Many "Irish" bands in Germany trace the footprints of "The Pogues", others appear more "classic" and O'Carolan-like and others bring out a hotch-potch of different ethnic music... But "More Maids", as they showed that night, have their own understanding of Irish music, and they were amazing! Marion Fluck (flute), Gudrun Walther (box, fiddle) and Barbara Steinort (vocals, bouzouki) played Irish tunes songs without taking things too seriously.
Their mixture of tunes showed the variety of Irish music - they played Peoples' reel "The Green Fields of Glentown" or the traditional "Convenience"; a set of polkas with Lunny-like backing of Barbara Steinort on the one hand, the well-known slip jig "The Butterfly" in a refreshed version on the other. Inbetween they brought out a few tunes from Bulgaria.
Their songs came from different origine. Barbara Steinort sang Suzanne Vega's song "The Queen And The Soldier" accompanying herself on the bouzouki, the other "Maids" did the backing vocals. When Dougie MacLean's "Ready for the Storm" and "Caledonia" - the latter known by the singing of Dolores Keane - were performed, the audience in the "Café extra" was really moved.
"More Maids" lived their music on that small stage. They brought their message straight into the hearts of the listeners without having a message at all!
At the end of this fine gig, people wanted more, and Gudrun and Marion got an old friend of them up on stage to sing the funny German ballad "De Kläne Monn" (The Little Man) in their own native dialect of Palatinum.
