White Wheels In

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Across the globe music is a universal language that can speak
straight to the soul . Now and then a special communication transcends
above the social closets where we live our daily lives . One such
communication link belongs to a fella from the back streets of Belfast
by the name of Andy White . When Belfast was buzzing Andy was right
there at the heart of it all .
Your man took over without even having to fire a single shot . He just
breezed in if you like and began a musical career that propelled him
all over the world and when he landed in Australia I caught up with him
. He told me that you can always leave Belfast but you carry it with
you everywhere .
When I spoke with him I felt as if I found this escape hatch in a
palace filled with noise . He has this easy manner of talking . Its
like he actually sings to you in this space filled with peace .
Andy was born and reared in Belfast he grew up making his way to school
between barbed wire and barricades . This lifestyle came through in a
Canadian TV documentary called Much Music which won an award in France
. During the program Andy took the film crew all over Belfast in his
car trying to show them that Belfast has another story apart from what
was normally seen . With that kind of innocent portrayal he did a big
favour to the up and coming bands around Belfast . In his car they
drove past checkpoints and crossed the sectarian divides that kept both
communities apart . He spoke on the music documentary about his time at
Cambridge University . Andy also worked with Terry Wogan at the BBC
which gave him some of the essential ingredients he would use in
cooking up tunes and a career in the music business .
Andy worked with Ex-Genesis front man Peter Gabriel , Sinead O'Connor,
Tim Finn from Crowded House, and Billy Bragg .
His first single in Ireland "Religious Persuasion" appeared on the
Stiff Label . Then Andy put together his first album entitled "Rave On"
which was followed up by an album called "Kiss The Big Stone " which
was what propelled him into stepping out on a world stage as an Irish
artist . Andy was well received out there in music land and his third
album entitled "Himself" was released on the Cooking Vinyl label .It
was from that album came Andy's best known song came .In a Groovy Kind
Of Way was a very popular song . Andy had a long relationship with
Cooking Vinyl records who were based in London . It was a kind of world
voice that picked artists from different countries . The first ever
world record they ever put out was by Michelle Shocked . Terri Hooley
was the driving force behind the Cooking Vinyl label . He wanted to
show the world that Belfast had a voice and a music scene .
Record companies have a big responsibility what kind of fuse they place
in our minds with their artists and their music . The artists as well
have a lot to take on board and as songwriters they have a vocation to
follow . It all depends on how they are able to break down the barriers
and patch up the differences that make or break the delicate emotions
we all have . Today more and more young people are looking for an
answer and music can have a great effect on them . Coming out of
Belfast gets you a head start in the hard knock school . Andy White has
a way to express peace through his words and in his music Andy mixes in
various sounds to enhance the listeners experience . Everything from
slamming doors to screaming fire engines, footsteps walking across a
wooden floor to rain pelting down on a tin roof . Somewhere within each
project he projects an altered image where he crosses the divides in
culture and creed . It's a high perspective and one not many can
achieve . Because of this he can focus outside a small island into a
global situation .

His next album "Out There" was released . It won the Irish Times best
album in 1992 . Andy received the Hot Press Songwriter of the year
award in 1993 . The next project for Andy was with a three piece band
called ALT .
An album entitled Altitude was released with EMI and ALT toured in
Europe to promote the band and the album . This Album and the ALT
project was an escape hatch Andy has found with his music . Kicking on
with his solo career then Andy put together an album called Destination
Beautiful which was released after the very successful Himself album .
I personally love the title of this album and it again speaks in a
transcendental kind of way to you if you have the ears to listen
.
Andy decided to pack his things and tour around the world . He did
shows in Melbourne , New York , London and at the biggest festival in
Europe which is the Glastonbury Festival . His involvement with Womad
UK continues to be a big focus with his career . Even though Andy is on
a continual tour all over the world he still manages to put together
projects like an outfit called The Celtic Ono Band in 2000 Reading
poems with old school friends on Belfast and sketching out images like
Picasso on a power trip . He regularily writes in his journal where
even he is and whatever he is doing .
Recent new albums Andy has put out are entitled Speechless Rare and his
latest Album entitled Boy 40 continues to express that peaceful escape
we all must the time to find .

THE END

By Paul McCann