Mark Geary with Grainne Hunt - Monday, February 27, 2017

www.markgeary.com
www.grainnehunt.weebly.com

Now a regular visitor to BAG (he loves the vibe), Mark Geary returns to Mick Murphy's Bar, Ballymore Eustace, Co. Kildare, on Monday, Feb 27th. Doors open at 8:30pm, for a 9pm show. Admission is €12.

Joining Mark on the night is the really rather wonderful, and lovely, Ms. Grainne Hunt.
Grainne is a fine songwriter in her own right, and will perform some solo numbers, and provide backing vocals for Mark's set.
Check out how they sound together, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXSIbMIxqTg
and, here: https://youtu.be/hjVc3FJZbAA

With his 5th studio album  now mixed and mastered, 2017 sees Mark road-testing the songs from the new album which will be released later this year. So, you can be assured of a set that's chock-full of great new songs, and the best of his back catalogue. One of the most charismatic performers to grace BAG, a Mark Geary show is always a special thing to witness.

Mark is described as a “quintessential singer-songwriter” and his records of finely-crafted songs have been hailed as encapsulating both boisterous joy and gentle, delicate moments that endear themselves to the listener and evoke comparisons to artists such as Van Morrison, John Lennon, Elliot Smith and Richard Thompson.

His body of work includes 4 (soon to be 5) studio albums, 2 live recordings and collaborations with a number of artists including the release in 2013 of a charity version of his song ‘Christmas Biscuits’ with friend Glen Hansard in aid of St Vincent De Paul. Mark has also lent his talents to the visual arts scoring several films including Loggerheads (2005), Steel City (2006) and TriBeCa Film Festival favourite, Sons of Perdition (2010).

Touring and performing are still Mark’s lifeblood and passion. From the outset it is impossible not to be charmed by him, delivering as he does both his music and his stories in unassuming and singular style. His natural humour and ability to read the moment, give his shows a uniqueness, leaving his audiences with the feeling that they have just experienced something very special.

Over the last 20 years Mark has toured all over Europe, the US and Australia, and has shared the stage with performers such as The Swell Season, Glen Hansard, The Frames, Josh Ritter, Bell X1, Coldplay, Elvis Costello, The Pretenders and Joe Strummer.  In recent years, he has played shows and festivals in both the US and across Europe notably in Switzerland, Austria and Germany, including a headline spot on the critically acclaimed Songs from Ireland: Old and New tour. He also supported Glen Hansard on several of his European dates in 2015 and 2016.

'Volunteer' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8W24GSOhbqQ

HATS - Monday, February 20, 2017

www.hatssongs.com

Another new act for BAG, HATS is a collective of three very individual performers who truly do become greater than the sum of their considerable parts. They play their BAG debut in Mick Murphy's Bar, Ballymore Eustace, Co. Kildare, on Monday, Feb 20. Doors open at 8:30pm for a 9pm show. Admission is €12

HATS….3 Songwriters, 3 Styles and 1 Name

Gerry Creen from Belfast is considered a folk legend with a finger picking’ style next to none. His voice and songs are full of great stories. Check out his albums including his latest ‘My Shoes’.

David Dee Moore also from Belfast but now in Westport has a background of songwriting and as a session Bass player around the world with many top names. His songs exude catchy pop licks and wonderful melodies. Check out his recordings including his latest album ‘The sun the moon and the stars…and other moving objects’.

Derek McGowan now living in Westport is a blues legend in Ireland.  He grew up with the Blues in Dublin and his guitar versatility and rockin’ songs can be heard on his latest album ‘Rainlight’.

These three gents have a fine, fine sound that's a perfect fit for BAG. Come along and catch their first visit with us.

'Burst' (David Dee Moore) - https://youtu.be/ieaeH7Ns2wo
'Watering Can' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6d4dFb0kg0&app=desktop

KERN - Monday, Feb 13, 2017

KERN is a contemporary folk band from County Louth, and they'll play their debut BAG gig in Mick Murphy's Bar, in Ballymore Eustace, Co. Kildare, on Monday, Feb 13th. Doors open at 8:30pm for a 9pm start.

www.kernmusic.com

An introduction to the music, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JbYaClJvck
'The Hard Wind' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NU2jKLnVb2I

The Band: Brendan McCreanor is a thrilling uilleann piper who has worked extensively in both traditional music and in contemporary crossover projects. By contrast, SJ McArdle is a well-known rock and folk musician, a published songwriter and singer (songs from his three albums have featured in film, TV and radio and he has toured extensively - including playing BAG on several occasions). And Barry Kieran is a former Leinster champion fiddler, steeped in the raw, pure music of Oriel. All three men are from Louth, and this is reflected in their repertoire, which includes tunes and songs from all over the county as well as self-written new ones.

False Deceiver is their brand new debut album. It is a true blend, in terms of its mood, its styles and its musicians. Thunderous sets of traditional tunes vie with lyrical, atmospheric songs, all underpinned by the production of legendary Lúnasa and Waterboys bassist Trevor Hutchinson. As a result, False Deceiver manages to be emotional without being sentimental, traditional yet contemporary.

