Adam Kirk is an Island multi-talented musician currently touring America as Joan Baez's guitarist after a very successful European tour in 1998.
Adam went to Leeds School of Music where he studied jazz. This led him to join Yorkshire band The Bronte Brothers who released an album on a subsidiary of Island Records and played the Glastonbury Festival three times.
Adam joined Tanita Tikaram's band and accompanied singer Tanita Tikaram on her Stateside promotional tour. He also toured with her in this country turning up on the Glastonbury stage with the songwriter in 1995. When Tanita came off the road Adam took a trip to County Cork for an audition with Sinead Lohan's band.
Between bands and pints at St. George's Park, Newport in March 1996 he gave this update:
"I'm working with an Irish singer, Sinead Lohan. She's known mostly in Ireland, but is about to break over here. She sold out the Jazz Cafe in Camden, a lovely gig, probably the best I've ever done. We've been around London doing MTV, we did the Chart show this morning.Positive is the word. Appearances in the summer of 1996 as support act to Joan Baez and at major festivals. The Fleadh and the Cambridge Folk Festival where Sinead Lohan did a set on three stages. Main stage, tent and second, in that order. Two sets with her full band and one in the club with Adam Kirk supporting on acoustic guitar. Our man on the spot in the Club Tent reckoned:There's a full tour of England coming up, 400 hundred capacity gigs. She's done as much as she can in Ireland. We'll be playing the Cambridge Folk Festival, and the Fleadh on the mainstage, fifth band in.
It's not pop, it's not established AOR. I play guitar, Sinead plays guitar and sings, there's bass, keyboards and drums. She doesn't come from a traditional background. Her first CD is called Who Do You Think I Am. The second album is due in nine months time.
This is my favourite thing I've done so far. I've got my own thing going, if people like it, that's cool. I'm totally into what I'm doing. Everything looks very positive." - Adam Kirk
"A sizeable crowd hd gathered in the sun basked Club Tent for Sinead Lohan and Adam Kirk. The blend of the Islander's guitar work and the girl from County Cork's heart melting vocals was as rich as Irish cream. Adam Kirk is a diamond guitar player. Never flashy, always drawing the fine line of when to support the vocal or hold back. He gives every inch of himself into a performance. Coaxes, pulls chords, notes of thin air. The most selfless guitar player I've seen in a long time.Adam Kirk returns to the Island on a regular basis. He can often be found at Island gigs and often sits in on performances. In August 1995 he joined Freshwater's funk and indian rhythm rockers Teen Taal when they rounded off the annual Picnic In the Park at Northwood House, Cowes. A set that went off like a shower of fireworks. The outside stage had the former retreat of Admirals and Royalty as a backdrop. The sky was jet black. The music electric.Lohan's songs are fragile melodies. She delivers them as unrushed as her homeland's countryside. Sings as natural as breathing. Just stands there strumming chords out of an acoustic while Adam Kirk embellishes, weaves notes up and around her voice. A vocal that embodies Ireland. Honest, pure, clean, both delicate and strong by turns. I loved her style.
Sinead Lohan did a stunning performance of Bee In The Bottle and the title track from her album Who Do You Think I Am. The duo also played Dylan's For Ramona which is the current Irish single. A new song, probably called Mermaid smacked of salt spray and seagulls on the quayside. Sinead Lohan sang 'I am no Mermaid nor a fisherman's slave', while Adam Kirk just magicked guitar chords out of thin air to fit the song.
Don't take it from me. The best arbiter of Sinead Lohan's sets at Cambridge was the CD stall. By Saturday afternoon every copy of the lady's Grapevine album had been sold."
He has often been sitting with John Wroath and Duncan Jones. On the kind of sets that have rocked the Rose and Crown, Newport into one of the best venues for music on the Island bar none. One night Pete Turner phoned Vic King from the Star in East Cowes. He held the phone out for Vic to catch the unmistakable electric guitar of Adam Kirk punctuating the duo's music with crafted guitar licks.
You started off at Leeds University, then you were in the Bronte Brothers. What did you study?
"More and more people are doing music courses. I was studying jazz guitar, all aspects of jazz. The most beneficial thing I've done following that was probably playing with John and Duncan." - Adam KirkWhether on a festival stage or playing in an Island bar, Adam Kirk takes it in his stride. After the Cambridge Festival appearance the guitarist completed a very successful Irish tour with Sinead Lohan. The included a visit to Sinead Lohan's hometown of Cork. Support to a band called Oasis.
Adam Kirk plays guitar and accordian on Hallelujah Blue's two fine songs on the Island Sessions 1995 CD.
Our football correspondent, Pete Turner, asks me to mention that Adam's dad is more famous than he is. Mickey Kirk played for Parkhurst in all those classic cup finals against Barton about twenty years ago.
Ferdinand La Menthe
Adam Kirk's friends and family duly turned up in force for Joan Baez's Festival Hall date which was crammed to the rafters and was a stunner. As local musician Chiz says: "Not only is he a great guitarist, he's a really nice guy to boot. Yeah nice one . . ."
From the heart The pre-America interview with Adam Kirk
Adam Kirk playing with Joan Baez The review of the Bristol gig.