THE Feile weekend marathon wound up last night with a classy show from headliner Alanis Morissette.
The capacity audience seemed to care little for the various splendours of the now all but forgotten open air event of the same name, and were probably glad to be home within a couple of hours, free of the rigours of a cold, wet night in a tent with someone you don't really like.
Main support acts Mazzy Star and Frank Black play the type of music that is perfect for indoors anyway. Mazzy Star sound like a torpid cross between a Neil Young Bob Dylan hybrid and The Jesus And Mary Chain.
A little bit too subdued and confusing for those who wanted to rock (i.e. the `kids').
Mazzy Star's excellent slomo, elegantly wasted pop was nevertheless well appreciated by the over 15s.
Frank Black's sturdy and frantic surfin' safari guitar rock was, however, somewhat ground down by audience lethargy.
There was none of that for Alanis Morissette, a genuine and literate role model for both the post grunge crowd and the weary Joni Mitchell fan.
Yet she is more than just a fixated mixture of slacker mentality, scorned woman incarnate, and hippie indulgence.
She has so far fashioned several very listenable anthems for the emotionally bruised, based on bitterness and revenge maybe, but revelling in a distinct form of cathartic healing.
True, songs such as Hand In Pocket and Ironic might not actually mean that much, but on the other hand You Oughta Know and See Right Through You highlight a hard earned wisdom that is beyond criticism.
And the audience absolutely adored her.