Imelda May hits top of Irish Charts

Imelda May's new album ‘Mayhem’ has entered the Irish Album Charts at #1, and her first album Love Tattoo has moved up the charts to #4, making her the first Irish Female Artists to have two albums in the top 5! This is great news for the young Irish singer and she will hopefully have similar success when it's released in the rest of the UK.

Radio 2 have been playing the title song all week and a load of people from my work have commented how much they like it. Rockabilly is coming back!

Imelda on the Big Screen

Went to the cinema last night to watch the British comedy Wild Target featuring Emily Blunt and Bill Nighy. It's a pretty good comedy, but for two of the film's major scenes, the music used is Imelda May. There's Going Up Country and Mayhem, but the real show stopper is Johnny Got A Boom Boom which sounds so great in this context with the double bass pounding out of the big speakers. It felt wonderful as well to be sat in a packed cinema knowing that the guitar everyone was enjoying, comes courtesy of such a nice guy as Darrel Higham. Long may the success continue (and rise) for Imelda and the boys.

Imelda May - Psycho (new single)

I know some of the guys on the Shakin’ All Over forum have been getting all hot and steamy under the collar with the new Imelda May video. Yeah, Darrel looks so dreamy doesn’t he!

She’s filmed a new, official video for Psycho, the forthcoming single, due to be released on the 28th June. The song is also on her brand new album Mayhem, coming in September 2010.

The video is great fun and seems to have cameo roles from Breathless Dan and Rufus Thomas! In honour of the songs title, Al Gare seems to have visited the barber.

Below are a couple of live clips where both Imelda and Darrel shine like beacons. Dh is smoking on Pat Cupp's Don't Do Me No Wrong.

Don't Do Me No Wrong - Boardwalk - 2.12.08

Walking After Midnight - Boardwalk - 12.2.08

Imelda May - seetickets.com

I've just had this email from seetickets.com. It's good to see them pushing the scene's very own Imelda May.



See The Fantastic Imelda May This September!

Irish rockabilly diva IMELDA MAY celebrates her Irish number 1 album and Meteor best female award by bringing her high energy show to the 02 Shepherd’s Bush Empire on Friday 9th October. With her amazing band the IMELDA MAY experience is a total Bop-a-Billy blend of tradtastic Hepcats and kitten!!

Support is a rare London appearance of a man possessed of an extraordinary soul voice – JAMES HUNTER

LONDON, O2 Shepherds Bush Empire on Friday 09 October 2009 ON SALE NOW

http://www.seetickets.com/?m=IMELDA+MAY&filler3=id1em

IMELDA MAY will also play these upcoming dates in September.

SWANSEA, Sin City on Saturday 26 September 2009 ON SALE NOW

BRECON, Theatr Brycheiniog on Sunday 27 September 2009 ON SALE NOW

WREXHAM, Central Station on Monday 28 September 2009 ON SALE NOW

HOLMFIRTH, Picturedrome on Wednesday 30 September 2009 ON SALE NOW

SALE, Waterside Arts Centre on Thursday 17 December 2009 ON SALE NOW

Imelda in the Times

It was nice to open up the Times today and see a picture and review of Imelda May at the recent Cambridge Folk Festval. Just a shame to reviewer, Stephen Dalton, wasn't a bit more upbeat. He described the festival in general as "a generally pleasant weekend, but hardly a persuasive advert for folk music as a living, breathing, relevant musical force."

That didn't bother me, but I was a bit disappointed to read further on that "even award-winning young stars of the folk scene, such as the English minstrel Jim Moray and the Irish retro-jazz rockabilly chanteuse Imelda May displayed more energy than originality." Not sure after all this time, how original you can be in the confines of rockabilly and folk. If you venture too far then it just ain't rockabilly (or folk).

Imelda May - Don't You Do Me No Wrong

Imelda may continues to make strides towards a successful career on a broader stage than most rockabilly acts have had the fortune to. And while Johnny Got A Boom Boom may not be bona-fida rockabilly in the style of Charlie Feathers, it has the feel and will hopefully lead kids to check out some more rocking stuff. To prove that she can rock with the best, here's a cracking version of Pat Cupp's rockabilly classic, Don't You Do Me No Wrong. Recorded live at The Boardwalk last December, her hot band includes husband Darrel Higham on guitar, Steve Rushton on drums and good ol Al Gare on double bass.

The following clip is a neat little promo that hints at the talent that is Imelda May and will hopefully give some youngsters their first taste of rockabilly. It's shame this clip didn't run for five minutes or so and show a little bit more behind the scenes.

Imelda May - ready for take off

There's been a lot of talk lately about the potential crossover success for Imelda May. She has signed with Universal Records who have re-released her Love Tattoo and the single Johnny Got A Boom Boom is getting airplay on the national BBC Radio station. Things took an turn last year after she appeared on Jools Holland TV show and she's since then she's done Radio 2 sessions for Holland, Johnnie Walker and Paul Jones. Jeff Beck has asked Imelda and her band (which includes her husband and rockabilly singer Darrel Higham) to support him on his upcoming tour, which will include a date at London`s Royal Albert Hall.

It's been three decades since someone from the rockabilly scene made any impression on the charts, so it would be a great boost to the scene if Imelda can break that duck. I'm not sure just how big she can make it though, as I don't think there's a video or anything to get ther to the attention of the younger, MTV type of listener. Whatever she achieves, it's great news for her and Darrel. All the best, the whole rockin' scene is behind you.