Hidden upstairs in Doyles on the corner of College Street, behind red velvet curtains and under a haze of smoke and candlelight, a secret gig is put on every Tuesday evening.
Organised by friends Conor Donovan and Niall Muckian, the Ruby Sessions is in its 26th year. “Which makes me… do the math…” Donovan says, extending an arm to the audience. “Old” someone shouts. “An alcoholic.” he replies.
The rapport between the organisers and the audience is apparent. Many people here are returning guests to the friendly, grassroots environment. The audience is made up of all ages, nationalities and varying levels of familiarity with the gigs. Some are loyal attendees of The Ruby Sessions. A couple I strike up conversation with at my table tell me this is their 4th time here. Another couple tells me they had their first date here and still return regularly.
The Ruby Sessions is a secret club of sorts, an ‘if you know you know’ event. Each Sunday at 7pm tickets go on sale, usually selling out before the hour is up. For the small price of €15 (donated to The Dublin Simon Community) ticket holders are entering a lottery of sorts, in the dark about who the acts will be. But it’s a lottery where everyone wins, as hosts Conor and Niall ensure that each session is brimming with talent, found both locally in Dublin and internationally.
On Tuesday the 3rd of November, The Ruby Sessions saw three more acts grace the stage, some new and some returning. In the packed candlelit room, there are whispers that Ed Sheeran may make an appearance, off the back of his secret gig in the RDS the day before. Sheeran played here once in 2014, and it’s not unusual to see acclaimed artists playing at this tiny spot: Hozier, The Corrs and Picture This have all made surprise appearances at The Ruby Sessions before.
First up, Donovan introduces Celsi, Bragg and Maitland to the stage. They tell the audience this is their first gig ahead of their UK and Ireland tour. An ensemble of creative forces, the band hail from LA and Ireland, with a folky, psychedelic rock sound that is stripped back to acoustic for the evening. Lead singer Celsi, described as “beatnik cool,” has the look of Patti Smith and Stevie Nicks: long grey hair, a quirky style and an easygoing rockstar vibe. The trio have plenty of musical experience as Nelson Bragg tells us that he used to play with Beach Boys Brian Wilson.
“But,” says Celsi, “we’re your favourite band to play with right?”
“Well you guys are alive” says Bragg.
Put at ease, the audience laughs and the set begins. Bragg on percussion keeps three different time signatures: a shaker, a tambourine clutched loosely to his chest, and a foot tap. His movements form the illusion that he might be an octopus, a multi-limbed creature capable of producing several different beats at once. Celsi stands in the centre singing, accompanied by Bragg’s harmonies. Maitland, on the far left of the stage is barely visible from my position – only a disembodied hand can be seen, hitting various notes up and down his 12-string guitar to compliment Celsi’s strumming. The songs are simple but beautiful, reminiscent of the laissez-faire sincerity of the Magnetic Fields.
Up next is Bea Stewart, a young Belfast artist returning to The Ruby Sessions her third time. Stewart tells the audience that this is her first performance in a year, and that she’s slightly nervous. But there is no better place for a first gig, as the audience cheers her on in reassurance. Stewart’s songs are all new, from an EP to be released on Friday November 7th. Her songs have a distinct folky sound, playing guitar in the quintessential open D tuning of Phoebe Bridgers and Lizzy McAlpine. After the first song, Stewart tells us that these songs have been inspired by a breakup. “Can you tell these are all about the same person?” She laughs, before moving over to keyboard for her next song, a melancholic tune called ‘Set on Loving You’, about being unable to move on.
As Stewart’s set ends to cheers of the crowd, there is one act left to grace the stage. Up next, Donovan announces, is a last minute addition: Dear Willow. The band were only informed that they would be playing a couple of hours earlier that night, after the Fynches were unable to make it. The four piece band incorporated an Irish trad sound with cheeky humour, singing of drinking, dancing and ‘running wild’. It’s a lively set to end on, powered by the lead vocals of Katie Phelan and energetic guitar from Dave McCabe, as the crowd claps along to the final tunes of the night.
Outside in the aftermath of the gig, the audience are buzzing with energy. I speak to people who have travelled from America and Sweden to catch the gig. One of them has even bought a cassette tape of Bea Stewart’s upcoming EP, proclaiming her as their favourite artist of the night. The audience is a melange of Irish natives and others hailing from New York, Michigan, Long Island, Boston, even New Zealand and Australia. It’s clear that word has spread internationally about The Ruby Sessions.
After 26 years, The Ruby Sessions continues as it began: a handful of friends, an intimate venue and a few guitars. In a city famed for its music, The Ruby Sessions remains Dublin’s best-kept open secret.
