Danny Ellis played with Irish showbands The Airchords (1964), The Jim Farley Band (1965-66), The Nevada Showband (1969), Dickie Rock's Miami Showband (1969-1971), and Stage 2 (1972-73). Ellis signed to Guy Fletcher's publishing company Commercial Arts in 2008.
Ellis has just signed with Dara Records and will be releasing "800 Voices: The Heartache and the Healing" an autobiographical account of his time in the Irish orphanage system on March 12th. Additionally Danny Ellis will be performing his new release on April 3rd at the National Concert Hall Dublin.
First hosted in 1992, Ireland’s most established new band showcase has provided a live platform for scores of up and coming Irish acts over the years. Recent acts to have featured include Fight Like Apes, Declan O’Rourke, Halves and Delorentos to name but a few.
Ronan Yourell from Dublin band Delorentos said of the tour “It was an important step in the development of our band as we gained invaluable experience through the gigs and also met some really cool people!”
A number of artists will be chosen from the tour to perform in a ‘Best of Showcase’ gig which will take place in Dublin venue The Academy on May 1st.
The IMRO Showcase Tour 2010 will feature live shows in the following venues across Ireland:
Thu March 25th The Limelight & Katy Dalys, Belfast
Alan MX
Strait Laces
The Good Fight
Heliopause
Uber Glitterati
Craig McConkey
Ed Zealous
Fri March 26th CrawDaddy, Dublin
Saccade
The Cast of Cheers
Hello Moon
Get Me Moscow
Thu April 01st CrawDaddy, Dublin
Home Star Runner
Our Little Secrets
Vengeance And The Panther Queen
We Cut Corners
Sat April 03rd Cyprus Avenue, Cork
Cities
LOWmountain
Brian Deady
The Karman Line
Versives
Fri April 09th The Spirit Store, Dundalk
The Ambience Affair
Redtwelve
Take The Money And Run
The Minutes
The Vibes
Sat April 10th CrawDaddy, Dublin
Not Squares
Talula Does The Hula
Mia Sparrow
Wolf Pack Riot
Thu April 15th Masons in association with ‘Smalltown America Records’, Derry
Wonder Villians
No Mean City
Conor Mason
The VoxPops
More Than Conquerors
Fri April 16th The Late Lounge, Kildare
Juliets Rescue
Miracle Bell
Seven Days
Sat April 17th The Cellar Club,in association with 'The G Sessions' Draperstown
The Q
Silhouette
Building Pictures (John Gribbin)
La Faro
Pretty Child Backfire
Fri April 23rd The Sugar Club, Dublin
House of Dolls
Pilotlight
Jody Has A Hit List
The Rags
Sat April 24th Dolans, Limerick
Supermodel Twins
Windings
Nick Carswell & The Elective Orchestra
The Brad Pitt Light Orchestra
Sat May 1st The Academy, Dublin – Best of IMRO Showcase Tour 2010
The IMRO Showcase Tour 2009 is supported by RTÉ 2FM, The Star Newspaper and State.ie
We have a limited number of guest list places available for each of these shows. Please eamil showcase@nullimro.ie with names and details of which shows you would like to attend.
NYAH — County Cavan Traditional Festival, March 10th–28th
As Cavan prepares to move centre-stage on the Irish traditional music, song and dance calendar later this year when it hosts the All-Ireland Fleadh, what better way for the Breffni county to get in the mood than through its annual NYAH Festival, which moves into top gear with a packed programme of events between March 10th and 28th.
Indeed, the NYAH Traditional Arts Festival has in its own unique way been bringing towns around Cavan to the centre of the traditional roots music and arts scene for quite some time over the last few years. Now in the seventh year and well established, the festival celebrates the traditional music, song, dance and culture of Co Cavan, placing a strong emphasis on the county’s very own musical style within the Ulster Tradition.
