Breaking the rules...

Dear Reader –

Firstly thanks you so much for your support this year. All of this simply wouldn’t be possible without you. I wish you a happy and peaceful time over the coming days, good health and fortune in 2024 and here’s to lots of great music in the coming months.

The Big Thing

These were the biggest things this year - the five letters that interested you guys most…

1. We’ve hired someone (November)

2. Confidence-building and friendship-making (May)

3. The people who make things happen (January)

4. And the theme is… (April)

5. Stars under the stars (May)

Where else but Sligo?

It was in March when I first contacted Jamie in Lillies regarding the possibility of a gig upstairs in his venue. I had played there at Corcra’s Christmas party in 2022 and loved the atmosphere - it reminded me a bit of some of the first ever gigs I did in Sligo - upstairs in McGarrigle’s with Eddie Lee and Ken McDonald in 2007.

I ended up waiting till November to pull the trigger on it though - it was one of those situations where you think and hope that it will work but are a bit scared in case it doesn’t. As always, I’m glad we did it.

You guys know by now that I love putting together the Theme Nights - they are wonderful - but with this wonder comes structure and rules, without which the audience would be left hanging. The beauty of this new Unplugged series is that we can break the rules a bit. Play a bit looser. Try things out. Play with the structure a bit. And that’s an important part of our musical identity too.

One letter reader was there this week and kindly sent me an email which summed it up.

”Just wanted to say I really enjoyed Wednesday night at Lillies.  While I love the theme nights at the Hawk’s Well, the smaller, more intimate venue really was special.  Well done to all of you. You are a seriously talented bunch and a joy to watch performing.  Would really love more of these nights”. 

Safe to say that there will be more of these gigs in 2024 - stay tuned.

PS a special shoutout to the O’Reilly family. The Hawk’s Well are putting on a gorgeous-looking gig in January called Folk Families. Well if they ever decide to put on Rock Families they should look no further than Lorraine, Ciaran and Sean - Luke Devaney and I had the pleasure of sitting in with them after the upstairs gig on Thursday. What a band!

What’s New?

1. BEST NEW MUSIC OF 2023: Once again letter reader Des Power shared this playlist with me - some fantastic selections - have a listen - it’s a great way of discovering new music.

2. CHRISTMAS CHEER: I love this - Second Captains meet The Mary Wallopers.

3. FAVOURITE THEME NIGHT PERFORMANCE THIS YEAR: It wasn’t just me. You guys LOVED this every night of October’s Theme Night #32…thanks Sinéad for moving us.

Finally…

Here’s another great Theme Night memory from earlier this year…enjoy the turkey sandwiches!

Till next time - Kieran.

Completing a fatherly duty...

Dear Reader –

Lots of Christmas songs and stories this week, so why not start with the Christmas No. 1 from 1983 (!) - brought to you by the Theme Nights crew from a cozy corner in McLynn’s pub…

The Big Thing

Meanwhile further down the road the festive season was truly up and running in Lillies last weekend. The usual Sunday night crew - Tabby Callaghan, Duane Gallagher, Luke Devaney and Eddie Delaney - were rocking as always, and somehow managed to stay professional as the Christmas cheer got the better of some audience members!

We’re back in the upstairs room this Wednesday and Thursday of course for two Theme Night unplugged gigs. Aileen Concannon, Eddie Lee, Gerry Grennan, Ken McDonald, Leah Davidson, Luke Devaney, Sam Purcell and Seamie O’Dowd are joining me there over the course of the two nights and we have two great sets lined up.

I’m very much looking forward to seeing lots of you there, and a small number of tickets have become available for Wednesday night’s gig for the first person/people to express an interest.

Where else but Sligo?

Last week for the first time, I got to bring one of my children to the panto. The other is already too old (!) to want to go. It was the first year since 2005 that I wasn’t playing piano for the run, and so I was excited…

And what a show it was. I had helped to prepare and rehearse it, so I could anticipate a few things, but to sit there and watch it from start to finish was just so enjoyable. MD Bryan Mullen and the band sounded great and had added lots of clever underscoring from which the cast were getting a great buzz.

The stage looked fantastic, and the old favourites played a blinder once more. I loved when out of habit the audience booed Bobby Jones’ character, even though for once this year he wasn’t the bad guy. Brian Devaney had to playfully scold the audience - ‘you know he’s the nicest character in the panto this year’?!

Young actors Katelyn Rafter, Joseph Harrison and Trevor Horan more than held their own among a largely older cast and were especially good musically I thought.

Indeed we had the pleasure of Katelyn (pictured below) joining us back on the Hawk’s Well stage the following day for Christmas Toons, so the festive season is truly up and running!

What’s New?

1. SLIGO ACADEMY OF MUSIC CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR: Really looking forward to this show tonight. More here.

2. ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU: Overplayed? Maybe. Sick of it? Perhaps. Incredibly clever and well-written song? Certainly. This article is for the music theory nerds out there…

3. STING ON SODAJERKER: The research phase for Theme Night #33 is firmly up and running! This is a great insight into how Sting thinks about songwriting.

Finally…

I know I know…BUT…we had great fun at our piano workshops last week looking at the various features of this song. It is so well put-together. And you may need it as a reference for What’s New (2).

Till next time - Kieran.

The measure of my dreams...

Dear Reader –

There is only one big thing in the world of Irish music this week…

The Big Thing

Ciaran Murphy from the Second Captains podcast suggested once that we should each have to choose three famous people whose death we are allowed to mourn on social media. Anyone else - say what you like about them privately, but leave the public statements to those who really knew/loved them.

I was reminded of this over the last few days in the aftermath of the death of Shane McGowan. He’s not in my three (I have Paul McGrath and two TBC) so I’m going to leave the tributes to the likes of Steve Wickham (see below).

However I will always remember two moments from the last few days which illustrated the effect he had.
Firstly - Friday afternoon when I arrived slightly late and flustered into the Liberty Hall theatre in Dublin ready to hit the ground running and prepare for that evening’s gig. My mood flipped instantly as I realised that the production crew had all taken a breather to sit in silence and watch the livestream of Shane’s funeral on a phone.

And yesterday in Micky Downs’ kitchen when he asked us to take 5 minutes to watch the rendition of Fairytale of New York from the same funeral (see below also).
A gang of normally boisterous men sat quietly in awe and respect.

Where else but Sligo?

To borrow a phrase from the world of sport - ‘play the kids’!

That’s exactly what we did in the beautifully festive Drumcliffe Church last Thursday evening. This writer plus Sam, Cara, Leah and Zach - none of whom have yet reached the age of 20.

And this group of young musicians not only held the attention of the 200+ people who packed the church, but entertained them, connected with them and even moved some to tears. One of my favourite gigs of the year.

And so if I may conclude by drawing your attention to another phrase - the one used in the title of this letter and described in the Irish Independent in 2018 as “the most beautiful [line] in modern music”.

My dream was always to play music with great musicians to an audience that listens. If I was to measure - it would be to count how many of these happen each year. I don’t - maybe I should - but if I did last Thursday would definitely be on the list.

What’s New?

1. VICAR ST. tickets are on sale NOW. Here.

2. MICHAEL CARRUTH: He was a guest on the gig last Friday, and received a standing ovation without saying a word. The power of nostalgia.

3. RORY MAITLAND: Got out from behind the camera to deliver this beautiful vocal…

Finally…

No words needed…I was interested in the thoughts of the priest however…

Till next time - Kieran.

We're heading back to Vicar St!

Dear Reader –

Apologies for the late letter but we wanted to get all the details sorted before sending it out to you. The gig will be officially announced tomorrow but as always you guys get first notice.
It will have been over five years since we were in Vicar St. by the time we get back next May…I really hope you can join us.

We do of course have Theme Night #33 in February first though (Simon and Sting) - hers’s a beautiful arrangement from the pen of Luke Devaney that may just have to feature…

The Big Thing

But now - here all the details you need…

Theme Night #34 - Beginnings.
May 16th 2024 - Vicar St. Dublin.

Tickets on sale next Tuesday 12th Dec at 10am from ticketmaster.ie

Or why not treat someone special to an exclusive experience?

Where else but Sligo?

This blog post tells one of my favourite stories from our 2019 trip to Vicar St. It was published on March 3 2020, 6 weeks before we were due to return. Of course we never did…until now!

The theme really excites me I must say…I loved this quote i heard the other day.
‘And all of a sudden - you know it’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings’.
It sums up the feeling of starting into a new theme night with a blank canvas.

But the word beginnings conjures up so much more…
New performers. Dublin audiences coming to see the show for the first time. Sligo folk heading to see us in Dublin for the first time. Veteran performers reflecting on their beginnings with the theme nights. New songs and arrangements. Our new YouTube channel. Even the importance of the first note of a song. There is so much we can do with this theme and I can’t wait to get stuck in.

Finally, I went to see Theo Katzman in Vicar St in October. And who came around at the end of the night to tell me it was time to go home? You guessed right - one of the men at the centre of the story above! We had a good laugh about it and he’s looking forward to the return of the ‘choir from Sligo’ in May!

What’s New?

1. CORCRA’s version of This Christmas is out on all streaming platforms now…

2. MATT HALPIN: This friend of Sligo and regular Sligo Jazz saxophone tutor brings a European seven-piece jazz supergroup to Lillies this Friday at 8pm. More here.

3. BRENDAN GRAHAM AND CATHY JORDAN: Cathy has been busy! Below is the first single from Brendan Graham’s (You Raise Me Up) new album…

Finally…

One of the big moments from the 2019 ‘Victor St’ gig…great to hear Georgie in full voice.
And the choir sound amazing!

Till next time - Kieran.