Three have announced that they are taking their City Stages initiative beyond Ireland and into mainland Europe through a partnership with one of Ireland’s biggest music stars, Gavin James.
Up to four artists will have the opportunity to join him on his current European tour which includes shows in Amsterdam and Paris. The first two artists announced to join Gavin James are Gemma Cox and Rachel Grace. They will now join Gavin James in Amsterdam to open for him at the beautiful Vondel Church in Amsterdam on 8th and 9th February. Two more artists will be announced for Gavin’s Paris shows soon.
Three’s City Stages provided up and coming artists across Ireland with the opportunity to perform on some of the country’s biggest stages. Last February, Kildare musician Tia Burke was chosen to open for Mercury Music Prize nominated, Self Esteem at her sold out 3Olympia Theatre show.
In September, eight more City Stages performers were given an incredible opportunity to come together for a special collaborative performance at Electric Picnic, playing to a capacity crowd on the Three Music stage. The collective consisted of Arthur Valentine, Kestine, Korey Power, Leah Moran, 2 Time Charlie, Salamay, Liliana and Bukky, who reimagined hits by their favourite artists from Miley Cyrus and 50 Cent to Eminem and Whitney Houston before being joined by a very special guest in main stage singer Cian Ducrot for a group rendition of his #1 hit record “I’ll Be Waiting”.
Speaking on the announcement, Gavin James commented: “I’ve been following Three’s City Stages last year and have loved seeing the great new musical talent Ireland has and I wanted to play my part in helping them with Three’s City Stages initiative by bringing them on tour with me and hopefully opening a few doors both at home and abroad.”
Aislinn O’Connor, Marketing Director, Three added: “City Stages was a runaway success last year and provided some incredible opportunities to some of the best up and coming musical talent across the country, taking them from busking on the streets of Ireland to the big stages at 3Olympia and Electric Picnic. We have been so enthused by the response and partnering with Gavin James brings City Stages to life in a new way and we hope to not only see these City Stages acts perform on Ireland’s biggest stages in the coming years but on the European stage too”.
To date, over 500 musicians have applied to play and perform on a Three City Stage around the country. The initiative offers a new generation of musicians, currently learning their trade by busking on Ireland’s city streets, an opportunity to progress their careers by offering them the opportunity to perform on the biggest stages in the country.
As the naming rights partner at two of Irelands biggest venues, 3Arena & 3Olympia – Three is giving aspiring artists more opportunities to play on the biggest stages in the country and beyond.
City Stages is part of Three’s commitment to the brand’s All For Music campaign, helping to support and nurture new and exciting musical talent in Ireland through live experiences. This support is channelled to help these aspiring artists to grow their careers from the smallest stages to the largest in the country. Three City Stages initiative is supported by AIM Ireland.
‘All For Music’ is built around the collective experience of the enjoyment we get from music, the way we connect with people and how it is celebrated. This depth of connection is the reason that we love it so much, both as individuals and as a brand. This togetherness is why Three is ‘all in’ on music.
Interested artists can sign up to City Stages now at 3.ie/CityStages. To be the first to hear of all the exclusive music news from Three, join the conversation on social @threeireland using #3AllForMusic.
Rachel Grace has quietly established herself as one of Ireland’s most promising songwriters, and at only twenty-one years of age. Her music is a melting pot of soul and pop with a vocal style that captures the mood of generations past, echoing the soulful voices of artists like Norah Jones, Amy Winehouse and Eva Cassidy.
Having been writing and performing in the music scene from the age of twelve, the Ruby Sessions regular has played some of Ireland’s favourite venues and festivals and supported acts such as Emma Langford, Jack Lukeman, Paddy Casey, The Drifters and Wallis Bird. She was chosen as one of Hotpress Magazine’s ‘Hot For 2023’ artists and is currently in the process of recording her debut album, set for release late this year. Her eagerly awaited next single, ‘Lately’, will be out in March.
Links: Spotify | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook
Gemma Cox is a Kildare based singer-songwriter who channels dreamy alt-pop, inspired by Sara Bareilles, Phoebe Bridgers and the Japanese House. She started out playing open mics and busking on Grafton Street. More recently, she’s supported artists including Soda Blonde, Emma Langford and Calum Bowie. After releasing her single ‘Behind Your Eyes’ in November, she ended last year with a performance at Other Voices in Dingle.
Links: Spotify | Instagram | YouTube | Breaking Tunes
