We've got a live one here!
Now in its second year, Cork Live At The Marquee is one of the highlights of the Irish music calendar. Here, Hot Press presents a complete preview of what's in store for music fans in the southern capital - and looks at the great legacy of Cork music.
, 07 Jun 2006
Even by his own frenetic standards, 2005 was a busy year for Peter Aiken and the Aiken Promotions organisation. Along with Metallica and Iron Maiden in the RDS, Kilkenny’s Source Festival and the daily goings-on at Vicar St., the Belfast man was responsible for bringing the first Live At The Marquee series of gigs to Cork.
The southern capital was delighted, with full houses – or should that be tents? – for Brian Wilson, Al Green, Christy Moore, Nick Cave, Brian McFadden, Ronan Keating and the other top Irish and international acts who made up the hot summer bill.
“I was convinced that there was a demand locally for a top-flight music event and, sure enough, 60% of the tickets were bought by Cork people,” Peter enthuses. “Even before the 2005 Live At The Marquee was over, we were starting to think, ‘Who can we get for next year?’”
The head scratching has paid off with another mouth-watering array of rock, pop, folk, hip hop and comedic talent taking to the Marquee stage from June 23 to July 7. You can sense the excitement building locally, as the opening date in the series draws nearer.
Arguably Peter's biggest coup is getting Pink Floyd legend Roger Waters to include Cork as the only Irish stop-off on his Dark Side Of The Moon-revisiting world tour.
“That came about as a result of people who are in Roger’s crew being at the Marquee last year and telling him what a great place to play it is,” he explains. “It’s probably the most intimate of the shows he’s doing – not that you’d know it from the production he’s bringing with him, which includes quadraphonic sound, huge great big video screens and some flying pigs! My two favourite bands as a lad were Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd, so I’m really excited about seeing him.”
While he won’t be bringing pigs or, indeed, any type of farmyard animal with him, Peter is equally as enthusiastic about the Bob Dylan date on June 24.
“We’ve done a lot of shows with Dylan and, I have to say, he’s always been a gentleman. Rather than the team most artists of his stature have, he arrives with just the one security guy and is happy to have his photograph taken. He once cycled from his hotel to a gig in The Point, and the last time we had him in Nowlan Park, he signed some hurleys for the Kilkenny lads, who couldn’t believe it afterwards.
©Hot Press 2011. Why be a member? | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy