So we have just come back from a little run of gigs in Cork. I love Cork and always have done, ever since I started gigging there in the Lobby way back years ago. Pat Conway has started a new venue in Cork city, the Pavilion, which we played at the start of the “People Have Names” tour and I loved it, it’s a beautiful old cinema and Pat has done a great job in restoring it. The county seems to have any number of small, eccentric little venues, all of which are packed with music lovers. Midleton Folk Club, Sirius Arts Centre in Cobh, the Arts Centre in Kilworth, to name a few. But probably one of my favourites there is the Glebe Gardens amphitheatre. It’s hidden away in Baltimore, but the gardens are gorgeous. Peter, Jean and their family run a cafe with really good food where the walls are lined with Peter’s rich and sumptuous paintings and then Declan runs a series of gigs there in the summer, in the outdoor theatre, which looks out over the ocean. He also organises the Fiddle Fair in Baltimore every summer. I could ramble on about the place, but it’s much better to go and experience it for yourselves. Hope yu enjoy as much as we do, and thanks again to all the Cork people at the last few shows for making us feel so welcome there. Go on the rebels…

We found this old footage from 2004 when myself and Brian were on the Den with Dustin and Socky. It was the funniest show we have ever been on and we were crying by the end. And a big hello to all the lads down at the Pigeon Club…

We played in the new Greystones Theatre a couple of nights ago. What an incredible theatre, beautiful acoustics, beautiful design, we had a fantastic night there. The Crabbling Otter has put up a few little videos on youtube, so click here to read and watch. Gentry made his usual great first impressions on the audience as well and it was so much fun with the band, Brian, Keith and Dave. We’re doing it all again in Whelans on the 25th July, so hope to see you there. Darren, so sorry to hear about your head, that was a bit stupid walking into a lamp post…thanks to you guys for creating the warm glow in the front row and filling the room with love…no cynicism whatsoever.

On another note, I am watching an interview with Take That! on the tv at the minute. “Patience”. What a song. “Want you back”. What another song. Gary Barlow. The boy knows how to churn them out.

Please follow the link to DIGMO
to read the interview.

Details for requestiing songs on radio:

Radio play helps spread the word so please, if you have a spare moment, go to the right hand side of this site to the links category “radio stations” and click on your local or national station and ask to hear some of the tunes. “Trickster” is the first single. Mr Wogan and Mr Anderson and Mr Darcy in particular…thank you

Two gigs have been added to the tour at the Greenbelt festival in the UK.

Fri 22 August – 22.00-23.00 Performance Cafe, Greenbelt Festival, Cheltenham Racecourse
Sat 23 August – 14.30-13.00 Performance Cafe, Greenbelt Festival, Cheltenham Racecourse

Ireland’s newest music festival – Dysart Festival – will take place in Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th August in the breathtaking wooded valley at Dysart Castle.

On Saturday, the unique boutique festival will be headlined by music legend Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, John Martyn, Marc Almond and the Blind Boys of Alabama. They will be joined on the line-up by the best in young Irish talent including Republic of Loose, Luan Parle, the Flaws and Ham Sandwich whilst Mercury Music Prize nominee Gemma Hayes and Clive Barnes complete the initial line up.

On Sunday, kick back and enjoy a bucolic day with picnic-rugs and hampers as the wooded valley plays host to the Dysart Picnic Concert featuring an array of classical and orchestral performances headed by Welsh opera phenomena Katherine Jenkins, who will perform in Ireland for the first time. Other performers on the day will include Meteor award winner Juliet Turner, Irish bluegrass maestros Prison Love and Dakota 66 with more to be announced.

On both Saturday and Sunday, the Dysart Comedy Tent will feature a selection of comedy acts from The Laughter Lounge. Hosts of the this stage will be The Rock & Roll Rescue Squad, purveyors of the Dublin’s ‘only credible karaoke’, Songs of Praise in the Village, according to that authoritative organ, the Irish Times.

This year the festival will exploit the unique nature of the venue, with two stages in spectacular natural amphitheatre settings, one an enclosed, festoon-lit glade in a grassy bowl which will host the second stage – a timber craftwork installation and the main castle arena – a huge, curving natural bowl framed by ancient Irish forests and the bend of the River Nore.

