Live albums are one of those things that can prove to be extremely dull experiences for all but the most incendiary or extraordinary of artists and performances.

LIVE FROM THE UNION CHAPEL is a recording of Damien Rice concert from earlier in the year, a release that for all his passion and commitment still feels a little underwhelming and dull.  Songs like DELICATE and THE BLOWERS DAUGHTER are trotted out with his usual delicate style, that voice sounding as impressive and intimate as ever whilst on the more explosive VOLCANO, he and Lisa Hannigan duet almost violently on a song that reaches its fair share of dramatic climaxes and peaks.

LIVE FROM UNION CHAPEL isn't particularly bad, it's just a little bland and dull; these versions of the songs hardly straying from the originals, Damien Rice never really injecting them with any fresh perspectives or ideas.  As a live recording, this is also a record that is lacking in any real atmosphere, Rice and Hannigan never deliver the hairs of the back of your neck moments that are needed to transport you to the live arena.

Hardly essential listening, LIVE FROM THE UNION CHAPEL is rather an average sounding concert recording from Damien Rice that is perhaps best suited to the more hardcore fans and completists.

One of Damien Rice’s strengths is his ability to create that feeling of intimacy in a room utterly full of listeners. His performances are at once serious and informal and unpretentious. 

Born in Dublin, Rice first encountered his muse as a teenager. ‘The time the music came into my life was when my elder sister had a boyfriend who played guitar. I picked up the guitar at that time, and once I had something to play while I was singing, it just never stopped.’ 

Rice became the lead singer of Juniper. The band signed with PolyGram, but Juniper’s music wasn’t exactly his thing, so he left the band and spent eight months bussing around Europe, eventually returning to Ireland to start gigging in his own right. 

David Arnold offered the use of AIR Studios in London, but in his characteristic single-mindedness, Rice chose to record in his bedroom instead. The results are exactly what one hears on O. 

At nearly double-Platinum status in his native Ireland, Rice has received three nominations in the 2003 Meteor Ireland Music Awards. In the UK, critics heaped praised on the album and this year Rice has sold out the Union Chapel and Shepherds Bush Empire. Since well before the US release of O, Rice has been selling-out shows at prestigious venues across the States. 

Rice is deliberate about his art, and it’s increasingly rewarding. Still, he maintains a commitment to spontaneity, improvisation and living in the moment. Each show is different from the last, and he never plays a song the same way twice. “The crowds are coming and that’s exciting,” he says. “On the other hand, it creates a bigger expectation to deliver something, and a bigger challenge not to think about delivering anything.” 

14th Floor Records>www.14thfloorrecords.com