Vyvienne Long
Nation once again: It's one of the most recognisable riffs in rock 'n' roll, a downward-marching bassline underlined by thumping drums and strafed by a screeching guitar riff. It's Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes, and pretty soon guitar shops around the world will be replacing their "No Stairway" signs with "No Seven". One person the ban will not apply to, however, is Irishwoman Vyvienne Long, whose cover of Seven Nation Army became a bit of an airwave hit when she played it on Ian Dempsey's breakfast show on Today FM. It was an unusual version, not just because it was a girl singing, but because she was also playing the riff on a cello. The version can be found on Even Better than the Real Thing Vol 2, the second compilation of cover versions that have featured on Dempsey's show; most critics rate it as one of the best tracks on the album.
Bow selecta: When Dublin girl Vyvienne Long graduated from the Escola de Musica in Barcelona, she probably imagined she'd be getting suited up for the philharmonic, or joining her local chamber quartet. She probably didn't expect to find herself playing with scruffy folk troubador Damien Rice, but her cello playing on Rice's single The Blower's Daughter was so evocative, she was invited to join him on a tour of the US and Europe. To pass the time away while Rice chatted interminably to the audience, she began adapting popular hits for cello, and found that they sounded even better than the real thing. Then she turned to some lesser-known songs, and discovered that they also lent themselves readily to reinterpretation. When Damien would take a half-time break (about three hours into the show), Vyvienne would entertain the crowd with a version of Jimi Hendrix's Purple Haze.
Pink 'droid: Following her success with Seven Nation Army, Vyvienne decided to book her gigs, in Mother Redcaps and Whelans, backed by cellists, pianist, double bassist and drummer. She also guested on the TV series Other Voices: Songs from a Room, and became a big hit with the viewers. It wasn't all cover versions, though; she counts songwriting among her many talents. Her debut single, the Birdtalk EP, features three originals - They're Not Waving, Blue Carousel and Never Leave You, along with unusual versions of Pharrell Williams's She Wants to Move (retitled He Wants to Move) and Flaming Lips' Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt 1.
Army manoeuvres: Vyvienne does hold down a regular gig playing with the National Symphony Orchestra, but if you want to catch her in full flight, performing her own tunes (and of course more offbeat cover versions) she'll be starting a short Irish tour tomorrow, playing Limerick, Galway, Dublin and Cork.