Top of the list in an all-star cast of top-rate artists this year is button accordion legend Joe Burke, who heads a Gala Concert at the Farnham Hotel on Saturday 13th March. Featuring a host of talented performers, many who have great futures ahead of them in the music, this concert, compered by Kieran Hanrahan of RTE’s ‘Ceili House’, will celebrate the election of Cavan’s champion lilter Seamus Fay as All-Ireland Fleadh President 2010 (adm €15, book tickets at 086 234 2270)or at Farnham reception..
Other features over the two and a half weeks of NYAH 2010 include concerts celebrating the musicians of old as well as saluting the up-and-coming performers of the future.
The ‘Celebration of the Music of Eddie Clarke’ at the Ramor Theatre, Virginia on Friday 19th March will pay a well-deserved tribute to the traditional harmonica music of the late, great Eamonn (Eddie) Clarke of Virginia featuring fellow harmonica virtuosos like 12 times All-Ireland champ Noel Battle of Mullingar and Mick Kinsella from Clare, who is also a great exponent of the concertina. This event, hosted by Cavan fiddle king Antóin Mac Gabhann will also mark the launch of a four-CD compilation of Eddie’s tunes and songs (adm €16 and €14, tickets at Ramor Box Office 049 854 7074).
A special Meitheal Summer School 2009 concert in the Farnham Hotel on Friday 12th, hosted by Martin Donohoe, will showcase the talents of the younger musicians from all over Cavan and around the country as well.
If this year’s NYAH festival is a forerunner for the Fleadh, it nonetheless boasts and extensive programme of events around the county in its own right, including sessions in venues like The Widow’s, Belturbet, Smith & Wilson’s and the Farnham in Cavan and Boylan’s of Kilnaleck, and shows like the Dr Brian Galligan Memorial Concert in Kilnaleck on Thursday 25th and the 41st Annual Mullahorn Concert on Sunday 28th March.
Tuesday 23rd will see the NYAH spread its wings, bringing a Cavan flavour to Dublinfor the second time in two months, when ‘A Wild Night of Cavan NYAH’ hits the Button Factory in Temple Bar. The cream of the county’s singers and players will be there, with the old guard Antóin Mac Gabhann and Seamus Fay leading the way in a Fleadh-year celebration of all things Cavan hosted by Martin Donohoe.
The NYAH Festival draws directly on the word “nyah” (pronounced neeyah), a term that describes an Irish music performance that comes from the depths of the heart. It refers to the very expression of the tradition and to the soul and feeling that makes it so unique.…it’s about the lift the music can give to the hardest heart!
The festival is a wonderful community event scattered around the county that uses the pure drop as a magnet to attract musicians and followers to different areas.
So let’s remember to dance and sing, perform, and share our culture for the sheer fun of it.… and to say we are here!
Calling all experimental musicians, musical neuroscientists, sound artists, cyborg performers, dance-floor divas and harmonic engineers…
Science Gallery is currently developing a major new exhibition called BIORHYTHM: MUSIC AND THE BODY and we are seeking your proposals for gallery installations, experiments, events, workshops and performances for inclusion.
Our goal is to explore how art and science help us interpret, understand and enjoy the sounds of the 21st century. We are looking for participative experiences and experiments for the public as well as stand-alone performances.
Running for three months (2 July – 1 October, 2010), BIORHYTHM will also include special live performances, innovative installations, unique physical and mental experiences, high-profile talks, discussions and debates, and other musical and biological events web-focused interactions, games and truly collaborative experience.
To find out more about BIORHYTHM or to submit a proposal please go to http://www.sciencegallery.com/biorhythm. Submissions must be received no later than Tuesday March 30 2010 to be considered for inclusion. Please send this message to anyone you know who might like to participate in this summer's hottest show.
Tune into RTÉ 2fm on Friday 19 and Saturday 20 March at 10pm as Jenny Huston broadcasts two special programmes live from the South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival in Austin, Texas.
Now in its 24th year, the SXSW Music and Media Conference has grown into the must-attend networking event for the 21st century music industry. Showcasing approximately 1,800 musical acts from around the globe at over 80 stages in downtown Austin, SXSW attendees have a first look at tomorrow's stars. By day, managers, labels, promoters, press, internet media outlets, artists and other business professionals conduct business in the SXSW Trade Show and at night time Austin comes alive with burgeoning new talent.
With a record breaking 19 Irish bands invited to play this year, the likes of The Minutes, General Fiasco, Butterfly Explosion, Dark Room Notes and Villagers will showcase their talent in front of the music industries elite. It’s clear that RTÉ 2fm’s investment in up and coming Irish talent is paying off as The Coronas and And So I Watch You From Afar are due to appear after the station sent them to The Eurosonic Festival in Holland.
Speaking about broadcasting from the festival Jenny Huston said: 'I have wanted to go to SXSW for as long as I can remember. It's a working Eden for the music industry with 15,000 of us descending on Austin, Texas to see 1800 of the world’s most exciting bands strut their stuff. It feels particularly cool to be broadcasting on 2fm, live from SXSW, in a year that a record-breaking 19 Irish bands will be showcasing their talent. I can't wait!'
With interviews, sessions, live performances and buzz from one the coolest music festivals in the world you won’t want to miss Jenny Huston live from SXSW.
Tune into Jenny Huston live from SXSW at 10.00pm on Friday 19 and 20 March on RTÉ 2fm.
RTÉ 2fm’s SXSW coverage is produced by Grace O’Connor and is supported by Music From Ireland, who are also backing the Irish artists presence at the event.
The team at Dublin City Soul Festival are proud to declare that the search for this year’s very best ‘Rising Stars’ is now officially underway.
The IMRO sponsored ‘Rising Stars’ event, designed to showcase the wide range of talented unsigned artists on the Island of Ireland and from around the world is once again expected to attract hundreds of entries from emerging artists. In 2009 festival organisers where overwhelmed with the response, receiving submissions from Countries including; Belize, Canada, Egypt, England, France, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Togo and the United States.
Solo artists, bands and musicians of all kinds who wish to showcase their music live on stage as part of the 4th annual Dublin City Soul Festival are invited to register at www.risingstars.ie where the public will get to experience their music and vote for their favourites. The Top 20 most popular artists will perform as part of a special show during Soul Fest 2010, live from a secret location.(more info to be revealed)
The inaugural Rising Stars search was won by Mob Fandango, 11 musicians with a passion for creating original upbeat sounds, designed to make the listener feel-good. Both visually and musically entertaining, Mob Fandango are a joyous celebration of all the good things about live music, and are a breath of fresh air to the Irish music scene.
Festival Founder & CEO Chris Maher said: “given the truly amazing quality of last year’s entries, expectations are sky high this year. We all get really excited, it’s like Christmas Day every time a new entry comes in at the moment”.
From Thursday May 27th – Sunday May 30th 2010 the streets, bars, café’s and public spaces will be ignited with raw talent from the world’s best unsigned artists as they perform hundreds of FREE music concerts as part of the 4th annual Dublin City Soul Festival, bringing a much needed ‘buzz‘ to the City.
Festival Founder & CEO Chris Maher said: “Despite the almost impossible trading conditions we are determined to make our 4th birthday the biggest celebration ever by an independently run festival”.
In 2009, 35,500 people took part in Soul Festival events across Dublin, generating in excess of *€5.3 million euro for the Irish economy. Despite the almost impossible trading conditions 2010 is expected to be even better, with festival organisers building events to accommodate upwards of 40,000 visitors.
