Noel Eccles, reuniting with Moving Hearts.
Moving Hearts, who formed in 1981, blazed an all-too-brief four-year trail with a unique blend of traditional Irish music and rock. Re-forming for a series of gigs at Vicar Street in Dublin this week, the line-up will include percussionist Noel Eccles, Donal Lunny, Davy Spillane, Eoghan O'Neill, Keith Donald, Matt Kellaghan, Anto Drennan and Graham Henderson.
How did the reunion, albeit a reunion minus Christy Moore, come about? "Donal released a Definitive Moving Hearts album in 2003, and it was well received, so the idea really came from there. Getting all the people together for it was complex. It's a testament to the quality of the band that all the individuals are still working in the industry and that they haven't gone off to do other things. I'm just back from Cleveland with Anúna; Eoghan is going to the States the day after the Vicar Street gigs; Donal is just back from Japan; and Anto is off with The Corrs. So it's just good to have everyone together."
How will the band prepare after being apart for so long? "We have a couple of gigs in the Highlands Hotel in Glenties this weekend and will be rehearsing up here until the gigs. Trying to get everyone to stop talking and do some work is the main problem. Bear in mind that this is the first time in 20 years that this group of people has been in the one room together. I'm hoping it won't be like an episode of Grumpy Old Men - a bunch of old lads sitting around giving out. I think it will be amazing craic, and, hopefully, the music will speak for itself.
"Being part of Moving Hearts is the thing I am most proud of in my career. Since then I have toured with Van Morrison, recorded with U2 and Hothouse Flowers, been involved with Riverdance and so on, but I still get people coming up to me saying: 'You're the guy from Moving Hearts'."
Could the reunion become permanent? "If we all have a good time, who knows where it will go?"
Moving Hearts are at Vicar Street, Dublin, on Thursday and Friday. Noel Eccles photographed by Alan Betson