The band has been featured on RTE Lyric FM's, The Blue of the Night, RTE Radio 1's Ceilí House, numerous shows on Raidio na Gaeilge and are soon playing on Newstalk’s The Pat Kenny Show. Kern have already played a host of festivals and concerts, including Celtic Connections in Glasgow, Drogheda Arts Festival, Vantastival, Dingle Tradfest and Baltimore Fiddle Fair to name only a few.

Praise for False Deceiver:
"Quite lovely ... an intriguing release. Those interested in trad music that crosses over into singer/songwriter territory will find this album particularly attractive, but its accessibility will have easy appeal to general audiences. Thumbs up!" – Irish Echo

“The instrumental tracks on the album are absolutely superb. (In “The Hard Wind”) SJ McArdle has written a really fine and brave song ... really interesting, powerful and complex”– Mike Harding

“Gorgeous. It’s been a while since I heard something traditional this sweet and good.” – Susan McKeown

John Spillane - Monday, Feb 6, 2017

Perennial BAG favourite, John Spillane returns to kick off 2017's BAG gigs in Mick Murphy's, Ballymore Eustace, Co. Kildare, on Monday, February 6th. Unusually, John wasn't with us in 2016, so it's great to welcome him back - he's played Ballymore pretty much every year for the past 20 years. Doors open at 8:30pm for a 9pm show. Admission is €15.

www.johnspillane.com

John Spillane is a musician, songwriter, performer, recording artist, storyteller, poet, dreamer – a canvass filled with color and brilliance.  His music transports the listener; his live performance captivates the audience.  In a world filled with strife and upheaval, a time-out with John Spillane is enough to ease the load a bit on anyone lucky enough to bask in his light. The man and his music are pure magic.

What makes John special is that he is an artist who knows how to deliver all that he has to offer to anyone of any age, male or female, no matter the musical preference.  Place him in the genre of folk, acoustic, traditional, world or pop – that’s fine with John.  He’s a man who is very comfortable in his skin. Whether performing solo with guitar, with gentle accompaniment or with full band before 10, 10,000 or 100,000, John entertains, charms, and mesmerizes.

John is a native of Cork, the County he lovingly describes as “the centre of the universe”, and it has been a huge creative influence on him. Vocally, he is quite unique with an almost sean nós-like element in his singing and he is said to have a voice “full of honesty, commitment and sensitivity”.

Two-time Meteor award winner, John is one of the most accomplished songwriters in Ireland today. Among those who have covered his songs are Christy Moore, Sharon Shannon, Sean Keane, to name a few from the home stage, and Blues/Roots artiste, Brooks Williams, from the USA. He performs to audiences large and small everywhere.

BAG Gig Schedule - February to May 2017

The BAG Spring 2017 gig schedule is now fully booked. All dates are Monday nights. All gigs are in Mick Murphy's Bar, Ballymore Eustace, Co. Kildare, and start at 9pm, with doors open at 8:30pm. Admission to each gig is €12, unless otherwise noted.

The descriptions included below are a guide to the type of music each artist plays. Descriptions are subjective, and can mean different things to different people, so for a real flavour of the music, follow the links to artist websites, where you'll find samples of what you can expect. Suffice to say: it's all good!

Feb. 6 - John Spillane (IRL) - Folk - http://www.johnspillane.com/ Admission: €15

Feb. 13 - Kern (IRL) - Folk/Trad - http://kernmusic.com/

Feb. 20 - HATS (IRL) - Folk/Blues/Roots - www.hatssongs.com

Feb. 27 - Mark Geary (IRL) - Indie/Folk - http://markgeary.com/

March 6 - Ger Wolfe (IRL) - Folk - http://www.gerwolfe.com/

March 13 - Peter Byrne & Conor Mahony (IRL) - Folk/reinterpretation - https://www.facebook.com/peterbyrneconormahony/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QGR_ISa2uY

March 20 - Susan Tomelty & Pat Farrell (IRL) - Blues/Roots - http://www.susantomelty.ie/

March 27 - Pat Coldrick (IRL) - Classical, but so much more - http://www.patcoldrick.com/

April 3 - Brooksie Wells (USA) - Roots/Americana - http://www.brooksiewells.com/

April 10 - Luan Parle & Clive Barnes (IRL) - Folk/Country/Roots - http://www.luanparle.com/

April 24 - John Statz (USA) - Alt. Folk/Americana - http://johnstatz.com/

May 8 - Cormac O'Caoimh (IRL) - Indie/Folk/Pop - http://www.thecitadels.net/

May 15 - Krista Detor (USA) - Alt. Folk/Indie - http://kristadetor.com/

May 22 - Tim Grimm and The Family Band (USA) - Roots/Americana/Folk - http://timgrimm.com/

May 29 - Roy Thompson (IRL) - Folk/Roots/Country - https://www.facebook.com/roythompsonmusic/