A.S. Fanning & Louis Brennan and The Travelling Circus of Misery

A.S. Fanning, Louis Brennan and The Travelling Circus of Misery
Silent Green, Berlin
28th February 2024

Nick O’Leary braved an evening at an old crematorium to see A.S. Fanning and Louis Brennan and The Travelling Circus of Misery kick off their German tour as part of the Zeitgeist Irland 24 festival.

Walking through the gated archway to the old crematorium under the glow of a waning moon, there was a stillness in the air before a cool breeze swept across the long pathway leading through the gardens to the dimly lit entrance. Leaves danced across the gravel. Had we stirred the spirits belonging to the charred remains that had once furnished the walls of these ageing, hallowed grounds? No. It was winter in Berlin, and winters here are cold and windy.

What was once a crematorium is now the very serene venue Silent Green situated in the heart of Berlin’s Wedding district, and we were there to see A.S. Fanning and Louis Brennan & The Travelling Circus of Misery. The show was the first of their European tour and is part of the German-wide Zeitgeist Irland 24 festival showcasing Irish culture within Germany. As we entered the venue, an octagonal hall with the only reminder of its previous use being the empty shelves carved into the walls where urns were once placed, Louis Brennan (taking lead), A.S Fanning, and the rest of the band were milling around on stage. Before long, Louis Brennan deemed enough fans had found their way from the bar to the hall and began plucking away at his guitar, getting the evening going with the track Airport Hotel.

What was a somewhat innocuous start to the show slowly morphed into a theatrical and intimate affair. The lights dimmed, the door to the bar closed sealing us in, and smoke drifted around Brennan’s silhouette with the rest of the band hidden behind. The composition of the scene before us was almost fetishistic. Brennan’s lyrics are heartfelt and open, stitched together with existential humour, and his songs are the story of his life. As his rich baritone voice filled the room accompanied by his acoustic/chamber pop blend, his story unravelled around us, drawing the crowd in to listen to his pain and revel in his dry wit.

After Brennan’s set of 5 or 6 songs, there was a quick interlude. The door to the bar opened again and we topped up our drinks. After we’d dipped our toes in the pool of normality, we filtered back into the hall. The band had shifted around with A.S. Fanning taking centre stage, but the aura and feeling were the same once that bar door closed up once again, leaving Fanning to take over the narrative.

In a reverse to how the show started, the crowd was left waiting for A.S. Fanning. After a couple of minutes of silence, the dark and haunting introduction to Mushroom Cloud, taken from his latest album of the same name, rose from the stage and Fanning’s despairingly authentic vocals reached out to the crowd who drew closer within an instant. Whether intentional or not, the song plays out like an apocalyptic love song. As the dust settles after a chaotic introduction, the song slowly turns into a beautiful composition of guitar and piano. Again, Fanning’s music is honest and heartfelt, but he approached it all with a sense of dry humour. “This song is about pestilence and disease” casually said to the crowd before the song Disease garnered a few wry smiles and a touch of unsure laughter from those in attendance. Truth be told, the size of the crowd did neither the musicians nor the band accompanying them justice. However, the pockets of space that can be awkward at shows only added to the intimacy of the night, with each of us being left to our own devices as we listened on.

Both Brennan and Fanning have a unique ability to mask sorrow with wit and vice versa, without it feeling contrived. Genuine is the word that comes to mind when watching them play. Whether they are waiting for the crowd to finally show up, humouring the crowd with anecdotes from their life, or casually referencing the harrowing inspiration of the song with a “well, this is what you came for, so enjoy” kind of shrug, it’s 100% them.

Their presence, their attitude, and most of all, their music draw you in. They can pull you down with melancholia, but most importantly, they can bring you back up again right at the moment of despair. A show with A.S. Fanning & Louis Brennan and The Travelling Circus of Misery can leave you drenched in nostalgia for a day you may or may not have lived. Their ability to convey emotion makes you feel like the main character. And it’s like a drug.

~

A.S. Fanning can be found on his website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
Louis Brennan can be found on his website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

The Travelling Circus of Misery is a supporting band made up of David Adams (keys/organ/synth), Bernardo Sousa (guitar), Francis Broek (drums) and Felix Buchner (bass).

A.S. Fanning & Louis Brennan and The Travelling Circus of Misery tour dates are available here

The full list of Zeitgeist Irland 24 events is available here

All words © Nick O’Leary. Find more of Nick’s writing at his author’s archive.