‘Dublin City Soul Festival ~ a celebration of peace, unity & LOVE’
Northern Irelands fastest growing outdoor music festival, 'LARK IN THE PARK' are proud to announce details of its return in 2010 to Moria's Demesne Park on the weekend of April 30th & May 01st 2010, with two spectacular days of live music, entertainment and a fun day out for all the family. April 30th, will see one of Irelands best, THE SAW DOCTORS headline the evening and May 01st is headlined by the unstoppable Northern Ireland supremos GENERAL FIASCO plus guests.
A funny thing happened to The Saw Doctors in October 2008. After a gap of 17 years, the West of Ireland
rockers topped the Irish Music Singles Chart with their punked up version of the Sugababes song "About You Now", beating off international artists such as Pink and Kings of Leon.
Back in the early ninties, The Saw Doctors were Number One in Ireland with Hay Wrap, N17 and I Useta Lover which still holds the record for the biggest selling Irish single. The bands first album, If This Is Rock & Roll, I Want My Old Job Back" was Number One in Ireland for most of 1991.
After posting a second Number One album (All The Way From Tuam), The Saw Doctors set about touring the UK and in February 1996, the band's third album “Same Oul' Town” went to Number Six in the UK Top Twenty, yielding two Top Twenty UK singles, World of Good, and To Win Just Once. The Saw Doctors appeared on BBC's Top of the Pops in January and July 1996 to promote the two singles.
Over the years, The Saw Doctors have built up a reputation as a great live band. They have toured in Australia, Canada, USA, Sweden, Germany, Holland, Norway and the UK. Paul Sexton of The Times in London observed that “if they could bottle the sort of bonhomie that can make an entire concert hall feel better, The Saw Doctors would have the medicine show to end them all”.
GENERAL FIASCO, The Northern Irish trio spent 2009 on the road playing both headline shows, support tours with the likes of The Enemy and The Answer, performing at the CMJ in New York, festivals such as Download and Glastonbury and generally anywhere with a stage they could plug into! They also signed to Infectious Music and released their first single ‘We Are The Foolish’ for them which was played on Radio 1, XFM, MTV 2 and NME TV. They played their biggest show at home in Ireland on Halloween when they headlined the 1300 capacity Ulster Hall in Belfast. With the bands debut Album 'Buildings' due for release on March 22nd and the bands latest Single 'Ever So Shy' on the Radio One Playlist, this year promises to be something special for the three piece.
THE LINE UP:
FRIDAY APRIL 30TH – 5PM to 10:30PM
THE SAW DOCTORS
FIDDLER ADAMS
plus guests……..
SATURDAY MAY 01ST – 12(NOON) to 10:30PM
GENERAL FIASCO
RATTLE AND HUM
THE BEAT POETS
Other artists –
The Varonis
The Dead Presidents
Doghouse
Microlip
Raised on Rock
Adrian Crowley has just been announced as the winner of the Choice Music Prize – Irish Album of the Year 2009 for the album Season Of The Sparks (Chemikal Underground). Adrian received a cheque for €10,000 – a prize which has been provided by the Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) and the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) – as well as a specially-commissioned award, courtesy of the Recorded Artists And Performers Ltd (RAAP).
The 12 strong jury panel of Irish music media professionals deliberated at length tonight and chose the album from the shortlist of 10 records released by Irish artists in 2009. The audience attending the event in Vicar Street, Dublin and were treated to performances by 8 of the 10 shortlisted acts. The event was hosted by Today FM’s Alison Curtis and was broadcast live in a special broadcast on Today FM hosted by Paul McLoone.