At the centre of the site lies Dysart Castle, the birthplace of Ireland’s greatest Enlightenment philosopher George Berkeley, who asked the question: “If a tree falls in the woods and no-one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?”

This year the woods he grew up in will host some sounds even the good Bishop couldn’t help but get his groove on to.

TICKET INFORMATION
Early Bird catches the worm - €55

Advance Tickets - €75
Gate - €85

Completely Different Tickets - €140
Completely Different 2 Day Tickets - €240

Unit
Market Cross, Kilkenny
Phone +353 56 77 95955
www.dysartfestival.com

PRESS INQUIRIES: press@dysartfestival.com
GENERAL INQUIRIES: info@dysartfestival.com

So I passed all my exams. The relief of not having the summer spoiled by looming resits is wonderful.

We played a gig in the lovely Spirit Store in Dundalk last night, so a big thank you to the wonderful crowd who turned up and bought CDs and bopped around. The comedy value was high and I think Gentry has sold enough cds to pay his clamping fine 100 times over. One of the Tuesday Night men, Peter, turned up, a little blast from the past, so it was great to see him.

And Ok, Ok, no more nurofen…the shoulder is a bit better now, Aidan did his thing yesterday and I will check out the anti-inflammatory foods Steve. Thats another thing I feel a bit guilty about, living on chicken burgers over the last few weeks. Oh well.

Ouch!

Every time I move it hurts…I appear to have slept on my head the wrong way a few nights ago and have pulled muscles in my neck and shoulder, it’s not getting better, despite popping vast quantities of Nurofen Plus. I can no longer turn my head to the left. Being hunched over a computer is not helping and I guess neither did the 1000 miles I clocked up over four days last week in the car. I wish I had a valet and a chauffeur. Although Gentry Morris did the driving from Clonmell, he drives like a loon and makes me listen to strange music, (his own, ha ha…) However, he did introduce me to Nickelcreek. I had heard of them before (please don’t confuse them with Nickelback, there is no comparison), but have downloaded and am loving them. Also, revisited John Mayer. Good driving music.

So today will be taken up with a visit to my physio, the wonderful Aidan Woods from the Pearse St. Physio clinic in Dublin (who helped me walk again after that adventure race in Ballyhoura last summer) and with frenziedly checking the Trinity website, as the exam results are out today.

Aidan has been away over the last few months with the Irish rowing team, just wanted to say how excited I am by the fact that they have qualified for the Olympics. The mental and physical effort needed to qualify and then psyche themselves up again to compete is extraordinary, so hope they come home with gold around their necks, they really deserve it. Gags Towey, you rock!

I also emailed Kevin Montgomery last night, commenting on the fact that as he packed to go and play a gig in France, he was drinking wine and generally acting in a laid back fashion. I hate packing and get very up-tight and grumpy amd can never find my passport. So we might do a tour together? I love his music, ever since I heard his cd playing in the Spirit Store in Dundalk and it would be great to play together if possible. So that’s a good thought.

Quick up-date on the gigs so far, lots of fun and a great response to the new album, I have been so pleased with the reviews in the press but also with the comments from people attending the gigs and who have bought the album. Thanks very much to everyone and if you could email your local radio stations to ask for the songs to be played, that would be excellent.

Also, just a quick hello to Ham Sandwich who are playing at Glastonbury this weekend, have a great gig.

Finally, my favourite thing on you-tube at the minute are the blogs from Imogen Heap. Check them out, she is compelling and I love her studio and her arm-warmers and her accent.

If any of you are going to the Edinburgh Festival in August, try and check out this Galway Theatre Company, Fregoli. Some friends of mine, Rob and Maria, who very kindly gave me food and a bed for the night in Galway, are involved and their work is really impressive. The play “Tape” runs from the 18th – 23rd of August in Edinburgh’s intimate Venue 3 at the Roxy Art House.

For Booking information please call the Town Hall Theatre Booking Line on 091 569777 or alternatively visit their website here