first Imelda May song I ever heard. Like all May’s songs it combines a snappy pop sensibility with a sense of theatricality in a way that few acts can pull off. Hell, I’m not sure what the ‘boom boom’ in question is but after tonight I sure as heck want one. The set is a whirlwind of cracking tunes played with passion and verve by a singer and band in top form. Tonight has it all, as I suggested earlier: something new, something old, something borrowed and a bit of blues too. Wonderful stuff.

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