Entertainment
Galway bands go down a blast at Wesport Festival
BY CIARAN TIERNEY
Veteran singer Elvis Costello might have been a little bit liberal with the truth when he told the 12,000 revellers in a Mayo field that they were “better than Glastonbury”, but he certainly encapsulated the wonderful atmosphere of the second Westport Festival of Music when bringing the festivities to an end on Sunday night.
The English rock star with Irish roots flew to Ireland West Airport directly from the famed English music festival and, seemingly like everyone else in the grounds of Westport House, was blown away by the relaxed attitude during Ireland’s most laid-back music festival.
Costello, who has been a musical legend since the mid-1970s, produced a storming set laced with hard-hitting political songs while enjoying wonderful banter with the fans between songs.
The pristine grounds of Westport House proved to be a big hit during the inaugural event last year and the festival managed to win over another healthy crowd, even if it was apparent that the line-up was slightly weaker than last year.
Another man to embrace the spirit of the festival was veteran Christy Moore, who headlined the main stage on Saturday night. After playing some of his massive hits, getting the crowd to sing along to the likes of Lisdoonvarna, he headed into the centre of the town for a spontaneous session in the pub owned by Matt Molloy of The Chieftains.
The pub was jammed to the rafters and the whole town seemed to go wild. Christy, being Christy, made sure not to be too predictable, either, and his version of Hurt, made famous by the late Johnny Cash, was another highlight.
Magically, barring a couple of hours before the gates re-opened on Sunday morning, the rain stayed away for the entire weekend. Entertainment was spread over four stages, including a new Comedy Tent and a Róisín Dubh stage for up-and-coming bands.
The Comedy Tent lost out by being a bit too close to the music, but that did not stop a huge crowd from enjoying Apres Match star Barry Murphy’s take on German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday afternoon.
The Róisín’s stage provided a wonderful diversion from the entertainment in the main arena and was the scene for one of the weekend’s best sets as Dublin dance merchants LE Galaxie produced a stunning visual and musical show. Delorentos managed an equally enjoyable set in the same courtyard on Sunday night while Donegal band In Their Thousands brought two bus-loads of ecstatic supporters for the biggest gig of their careers so far.
There was some repetition from the inaugural festival, with The Waterboys, Imelda May, Damien Dempsey, and the Clew Bay Pipe Band all returning to an event where they made a big impression 12 months ago.
Former Galway residents, The Waterboys rocked the main stage with a set laced with old classics while the Clew Bay Pipe Band packed a tent with enthusiastic locals before being joined on stage by Mundy, Damien Dempsey, and local hero Matt Molloy.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
Folk duo Niall Teague and Pádraic Joyce are launching their new album What Will We Be, a blend of folk, Americana and acoustic music, this Friday, May 19, at 8pm in An Taibhdhearc.
The success of their well-received 2020 release Taobh le Taobh, as well as recent successes at the Pan Celtic and Oireachtas Song Contests, spurred the duo on to record this new album which represents many years of collaboration and musical development.
It features Niall and Pádraic on vocals, harmonies, and acoustic guitars, Maidhc Ó hÉanaigh on double bass and Neil Fitzgibbon on fiddle. The catchy title track, What Will We Be, features contributions from percussionist Jim Higgins (The Stunning, Christy Moore, Paul Brady) and haunting, driving melodies on vocals, guitar, and fiddle.
Themes of love and hope are woven through Come Away with Me which features interplay between piano and fiddle as well as rich vocal harmonies.
People, places, and broken dreams are celebrated and lamented on Martin and Tom, Guitar Gold, Memories of You and Achill Island. The influence of David Henry Thoreau’s novel Walden features on the tracks Simple and Wise and Walden, with the beauty of nature, escape and simple pleasures at their core.
The album moves from minimalistic folk ballads such as Galway Ghost to swirling, string-laden arrangements on the song Neptune, both of which are influenced by maritime tales from Galway. Much of the work on this album was supported by the Arts Council, including work with musical arranger Eoin Corcoran and the string ensemble Treo.
The album will be launched this Friday, May 19, at 8pm in an Taibhdhearc. Tickets €22, plus booking fee at Eventbrite.ie.
Dunmore is the place to be this weekend for lovers of traditional music, as the Galway County Fleadh will take place there from this Friday, May 19, to Sunday, May 23.
It is 10 years since Dunmore last hosted a fleadh and the local Comhaltas branch, which has re-formed since Covid, is looking forward to facilitating this gathering of music, song, dance and craic.
The official Opening Concert will take place in Dunmore Town Hall this Friday at 8pm with the acclaimed Mulcahy family from Limerick. Mick, Louise and Michelle are well known throughout the country, thanks to their live performances, television appearances and numerous CDs. They were the winners of the TG4 Gradam Ceoil Grúpa Ceoil Award for 2023. Tickets for their concert can be purchased on the door and a great night of music is promised.
Two days of competitions will kick off this Saturday at the town’s Community School, with more than 1,500 competitors taking part. Participants will be hoping to qualify for the Connacht Fleadh 2023, which will be held in Ballina, County Mayo, from June 23 to July 2.
Competitions for those aged Under 10, Under 12 and Under 15 will be held in a large variety of instruments on Saturday, as well as in singing and Comhrá Gaeilge. Sunday’s competitions will be for the Under 18 and Over 18 ages groups, as well as in dancing.
On both days a large entry is expected for Grúpaí Cheoil and Céilí Band competitions across all age groups.
Seventeen Comhaltas branches from across Galway will have participants in this weekend’s competitions, which will result in a large number of visitors to the Dunmore area.
Members of the public are welcome to attend the competitions, which offer a great opportunity to hear and see the talent on display. There will be sessions in local pubs over the weekend as well and everybody is welcome to attend these.
For more information on the County Fleadh, go to www.galwaycomhaltas.ie.
Music for Galway’s concert with renowned Swiss pianist Cédric Pescia which had been due to take place on April 27 but which had to be deferred, will now take place next Tuesday, May 23, at 8pm, in the Emily Anderson Concert Hall at the University of Galway.
This concert of German classics with Bach at its core, will brings the Bach element of Music for Galway’s 41st season to an end.
This world-class pianist who won the famous Gina Bachauer International Artists Piano Competition, has a repertoire that spans many eras from baroque to contemporary and he is widely known for his elaborate programmes. Cédric Pescia describes music as ‘language and movement at the same time’.
Audiences will have a chance to experience his soft, clear touch as he performs a programme for solo piano that will include classics such as Schumann’s popular Waldszenen (Forest Scenes), a suite of nine short pieces, and the penultimate of Beethoven’s piano sonatas, No. 31. These pieces will be interspersed with French Suites by Bach.
■ Ticket for Cédric Pescia’s concert are available at www.musicforgalway.ie, or by phone 091 705962 and on the door on the night. They cost €20/€18. The price for fulltime students of all ages is €6 while MfG Friends can avail of the friends’ rate of €16.
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