Live Review: Abbe May, Odette Mercy, Joni Hogan, Luke Dux & The Atomic Lunchbox

Luke Dux and the Atomic Lunchbox warmed up the audience with their energetic blues and rock performance featuring songs from their EP, including Brain Dead.

For one night only, Abbe May and her hand-picked partners in crime, Joni Hogan and Odette Mercy, combined their larger-than-life personalities and powerhouse voices to bring to life a truly mesmerizing show: Resurrection by the Abbe May Gospel Choir. The trio opened with a gripping mash-up of Fallin' by Alicia Keys and This is a Man's World by James Brown that set the tone for the rest of the performance. Mercy bared all with a personal story of heartbreak and a raw rendition of Donny Hathaway's I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know. Resurrection was a genius combination of soul classics, 90's RnB and original songs, including Tarantella by Joni In The Moon and Doomsday from May's new album.

The excellent choice of repertoire accentuated their individual talents and displayed their amazing group energy. The acoustic/a capella set-up and the venue décor, including an elaborate, candle-lit, pagan style altar, heightened the feeling of intimacy and community. For the evening, the sold-out Clancy's Pub became a temple dedicated to life, heartbreak, gospel and tequila. There was something deeply moving, nigh spiritual, about the whole experience. If only everyone would live by Mercy's wise words — “It doesn't matter, if you believe in a higher power. It doesn't matter, if you believe in mother earth. Just be a good c**t.” — the world would be a better place. The next time you hear Abbe May Gospel Choir is putting on a show, get your tickets ASAP; you wouldn't want to be one of the 20-odd unfortunate punters who were turned away at the door once this amazing performance was sold out.