Derina Harvey brings the East Coast to Eastern Manitoba!

Review by: Brian Adolph

Photo credits: Derrek Owen

The Derina Harvey Band (dHb) took to the stage on April 10 and were quick to get the kitchen party started for an enthusiastic, sold-out audience.

The award-winning Celtic rockers, who have been thrilling audiences with their high-energy performances since 2008, performed selections from their three-album catalogue, featuring original and reimagined East Coast folk songs.

Often compared to fellow East Coasters Great Big Sea, dHb explores similar sea-shanty themes but leans into a rockier, more guitar-driven sound. Guitarist Scott Greene, who also produces the band’s albums, likes to crank it up, and his interplay with the brilliant Jess Blenis on fiddle got feet stomping. Steve Pinsent on drums and Ed Smith on bass and piano completed the tight backing band.

But it is the huge voice, vibrant personality, and Labradorian charm of Derina Harvey that took centre stage. Harvey captivated the crowd (“my darlings,” as she referred to us) with vivid descriptions of East Coast scenery and culture, as well as the stories behind the songs. From the tragic The Fallen Man’s Daughter, about a man lost at sea, to the absurd The Last Saskatchewan Pirate, Harvey’s descriptions of the songs were both poignant and humorous and her rapport with the audience was magic.

From the opening Galway Girl to a ripping What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor closer—with some great singalongs in between—the Derina Harvey Band proved they are worth their salt.

EMCA’s final performance of the season is another sold out show on Friday, May 8th featuring Dreams & Rumours, a tribute to Fleetwood Mac.