The full shortlist of nominated albums was as follows (albums in alphabetical order):
And So I Watch You From Afar “And So I Watch You From Afar” (Small Town America)
Bell X1 “Blue Lights On The Runway” (BellyUp)
Codes “Trees Dream in Algebra” (EMI)
Adrian Crowley “Season of the Sparks” (Chemikal Underground)
Dark Room Notes “We Love You Dark Matter” (Gonzo)
The Duckworth Lewis Method “The Duckworth Lewis Method” (1969/Divine Comedy Records)
Julie Feeney “Pages” (Mittens)
Valerie Francis “Slow Dynamo” (VF)
Laura Izibor “Let The Truth Be Told” (Atlantic)
The Swell Season “Strict Joy” (Plateau)
Previous winners of the Choice Music Prize are:
Irish Album of the Year 2005: Julie Feeney – “13 Songs”
Irish Album of the Year 2006: The Divine Comedy – “Victory For The Comic Muse”
Irish Album of the Year 2007: Super Extra Bonus Party – “Super Extra Bonus Party”
Irish Album of the Year 2008: Jape – “Ritual”
What are the underlying theories? What are the stylistic considerations? Who does it? How do we learn it? How does it relate to the composer's craft?
These questions will be our guide as Berklee College of Music presents its annual improvisation workshop in Ireland. The workshop is for all musicians, from classical to Irish traditional, from pop and rock to jazz, and more.
Improvisation is fundamental to the realization of all music. Learning the techniques of improvisation strengthens the core musical aptitudes of any and all musicians. Composition in all musical styles requires the composer to consciously or unconsciously apply improvisational concepts. Performers have spontaneously composed throughout history. The giants of classical composition were known for their ability to improvise. They delighted their patrons and fellow composers in the salons of old Europe with improvised renditions over a figured bass or using a cantus firmus, a given theme, or a harmonic progression for inspiration. They melded the art of composition and the art of improvisation.
Much of the folk and indigenous music from around the world does not depend on notation. In these musical communities, the teacher or master musician passes the music "by ear" to the student in much the same way contemporary musicians learn from each other. Those who seek to build their own musical vocabulary emulate the master musicians. This has been the path to musical creativity that so many have followed.
Berklee College of Music is dedicated to teaching music using the music of today. Its 12 majors encompass the broad range of careers in music and include: composition (classical and jazz); film scoring; songwriting; contemporary writing and production; and performance, offering ensemble opportunities in many styles, including jazz, pop, rock, and bluegrass, among others.
This broad view of music has made Berklee an open and diverse place for the cultivation of ideas on improvisation and composition. Berklee establishes workshops that focus on various facets of contemporary music education. This year's program in Dublin focuses purely on improvisation. We are pleased to be working with Newpark Music Centre, Berklee's official partner in Ireland and our host for the workshop. Our special thanks to the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT); University of Limerick; National University of Ireland, Maynooth; Royal Irish Academy of Music; Trinity College Dublin; Queens University Belfast; University College Cork; Irish Music Rights Organisation; and the Irish Arts Council for their involvement and interest in this program, and our gratitude to Ireland's own Bill Whelan for his inspiration and guidance.
Classes
The Berklee in Dublin Improvisation Workshop will present classes in lecture and master class formats, enabling students to learn about improvisational techniques and practice them in the master class.
Chord Scales and Voicings–How the improviser and composer use chord scales to create melody over chords, harmony, and chord voicings.
Style Labs–The elements of various styles of improvisation will be discussed. Insights into practicing improvisation will be presented.
Master Classes–Students will put into practice the skills and techniques discussed in the morning classes. The master class will offer vocalists and instrumentalists the chance to gain improvisation skills using their own songs or materials provided in class. Students will work in a helpful, non-critical environment with faculty who are world renowned for their knowledge, teaching skills, and empathy with students.
Clinic–This will be a presentation by Berklee Media.
Evening Jams–A place where you can play your music for and with each other.
Five-Week Scholarship Awards– Presented to selected students at the workshop for study at Berklee's Five-Week Summer Performance Program.
Berklee Auditions and Interviews– Conducted on Saturday and Sunday, April 10-11, for students interested in pursuing full-time study at Berklee in Boston. Students who are enrolled in the program will be forwarded audition information in their acceptance packets.
Closing Event–On Friday night, students will gather for a closing event where they will receive certificates of participation. At this time, students selected for the Five-Week Program Scholarships will receive their awards.
