Dear Reader –
Stories on the brain today…
**All hyperlinks in bold.
The Big Thing
I was meant to be away this week. The trip didn’t work out, and I’m here instead with an empty diary.
So I decided to get stuck into Theme Night #31 - Stories.
Everyone loves a good story, and how better to tell a story than through song? It’s a broad theme, and I especially love this part - where the setlist is blank and all I have are a bunch of ideas and a big rock of potential waiting to be sculpted into a show.
And then I saw that we are sold out. Already - with more than two months to go. Fantastic - a record for us. And I had three thoughts.
You guys are amazing. Both the audience who come out to see us time and time again and the team of musicians and performers who make it all happen.
Can we find an extra night in the Hawk’s Well calendar for a fourth show?
There are 1000+ people out there expecting a great night out in January so we’d better get to work!
As always you will be first to find out about any developments.
Where else but Sligo?
Here’s my favourite story of the week!
I have been working with Jayne, Gillian and Naoise (known collectively as Corcra) since they were 16 and wowing us all in the Teenage Theme Nights. When Seamie O’Dowd first saw them he commented that they were so tight it was like watching three parts of the same clock. I remember saying to them years ago that they should get out there and gig together. They have done many a theme night with us since but Sunday night upstairs in Lillies (what a venue by the way) was their first proper gig.
It was so nice to be asked to play with them, and it was a great night all round. Lovely also to play with Luke (bass) and Sam (cajon, pictured below). And I got a special kick from playing with James McManus and Sean Callaghan (aka Bacon and Cabbage) in the band - as they were contemporaries of the girls from the Teenage Theme Night class of 2017.
The gig went down a treat - I lost count of the amount of encores we did, and there was a great atmosphere in the room. Full of warmth and support - the guys are at the stage where their family and friends still come to all their gigs!
Anyway as mentioned in last week’s letter Corcra will be releasing their self-penned Christmas song in the coming weeks - I’ll be sure to include it in an upcoming letter.
What’s New?
SPEAKING OF STORIES…here’s Steve Jobs showing Bill Gates how to tell one.
MORE STORIES: Courtesy of The Collaborative Fund, here are a few great (and short) ones. Including the truth about Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech.
WHEN A STORY GETS TOLD IN THE NEWSPAPER: I got a lovely surprise when this photo was sent to me last week. Thanks to Theme Night Regular Liam Gannon who detailed the story of Theme Night #30 in such a heartfelt way for last week’s Sligo Champion. Still on the shelves of your local shop until tomorrow.
Finally…
This is one of the songs we did with the gang on Sunday - it’s been in my head since. This is the life folks!
Till next time - Kieran.
